Early Muslims and the Creation of a Distinct Religious Identity
In reading Berkey’s “The Formation of Islam,” what I found most surprising about early Muslim history was the Arabs’ aversion to allowing others to convert. Considering the Qur’an’s clear disapproval...
View ArticleReconfiguring the Past
“The past is always reconfigured, effaced, and memorialized in new and diverse forms,” writes Meri, in reference to saint worship in Judaism and Islam (Meri, 2). This quote stood out to me because I...
View ArticleShared Landscapes and the Worship of Saints
Today, holy sites in the Middle East are politicized spaces tied to different national identities. This was not always the case, however—holy sites used to be universally worshipped, regardless of...
View ArticleThe Psychology Behind Tuhami and Wazana’s Jinn/Saint Relationships
In reading “Tuhami” and Without Bounds”, what struck me most was Crapanzano’s and Bilu’s psychological analyses of Tuhami and Wazana’s relationships with their parents and how these relationships...
View ArticleUnderstanding Hamadsha Therapy
Our discussion of Crapanzano’s description of the Hamadsha over the past two classes has really helped me make sense of their belief in the jinn and their forms of healing. I have noticed a number of...
View ArticleThe Saint of Beersheba
One thing that I found interesting in “The Saint of Beersheba” was Weingrod’s discussion of why Rabbi Chouri became a zaddik. When he first died, people did not think that Rabbi Chouri’s grave would...
View ArticleThe Zaar Ritual
We haven’t discussed women in relation to the jinn much this semester, so the readings this week were very interesting. In a society that values men and masculinity, it is interesting to see how women...
View ArticleThe Shuwwafat
This week we have seen how women in Morocco can use the idea of jinn possession to gain independence and self-sufficiency. Women who have been possessed by jinn can become a shuwafa, thereby using...
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