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Accepted Paper:
By the beard of the Prophet: imitation and intimacy in a Sufi brotherhood
Mikkel Rytter
(Aarhus University)
Paper short abstract:
Based on a study of the Danish branch of the global Sufi-brotherhood, this paper explores the paradox of imitation and repetition as means of development and transformation in Sufis quest for intimacy, unity and certainty.
Paper long abstract:
The Danish branch of the global Sufi-brotherhood that call themselves Naqhsbandi Mujjadadi Saifi mainly consists of young men with a Pakistani background. As devoted travellers (salik) their internal spiritual development should be accompanied by a transformation of their external appearances such as clothes, language, diet, hygiene and morality. They attempt to follow sunna by imitating their Shaykh, the latest link in a spiritual genealogy (silsila) going back to Prophet Muhammad. The physical appearance and habitus of the Shaykh not only mirrors his predecessors; He also, like a mirror, reflects the noor (light) of the Prophet and passes it on to the devoted murids. But what is the authentic practice of the Prophet and how can one follow his perfect example in Denmark anno 2011? This paper explores the paradox of imitation and repetition as means of development and transformation in the Saifi quest for intimacy, unity and certainty.