Publication date:
13 December 2016Length of book:
262 pagesPublisher
Lexington BooksISBN-13: 9781498533867
Sufism in America sheds light on spiritual, mystical Islam in America. The Sufi path focuses on developing a personal relationship with God, doing what is beautiful in the sight of God, and struggling against the lower self to reach loving submission. Up to this point, very little has been written about the Sufi orders in America and those who participate in them.
This study focuses on the Alami Tariqa in Waterport, New York, which was started in the 1970s by a shaykh from the Balkans. The Alami Tariqa strives to uphold sharia while adapting to the Western setting. Its membership is diverse, consisting mostly of American-born participants from Christian and Jewish backgrounds, in addition to a few Muslim immigrants from South Asia. This study explores how this order has acculturated to the American setting, why individuals choose to join the tariqa, and what it means to pursue spiritual goals in a modern, Western society. Conclusions are drawn from interviews, a survey, and observations of teachings, plus the author’s experience working with this community for over ten years. The book interweaves personal stories and insider views with academic insight to provide a compelling and detailed picture of Sufism as a living and dynamic tradition in America.
This study focuses on the Alami Tariqa in Waterport, New York, which was started in the 1970s by a shaykh from the Balkans. The Alami Tariqa strives to uphold sharia while adapting to the Western setting. Its membership is diverse, consisting mostly of American-born participants from Christian and Jewish backgrounds, in addition to a few Muslim immigrants from South Asia. This study explores how this order has acculturated to the American setting, why individuals choose to join the tariqa, and what it means to pursue spiritual goals in a modern, Western society. Conclusions are drawn from interviews, a survey, and observations of teachings, plus the author’s experience working with this community for over ten years. The book interweaves personal stories and insider views with academic insight to provide a compelling and detailed picture of Sufism as a living and dynamic tradition in America.
Julianne Hazen's extensive study on the Alami Tariqa community in Western New York sheds a powerful light on Sufism in America. Through her intensive research, we learn of a community that represents not only a significant, yet understudied, element of Islam, its mystic strand, but also the vision of the Founding Fathers and the inherent pluralism of American society. Especially in a post-9/11 America, where tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims remain pervasive, this books permits all Americans the opportunity to learn more about the American Muslim community, its myriad forms, and how it fits into the American landscape. Anyone wishing to better understand Islam in America today and seek the knowledge necessary for building interfaith bridges should read this book.