The Religious Space of Badakhshan: Ismailism and Sufism

Abstract

Nowadays, the culture and cultural identity of the Pamir peoples are largely determined by the widespread and predominance of Ismailism, the largest movement within Shiite Islam, in this region. Local folklore narratives associate the key role in the spread of the Ismaili madhhab with the name of the poet, philosopher and preacher (da‘i) Nasir-i Khusraw (11th century). Yet the available now written sources do not provide sufficient grounds to ascertain definitely the real character of Nasir-i Khusraw activities in Badakhshan and the subsequent history of the Ismaili da‘wa in the Pamirs. This article examines a range of issues and problems dealing with the morphology of the religious space of Badakhshan, forms, ways and methods of interaction between Ismailis and Sufi tariqas, the influence of Sufi doctrines on intellectual history and local Ismaili religious practices.