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Salafi Ritual Purity

In the Presence of God

By Richard Gauvain

To Be Published August 1st 2012 by Routledge – 224 pages

Series: Islamic Studies Series

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Description

This in-depth ethnography of ritual and belief in contemporary Cairo contrasts the concepts and practices of three groups of Sunni Muslims - Sufis, practitioners of magic (dagaleen) and the varied religious groups known as Islamists. There have been few anthropological studies of purity beliefs and associated ritual behaviour in specific Muslim environments, and in this pioneering work Gauvain shows that in Cairene society, purity and practice neither uphold social division nor significantly oppress women. Instead, they represent a flexible fusion of social and moral forces that differ significantly according to the groups and individuals involved. What emerges from his analysis is a tripartite relationship between the concepts of ritual purity, honesty and sexual probity, not only of women but of men. In revealing the tensions between the metaphorical interpretations of the Sufis, the potent and subversive spells of the magicians and the embattled, defensive reactions of the Islamists Gauvain offers new insights into the contradictory, complex and ever-shifting nature of Muslim life and beliefs today.

Contents

Introduction 1. The Salafis in Cairo 2. The Quibble over al-‘Ibl: Internal Boundary Lines among Cairo’s Salafis 3. Christian or Kafir? 4. Pure, Protected Pearls: The Salafiyyat 5. Enemy at the Gates: Jihad in Cairene Salafi Communities 6. Taharah and Tauba