Paper short abstract:

Using archeology as inspiration rather than method, the paper examines religious pasts as revealed in contemporary rituals practiced by Muslims in Pakistan. This is illustrative not only of syncretic Islam, but also of the cultural systems underlying the construction of identities and the development of Punjabi notions of the self.

Paper long abstract:

The complex tapestry of South Asian Islam owes much to the rich religious background in which it flourishes. Without wanting to question the religious devotion of Pakistani Muslims, I examine ongoing non-Islamic mixing across Punjab. Using archeology as inspiration rather than method, I focus on religious pasts as revealed in contemporary rituals practiced in Punjab, Pakistan. This is illustrative not only of what has been called syncretic Islam, but also of the cultural systems underlying the development of Punjabi notions of the self. The paper concentrates on practices associated with shrines of Muslim and Sikh pir or saints. Such sufi-like saints are deeply embedded in the history of Islam across the Muslim world, and, arguably, adopt a wide range of pre-Islamic rituals and symbols. In Punjab, such rituals are reminiscent of Hindu and Sikh worship. Here I compare devotional practices in three locations in northern Punjab: the tomb of Baba Shaikh Daud on the outskirts of Bhalot village, Kalyam Sharif south of Rawalpindi and Hassan Abdal. The first is a minor local saint who died perhaps 170 years ago. The second, is home to a number of living saints who are the descendants of previous saints. The third, Hassan Abdal, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Sikhs. Concentrating on the practices and discourses of Muslims around each of these sites, this paper explores the extent to which the past remains a living and active part of local constructions of the self in Punjab, Pakistan.