Cult and Culture Flashcards
religion in the middle east
Folklore
Religion was not compartmented and followed in a certain way back then.
Religious customs incorporated a religion? – Semitic religion because it comes to race. If they all have a similar culture etc. that means they follow the same religion?
unlike many scholars - Historiography- think what
religion was compartmentalised and followed certain rules
sufism
ufism or Tasawwuf[1] (Arabic: تصوف), according some of its adherents, is the inner mystical dimension of Islam, yet many also contend that it preceded religion. Practitioners of Sufism (Tasawwuf), referred to as Sufis (ṣūfī) (/ˈsuːfi/; صُوفِيّ), often belong to different ṭuruq or “orders”—congregations formed around a grand master referred to as a Mawla who maintains a direct chain of teachers back to the Prophet Muhammad.[2] These orders meet for spiritual sessions (majalis) in meeting places known as zawiyahs, khanqahs, or tekke.[3] Sufis strive for ihsan (perfection of worship) as detailed in a hadith: “Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him; if you can’t see Him, surely He sees you.”[4] Jalaluddin Rumi stated: “The Sufi is hanging on to Muhammad, like Abu Bakr.”[5] Sufis regard Prophet Muhammad as the Al-Insān al-Kāmil, which is a concept that describes Muhammad as the primary perfect man who exemplifies the morality of God.[6] Sufis regard Prophet Muhammad as their leader and prime spiritual guide. Sufis also consider themselves to be the true proponents of this pure, original form of Islam.
ulama and sufi
Sufism – mystical – became a routine among general population. Even Ulama joined in the rites
people may have followed the rituals of sufiismbut..
Although people succumbed to Sufism, they did not know the ins and outs of it as a religion. Very few did who practised with Sufi sheikhs. Everyone else had everyday lives to get on with. Much like Ulama who kept religion to themselves.
knowledge and sufism
The knowledge [of Sufism] was the exclusive domain of experts. The notion that it was popular insofar as it was liberally bestowed and easily mastered, would have struck Sufi Shaikh’s as naïve, misinformed and downright pertinent
supersticious
‘Superstitions are so widely distributed that it is difficult to assign them to any race or creed’
agrarian religion
Agrarian – similar traditions, religious habits,
‘placed within these wider boundaries of thought and experience, the living religion of the Ottoman Middle East quickly expands far beyond the narrow sectarian conventions of Islam, Christianity and Judaism alone. It reveals its true scope only in the vast cluster of beliefs customs and attitudes that e can best call ‘agrarian religion’
agrarian thought of as rural superior
HISTORIOGRAPHY AND TWILIGHT OF THE SAINTS
Basically throws out anything preconceptions of the way religion was practised. There was not real separation of religion. All three monotheistic religions were indistinctive as the cultures were so similar and traditions.
WORSHIP AND SAINTS
Worshipped the same saints. Some Christian women were known to worship Muhammed birthday p 178
hey might quote the bible or Qur’an but they worshipped the same saints??
muslim and baptism
Many Muslims carried out baptism as baptism did not make them Christian it was a ritual
prayer beads
Prayer beads – could have been either Muslim or Christian
veil
Veil mainly affluent urban women – only at the turn of the twentieth century did that change.
dress colours of religion
Although the dress colours were supposed to be observed – yellow Jew, blue r black Christian, it didn’t happen. They wore what hey wanted. P181
cdamascus mosque
mosque Umayyad Damascus (was the church of John of Damascene) had a cross inside it.
