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The Mulid Of Al-Sayyid Al-Badawi Of Tanta Egypt's Legendary Sufi Festival

The Mulid Of Al-Sayyid Al-Badawi Of Tanta Egypt's Legendary Sufi Festival

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Every year, in the heart of the Nile Delta, a festival takes place that was for centuries the biggest in the Muslim world, the Mulid of al-Sayyid Ahmad al-Badawi of Tanta. Since the thirteenth century, millions of believers from neighboring regions and countries have flooded into Tanta, Egypt’s fourth-largest city, to pay devotional homage to al-Badawi, a much-loved saint who cures the impotent and renders barren women fertile. This book tells for the first time the history of a Mulid that for long overshadowed even the pilgrimage to Mecca. Organized by Sufi brotherhoods, it had, by the nineteenth century, grown to become the scene of a boisterous and rowdy festival that excited the curiosity of European travelers. Their accounts of the indecorous dancing and sacred prostitution that enlivened the Mulid of al-Sayyid al-Badawi fed straight into Orientalist visions of a sensual and atavistic East. Islamic modernists as well as Western observers were quick to criticize the cult of al-Badawi, reducing it to a muddle of superstitions and even a resurgence of anti-Islamic pagan practices. For many pilgrims, however, al-Badawi came to embody the Egyptian saint par excellence, the true link to the Prophet, his hagiographies and Mulid standing for the genuine expression of a shared popular culture. Catherine Mayeur-Jaouen shows that the Mulid does not in fact stand in opposition to religious orthodoxy, but rather acts as a mirror to Egyptian Islam, uniting ordinary believers, peasants, ulama, and heads of Sufi brotherhoods in a shared spiritual fervor. The Mulid of al-Sayyid al-Badawi of Tanta leads us on a discovery of this remarkably colorful and festive manifestation of Islam.

Details of Book

ISBN13: 9789774168925
ISBN10: 9774168925
Language: English
Publication Year: 2019
Format: Hardcover

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A note on book covers: while we do our best to ensure the accuracy of cover images, ISBNs may at times be reused for different editions of the same title which may hence appear as a different cover.

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  • One Line Summary

    Vibrant Egyptian Sufi festival showcases spiritual unity.

  • Who is this book for?

    This book really opens the door to understanding the colorful and lively spirit of Egyptian Islam through the Mulid of al-Sayyid al-Badawi. It captures the festive atmosphere that draws millions and reveals how this celebration acts as a powerful symbol of community and faith. If you're curious about the cultural diversity within Islam and enjoy immersive stories of religious festivities, this is a fascinating read.

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Wardah BooksWardah Books is a bookshop specialising in books on Islam in the English language.
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