20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

The Sufi rituals and traditions in the work by the Sudanese author... 587sheikh, he lit the light of the Koran, fikh and monotheism (that means –he started teaching – I.G.). He heard that his father had died during hisabsence and took his place in educating and bringing up the murids. At thesame time he interrupted relations which his father kept with the sheikhMuhammad al-Hamim visiting the shikh annually”. 2The Sufi religious practice was closely connected with the mosques,which were built by the sheihs for carrying out their devotional rituals.Some of those mosques were so popular that became spiritual centersand attracted pilgrims from various parts of Sudan. One of such mosquesbelonged to Muhammad ibn al-Abbasi in Uahif. Ibn Daifallah wrote:“The prophets from everywhere competed in praying there”. 3Another ritual place was “kubba” – a cupola form construction over thegrave of the most pious zealot who had been famous for his service to Allahand his knowledge of Islamic sciences.We know that the material used for the construction of those “kubbas”were not only stones and clay from nearby, but also parts of old mosques.This fact is mentioned in the biography of Muhammad ibn ash-SheikhDafaallah ibn ash-Sheikh Abu Idris. 4 The text of “Tabakat” by IbnDaifallah mentions graves with “kubbas” more than hundred times.Sometimes the graves of zealots are found in the same geographic place.For example, al-Kauz is mentioned 4 times, Abu Haraz – 6 times, Arabaji– 3 times. Those “kubba” attracted many pilgrims who came on certaindays to make sacrifices and leave presents in hope to have protection andblessing of the deceased. Thus, “kubbas” became a part of “popular Islam”which preserved the elements of pre-Islamic believes and rituals. Our textgives stories with actually fairy-tale characteristics, and they concern directdialogs with the deceased “wali”. For instance, in the biography of Madanial-Natik, who was burried in “kubba”, we read that people asked his spiritwho would succeed him in leadership of their Sufi brotherhood. 5It is interesting to note, that in the 17-18 th c. in Siberia the analogue to“kubba” was “astana” mentioned by N.M. Spathary-Milesku and S.U.Remizov. Those constructions were the memories of the Siberian IslamicTatars about the Bukhara missionaries who had brought Islam to Siberia,and were proclaimed saints. They differ from the Sudanese “kubbas” inthe use of the material – the Siberian “kubbas” were made of wood, but2Ibidem: 373.3Ibidem: 355.4Ibidem: 330.5Ibidem: 352.