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Accepted Paper:
On Food and Spirituality: the construction of Sufi religious identities in a Damascene tariqa
Gisele Fonseca Chagas
(Universidade Federal Fluminense)
This paper examines how Sufi religious identities are constructed in a Damascene tariqa through exploring food practices and discourses mobilized by its charismatic Shaykh (the local religious authority).
Paper long abstract:
This paper examines how Sufi religious identities are constructed in a Damascene tariqa through exploring food practices and discourses mobilized by its charismatic Shaykh. The tariqa’s Shaykh built his religious reputation, among other things, on his Quranic as well phytotherapeutic knowledge, which mix combinations of medicinal herbs, teas or certain types of food for those who seek him to heal some physical/spiritual evil. The Shaykh authored a book dealing specifically with the subject, claiming that it was written following Prophet Muhammad's recommendations on healthy food and drink. Beyond Islamic halal and haram classifications, the main idea is to show how in this ethnographic context the Sufi leader trained his disciples on the spiritual path through teaching them on food practices, connecting natural food, human health and God’s commands.