ABSTRACT
A number of Sufis (Muslim mystics) became notorious within conservative Islamic circles for heterodox poetic expressions employing metaphors of intoxication and sensual love, or expressing mystical union. Likewise, conservatives criticized Sufis' elaborate musical practices as heretical. They based both critiques in shari'a (Divine Law), as embodying the essence of Islam. Yet in contemporary Egypt, where religious fundamentalism is strong, independent professional munshids (religious singers) publicly perform such poetry, accompanied by musical ensembles. In the more private rituals of the Sufi orders (tariqas), texts are generally limited to conventional Islamic sentiments, emotion is more restrained, and musical instruments are infrequent. This chapter analyzes this contrast via models of strategic decision-making employed to define and perform a poetic repertoire, models shaped by their users’ objectives, constraints, and positions within the dynamic field of Islam in Egypt. The professional munshid lacks status within the Sufi establishment, and so is freer to maximize emotion via texts which are felt to provide glimpses of Divine Reality (haqiqa). Logical discord with shari’a is muted by the affective frame of aesthetic performance, and by strategies of textual delivery which discourage rational comprehension of assertions, while promoting affective perception of concepts and language sounds. The tariqas, as official religious organizations, are vulnerable to conservatives’ critiques. Through ritual they reinforce connections to sharfa, thus defending reputation and increasing membership. They also use poetic performance as a tool for spiritual education and group solidarity, not merely to create an ecstatic moment. Both factors lead to restrictions on poetic content and performance.
