Week 8

1. Week 8 Popular Islam

2. Islam • Before 622 • Judaism & Christianity spread • Older polytheistic religion. • Mecca & Medina • Mercantile center • Pilgrimage center.

3. Gap between two views • Anthropological view of Islam: • A cultural tradition that takes many forms. • Not heterogeneous collection of beliefs and practices • Muslim view: • Coherent Religion, • Civilization • Social order

4. Muhammed • One God- Tauhid • Equivalent to Judeo-Christian God • Prophet • Equivalent to Biblical prophets. • Last of 124,000 • Orthopraxy: righteous actions • Proclamation of faith • Worship • Alms • Fasting • Pilgrimage

5. Islam-- Commonalities • Lack of priesthood- anyone can go on path to knowledge & salvation • Direct, unmediated relationship with God. • Egalitarian emphasis. • Umma= community—Muslim community must remain undivided.

6. Muhammed • Khalifa was his successor. • Jihad= reform, personal endeavor, or conquest • military struggle “lesser Jihad”. • Personal struggle with faith & society “greater Jihad”. • Ulama; learned ones • Sharia: “Ways” • Quest to obey God’s will • Sunnah & Kuran • Sufi tradition

7. Ernst Gellner: Two trends in Islam • Ulama= scholarly tradition • Literacy, • Egalitarianism. • Universalist ideal of a single deity, available to all who care to read.

8. Mosque • No custom or ritual within Islamic practice for which one needs any particular set of credentials • general rule: most knowledgeable among group should lead prayers • Typical function of ‘alim : Imam of mosque • leads daily prayers • delivers Friday sermon • teaches neighborhood children basics of Islamic law • Qur'anic recitation • sometimes writing & calligraphy

9. Ernst Gellner: Two trends in Islam • Associationist- Sufi tradition • Mediation • Propitiation • Ritual & devotional excess • Religious hierarchy.

10. Shi’a ‘Ulama • Fifth Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (d. 733) • Founder of Shi’i law • to whom Kufans turned increasingly for rulings on religious matters. • Sixth Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (d. 765), • systematized Shi’i law, • body of rawis ("transmitters") of sayings of the Shi’i Imam emerged.

11. Modern Political Shi’a ‘Ulama • Shi’a ‘Ulama • Political leader within Iran • Iran is governed on Islamic Religious Law called Governance of the faqih (wilayat-i faqih) • wilayat = rule, supremacy or sovereignty • Also: friendship, loyalty, or guardianship • Ruling guardianship of jurisprudence • Gives religious power over the land

12. Madrasah • 2 common modes of study in pre-colonial period: • tutelage with individual scholars • attendance at Madrasah • Mustaniriyah in Baghdad, • Niiimiyah in Baghdad, • al-Azhar in Cairo • Colonization caused radical curriculum changes • Like modern Western University Fatwa: applied law • Only mufti is qualified to identify what rules apply • matter of training --not esoteric knowledge

13. Islam-- diversity • Islam often associated with Middle East & Arabs. • Half of all Muslims live in Southeast Asia. • Not all Muslims speak Arabic, and not all Arabs are Muslim. • Often, local customs defined in terms of Islam; • “if we do it, and we are Muslim, then it is a Muslim practice.”

14. Kohistan-- R. Lincoln Keiser • Thull—Kohistan; small village on Afgan-Pakistani border.

15. Kohistan-- R. Lincoln Keiser • Strict code of honor: • Dushmani: men engage in blood revenge; will kill another for slight of honor. • Special source of shame is women; if a strange man so much as looks at wives or daughters, he has dishonored the husband/father. • Hospitality • Give refuge to anyone asking. • Compassion for a fallen adversary.

16. 300 years ago • Villages organized into endogamous partilineal descent groups. • Relationship between men and women very casual; women not secluded. • Perhaps some wife stealing; perpetrator could pay fine. • Revenge known, but generally against other tribes.

17. 16th century • Conversion to Islam; generally, no major changes in social system. • God is an imperious ruler. • God gives ghrairat—personal honor, integrity to men; at birth. • Can easily be lost,

18. 19th century: Under British India • Nawabs- Pathan chief who captured region in 1888 • Britain threatened by Russia. • Troops had to go through the region to protect India from Russian invasions. • Policy: let Nawabs have unfettered rule; they keep roads open & maintain them.

19. 19th century: Under British India Imposed code of honor on people of Thull; • Ruled by arbitrary decrees. • The Nawabs exacerbated local disputes within the community to weaken opposition. • Levied light fines for murder; encouraged people to take revenge rather than pay fines.

20. 1947 independence • Pakistani government developed region. • Schools, roads, telephone service, buses. • increased importance of potato farming; undercut ties between herding groups. • Newfound wealth made guns more easily available.

21. 1947 independence • Roads also brought fundamentalist teachings. • Saint worship considered heresy; humans with special access to God. • Opposition to music and dancing; • seduced women; • personalized connection between male honor and sexual purity of women.

22. Java: Suzanne Brenner

23. Java: Suzanne Brenner • Value restraint; concentration of inner spiritual strength through self-control. • Associated more with men; men “naturally’ have greater control than women. • Upper classes have it more than lower classes. • Women don’t always agree with this view. • Women have absolute control in • Home- including household finance. • Market- Women traders

24. Java: Suzanne Brenner • Often viewed in terms of Islamic values: • Men more in control of emotions; women more irrational or sexual. • Hence, women need to be controlled by men. • But some argue that men are less capable of controlling emotions. • Lust and greed. • Women are better at business because men will be spend money on women—take a second wife or gamble.

25. Java: Suzanne Brenner • Kebaya • Veil • Considered “foreign” • Viewed as “modern” but not “Western.”