The Dual Meaning of Šafāʿa and the Social Function of the Saints in Mamluk Society
In pre-modern Islamic societies, the Sufi šayḫ was the ultimate model of the saint, who offered the laity a direct channel for intercession with God. Focusing on the šayḫs’ relations with the Mamluk elite, and examining the dual meaning of the term šafāʽa, which represents both sacred and mundane in...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Arabica
Year: 2024, Volume: 71, Issue: 4/5, Pages: 430-473 |
| Further subjects: | B
Charisma
B Mamluk Sultanate B sultanat mamelouk B Soufisme B Saints B Charisme B Intercession B Sufism |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | In pre-modern Islamic societies, the Sufi šayḫ was the ultimate model of the saint, who offered the laity a direct channel for intercession with God. Focusing on the šayḫs’ relations with the Mamluk elite, and examining the dual meaning of the term šafāʽa, which represents both sacred and mundane intercession, this article shows that the saints’ intercessory role was not limited to the spiritual sphere but applied also to the mundane realm of interceding between rulers and subjects. Combining both forms of intercession, while maintaining the aura of otherworldliness, greatly increased the appeal of many Sufi šayḫs. However, balancing both required some maneuvering on the part of the šayḫs, which the article considers. |
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| ISSN: | 1570-0585 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Arabica
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700585-20246904 |
