Irfan Moeen Khan Re-centering the Sufi Shrine Islamkundliche Untersuchungen Band 348 Irfan Moeen Khan Re-centering the Sufi Shrine A Metaphysics of Presence ISBN 978-3-11-078102-1 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-078149-6 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-078155-7 ISSN 0939-1940 Library of Congress Control Number: 2022945396 Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston Cover image: Construction Drawing 3, marble sculpture, inlaid (Pietra dura) with granite © Hamra Abbas Printing and Binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck www.degruyter.com To the memory of my father Muhammad Shafiullah Khan and mother Anjum Shafiullah Acknowledgements IsubmittedthisworkasmyPh.D.dissertationtoTheCommitteeontheStudyof Religion(GSAS)atHarvardUniversity.Itisaculminationofmyinterestinstudy- ing religious authority, especially in reference to ritual practice and mysticism. ThestudyofritualspacesofSufishrinesrequiresthestudyoftextsandanthro- pologicalfieldwork.Hence,IvisitedseveralSufidargāhsinLahore,Qasur,Mul- tan, Bahawalpur, Karachi, Faisalabad, Islamabad, and remote villages such as Fazilpur (in South Punjab) and other lesser-known rural vicinities. During thesetrips,Imetseveraldervishfigures(menandwomen)whosewarmhospital- ity and words have been sources of wisdom. Inthisjourneying,myutmostgratitudeisreservedforManzūrSaīn,anun- lettered expert on wujūdī philosophy and Persian poetry,who accompanied me during avisit to the tombs of Khawaja Ghulām Farīd in Kot Mithan on foot (at times,weusedpublictransport,packedwithpassengers).Duringthesepilgrim- ages, Manzūr Saīn spoke to me about the Sufi lore of friendship and the meta- physics of presence. I must also acknowledge that it was incredibly advanta- geous for me to be the great-grandson of Shaykh Muḥammad Chishtī (Gharīb Nawāz),whosedargāhisinavillageoutsideofLahore.ItwasatShaykhMuḥam- mad Chishti’s shrine that a chance encounter in observing a mystic during his zikr(Ar.Dhikr)onalatewintrynight,andthewordsspokeninastateofecstasy, left me bewildered, despite my life-long familiarity with Sufi spaces.There was something verydifferent about the mystic’s voice and the penetrating power of his words that I cannot explain. So, my question was, how could I write about what I had witnessed or experienced at the dargah in an academic language? I do not claim to have solved this problem in this book, but it does address the importance of understanding the theopoetics of ritual space beyond texts. Iwasfortunatetohavethefriendshipofseveralpeoplewhosekindnessand advice helped me at different points of my academic journey. Nabeel Sarwar’s guidance some twenty-three years ago will never be forgotten. Dr.Jamil Rashid pointedmetoMcGillUniversityasasuitableplaceformyMAinIslamicStudies (ProfessorSajidaAlvi’sexpertiseinIslamicintellectualhistoryprovedespecially useful for my work). Dr.Warnock Davies for showing me the art of the applica- tion process and sharing his wisdom about what it means to devote a life to learning during the early stages of my career. I was fortunate to be a TA for the lateDr. Linda Walbridge of Indiana University,whowas teachingat the La- horeUniversityofManagementSciences,toworkonherprojectaboutChristian communitiesinPakistan.LindathoughtIwouldmakeanexcellentanthropolo- gistandencouragedmetopursuemygraduatestudies.Iamindebtedtothelate https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110781496-001 VIII Acknowledgements Dr. Zafar Ishaq Ansari for the incredible affection showered on me when I showedupathisofficeoneafternoonattheIslamicResearchInstitute,Islama- bad, after finishing my master’s degree from McGill, looking for potential em- ployment. I wish I could have seen him one last time after completing my Ph.D.to offer mygratitude in person. Dr.WilliamA.Graham(HarvardUniversity)taughtmehowcompassionand scholarshipcouldcoexist.Eachdraftofthechapterwasreturnedtomewithex- tensivecommentsandeditsthathelpedmeimprovethework.Iwasfortunateto havehisguidanceateverystage.Ifanyonewhosepresencewasasourceofcom- fortduringtherigorsofwriting,itwasDr.KimberleyC.Patton.Thecurrentproj- ect emerged from a paper presented in her seminar, “Relics,Tombs, and Tran- scendence.” I learned about the merits of comparative inquiry in religion from her.Thanks to Dr. Ali S. Asani for his insights into Sufism and the piping hot cups of tea at his office in the Barker Center. I also want to mention scholars whohavecontributedtomylearningatHarvardUniversity:Dr.DavidLamberth (I still have his copy of John McDermott’s monograph), Dr. Francis X.Clooney, Dr.StepheniePaulsell,Dr.DavídCarrasco,Dr.SteveCaton,Dr.ArthurKleinman, Dr.ParimalPatil,Dr.RobRobson,Dr.LuisManuelGirón-Negrón,andthelateDr. Shahab Ahmad. ThankstoKatharinaZülhkeattheDeGruyterPress,whoseexperthelpmade theprocessoffinalizingthemanuscriptgosowell.Anyshortcomingsaresolely myresponsibility.Finally,Ioweamountainofthankstomylovelywife,Hamra Abbas,forherincrediblesupportandpatience.Theartworkonthecover(collec- tionofMr.TaimurHassan)isbyher,entitledConstructionDrawing.Mytwoboys ShaafKhanandValiKhan,havebroughtlightintoourlivesthathas(atleastin myopinion) made me a better scholar. Contents Introduction 1 Chapter One A Case of Ritual Incongruity in the Practice of Ziyāra: Ḥāẓirī and Fātiḥa 17 . Ḥāẓirī 19 . Fātiḥā (du‘ā) 29 . A Barelwī Defense of Ziyāra: ‘Allamā Ṭahir al-Qādirī 37 Chapter Two Study of Sufism and Ritual 45 . “Discourse” and Ritual Experience 48 . Mystical Body 50 . Sufism and Textual Islam 54 . The Textual Biases of Recent Scholarship on Sufism 69 . Ineffability and Authority: The Unsayable 72 Chapter Three Ritual and the Politics of Sufism: Governing the Tombs 76 . The Politics of Scripture: The Ṭarīqa-i Muḥammadīyya in India 80 . Nationalization of Sufi Shrines in Pakistan 99 . Pakistan (Nation-State) and Islam 107 . Sovereignty and Scripture in Pakistan 112 . The Body and Islamic Reform 113 . Ambiguity and Ritual 115 Chapter Four Ritual and Bulleh Shāh 122 . Hagiography and Ritual: “Thaiyā Thaiyā” 127 . Religious Identity of Bulleh Shāh 133 . ‘Ishq 141 . Metaphysics of Presence 150 Chapter Five Festival Ritual 161 . Melā in Indus Sufism 165 . Melā in Kāfī Verse 167 . ‘Urs as Festival (Celebration) 186 X Contents Chapter Six Ḥāẓirī and the Ritual ofSam ā‘ 192 . Scripture and Sufi Poetry 196 . Theopoetics of Nisbat 203 . Samā‘ at the Dargāh 207 . On Ecstasy (ḥāl and wajd) 209 Conclusion 216 Bibliography 220 Sourcesin Arabic, Persian, Urdu, and Punjabi 220 Sourcesin English 221 Index 239