Salafi Ritual Purity: In the Presence of God: The Search for Purity in Modern Cairo (Routledge Islamic Studies Series)

Description

This in-depth ethnography of ritual and belief in contemporary Cairo contrasts the concepts and practices of three groups of Sunni Muslims--Sufis, practitioners of magic, and the varied religious groups known as "Islamists." There have been few anthropological studies of purity beliefs and associated ritual behavior in specific Muslim environments, and in this pioneering work Gauvain shows that in Cairene society, purity and practice neither uphold social division nor significantly oppress women. Instead, they represent a flexible fusion of social and moral forces that differ significantly according to the groups and individuals involved.