Shadows of the Prophet

Martial Arts and Sufi Mysticism
1. Auflage 2012
ISBN: 978-94-007-3688-7
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 311 Seiten, Previously published in hardcover, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 505 g

Reihe: Muslims in Global Societies Series

Contemporary accounts of Malay culture that focus on shamanism, dance, medicine and performance reveal only a partial view of Malay mysticism. However, given knowledge of the Malay martial art (silat) a more comprehensive understanding of Malay mysticism, religion, sorcery and magic becomes possible. Recognizing the silat master’s (guru silat) role in Malay mysticism recon? gures the social anth- pology of Malay religion, sorcery and magic. Hence this account explores Malay mysticism, shamanism and sorcery from the perspective of silat, which may be considered as a kind of embodied war magic or warrior religion. Shadows of the Prophet: Martial Arts and Su Mysticism is based upon my d- toral dissertation (Farrer 2006b). Part I of the book, re ections, outlines the meth- ological and theoretical base of the research. Chapter 1 outlines the ? eldwork method of performance ethnography used to investigate a transnational silat organization called Seni Silat Haqq Melayu. This group are an offshoot of the Islamic Haqqani- Naqshbandi Su? Order headed internationally by Shaykh Nazim, and led in Sou- east Asia by a Malay Prince; H. R. H. Shaykh Raja Ashman. Readers who prefer to delve directly into the ethnographic materials may skip Chapter 2, which contains an extensive academic literature review of anthropological theories of art, embo- ment, magic, and performance read alongside Malay animism, shamanism, ritual and theatre.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Farrer, Douglas S.

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Islam & Islamische Studien Islam: Literatur & Kunst
• Geisteswissenschaften Islam & Islamische Studien Islam: Spiritualität & Mystik
• Geisteswissenschaften Kunst Kunststile Islamische Kunst
• Geisteswissenschaften Islam & Islamische Studien Islamische Gruppen: Sufis

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Reflections.- Seni Silat Haqq Melayu: A Sufi Martial Art.- Silat: Art, Magic and Performance.- Echoes.- The Performance of Enchantment.- The Enchantment of Performance.- Doubles.- The Guru Silat.- Social and Aesthetic Drama.- Shadows.- Divination and Revelation.- Deathscapes of the Malay Martial Artist.

Über Autor(innen)

Dr. Douglas Farrer earned a doctorate in social anthropology from the National University of Singapore in the Department of Sociology in 2006. His thesis focused upon the Malay martial art, silat. Dr. Farrer has practiced martial arts since 1975 and is a qualified instructor in kung fu and silat. Dr. Farrer resided in Singapore and Malaysia from 1998 to 2007; he is currently Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the University of Guam.