Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Mysticism in the West: The Case of Azad Rasool and His Heirs
Religions July 27, 2022 Michael E. Asbury 3 citations
The transfer of Sufism to the Euro-American sphere, beginning in the early twentieth century, has often been studied for what changes during the process, with emphasis on context over mysticism. Examining the lineage of Indian shaykh Azad Rasool (d. 2006), who from 1976 taught Western seekers in India, reveals substantial continuity with early and pre-modern Sufi doctrines and practices. Textual analysis of primary sources and multi-sited ethnography (participant observation and interviews) among lineage members in Germany, the US, and India between 2015 and 2020 show that shifting focus from context to mysticism itself can reveal much continuity despite changing contextual factors.