Shamanism and Islam

By Angela Hobart

Book Description

In the rich tapestry of Islamic spiritual traditions, an ancient practice has quietly persisted alongside mainstream religious observance. This scholarly exploration reveals how shamanic traditions found their place within Muslim societies, creating a unique synthesis that has endured for centuries across diverse geographical regions.

Thierry Zarcone presents a comprehensive examination of how traditional shamanic practices merged with Sufi mysticism, allowing these ancient healing and spiritual techniques to flourish within Islamic cultural frameworks. The book traverses vast territories from Central Asia to the Balkans, uncovering how Muslim shamans developed intimate relationships with spiritual forces to serve their communities through healing arts and divination practices.

Readers discover the intricate ceremonial world where music, dance, and poetic expression become vehicles for spiritual connection. These rituals demonstrate the profound ways shamanic traditions influenced Islamic artistic expression, creating a vibrant cultural fusion that enriches both spiritual paths.

For those seeking to understand the diverse expressions of Islamic spirituality beyond conventional boundaries, this work offers valuable insights into how different wisdom traditions can coexist and enhance one another. The author illuminates how practitioners adapted ancient shamanic methods to align with Islamic principles, creating what scholars term "Islamized shamanism."

This groundbreaking study opens new perspectives on the flexibility and inclusiveness found within Islamic spiritual practice, revealing hidden dimensions of Muslim religious experience that continue to influence contemporary spiritual seekers.