Creating Space for Piety and Dialogue: North American Sufi Devotionalism

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The following essay studies the early history of Islamic devotional tradition in the United States, particularly through the rise of the Sufi movements. I approach this study primarily from the vantage point of historical origins and development of Sufi groups in the U.S. during the twentieth century. This approach is grounded on the perspective of Sufism as a minority faith practice and its various manifestations in the U.S.—spiritual practices, devotional exercises, artistic expression, and cross-cultural dialogue. Since Sufism is one such manifestation, its career in the U.S. can be identified along multiple positions of ideology and practice: drawing from normative Islamic teaching and morals, following an eclectic and universalist approach, and transplanting of Sufi practices from parent societies, such as South Asia and Africa. The essay concludes by focusing on the dimension of transnationalism through the career of a South Asian Sufi master in Philadelphia, Bawa Muhaiyadeen.

The following essay studies the early history of Islamic devotional tradition in the U.S. particularly through the rise of the Sufi movements. I intend to approach this study primarily from the vantage point of historical origins and development of Sufi groups in the U.S. from the late-20th century. This approach will be grounded on the perspective of Sufism as a minority faith practice and its various manifestations in the U.S – spiritual practices, devotional exercises, artistic expression, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Sufism being one such manifestation, its career in the U.S. can be identified along multiple positions of ideology and practice – drawing from normative Islamic teaching and morals, following an eclectic and universalist approach, and transplantation of Sufi practices from parent societies, like South Asia and Africa. The essay will conclude by focusing on the dimension of transnationalism through the career of a South Asian Sufi master in Philadelphia – Bawa Muhaiyadeen.