Abstract
Abstract
This chapter explores Islamic revivalism in Mumbai from the perspective of Ismaili Muslims, a minority within the city’s minority Shi’a community. Ismailis often face criticism from other Muslims who claim their religious practice deviates from the model of orthopraxy valorized by revivalists. Yet, over the last century, Ismaili leaders have drawn on Islamic modernist and Sufi traditions to encourage community members to renew their commitment to Islamic principles. The chapter analyses everyday social interactions and several instances of religious ‘reform’ to argue that Ismailis incorporate Islamic norms into their tradition in ways that protect its integrity while simultaneously deflecting criticism. It broadens the ethnographic record of Islamic revivalism by considering how groups like the Ismailis—often thought to be marginal to this social process—are actively participating in it. This point is especially evident in Mumbai, where Ismailis’ distinct approaches towards revivalism contribute to the politics of religion in the city.
Publisher
Oxford University PressOxford
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