The interests for academic studies of contemporary Sufism and Sufism in non-Islamic countries have become more popular, but little has been done in Latin America. The studies of Islam in this continent are limited and studies on Sufism in Mexico seem to be an unexplored area. As a student of journalism target religion I see this as an important topic that can generate new information for the study of Sufism. This thesis is therefore aimed to describe the group of Sufis I have chosen to study, Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order in Mexico, linked to Human Rights in form of how members of the Sufi order perceive Religious Freedom in Mexico. A minor field study was carried out in Colonia Roma, Mexico City during October and November 2014. The place was chosen because this is the place where Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order exists in Mexico. The investigation is qualitative and based on an ethnographic study of eight weeks and semi structured interviews with three dervishes of the Sufi order, where two of them are men and one is a woman. Based on my purpose I have formulated the following questions: How do members of Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order in Mexico define Sufism? And how do they describe and practice their religious belief? How do members of Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order in Mexico express the situation to belong to a religious minority in the country? And how do the members perceive religious freedom in Mexico? The question of my research is therefore: Do members of Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order in Mexico express that they feel free to practice their religion? And if so, how? The results of the study shows that all the informants express that they feel free to practice their religion as a Sufi. One of the respondents that also belongs to the Conchero tradition, which is a group of the indigenous people of Mexico, says that he has experienced discrimination from both the government and other citizens due to that he belong to the Conchero tradition. Information from the respondents’ shows that Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order in Mexico is such a small community that people does not consider them. This might be one of the reasons why members of Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order in Mexico have the freedom to practice their religion. / Minor Field Studies (MFS)

<p>This study is a theoretical research concerning Ibn Arabi's Sufi experience and his philosophy of the &quot / unity of being&quot / (also his poetical talent). I therefore adopted the historical and analytical methodologies to analyse and reply on the questions and suggestions I have raised in this paper. Both of the methodologies reveal the actual status of the Sufism of Ibn Arabi who came with a challenging sufi doctrine. Also, in the theoretical methodology I attempt to define Sufism by giving a panoramic history of it. I have also researched Ibn Arabi's status amongst his contemporaries for example, Al-Hallaj and Ibn Al Farid, and how they influenced him as a Sufi thinker during this time.</p> <p><br /> In the analytical study I explore the poems &quot / Tarjuman al Ashwaq&quot / of Ibn Arabi, of which I have selected some poems to study analytically. Through this I discovered Ibn Arabi's Sufi inclinations and the criticisms of various literary scholars, theologians, philosophers and also sufi thinkers, both from the East and the West. In this analysis I have also focused on the artistic value of the poetry which he utilized to promote his own doctrine &quot / the unity of being.&quot / </p>

French text / Si nous pouvons constater, d’une part, que l’univers carcéral occupe une place très importante dans les textes de Tahar Ben Jelloun, nous ne pouvons cependant ignorer, de l’autre, les efforts des personnages de la diégèse ben jellounienne pour trouver une libération quelconque. De ce fait, la libération constitue l’objet de notre étude par excellence. Nous avons choisi cinq textes de l’écrivain marocain : Moha le fou Moha le sage (1978), L’enfant de sable (1985), La nuit sacrée (1987), Cette aveuglante absence de lumière (2001) et Amours sorcières (2003). Après un survol rapide de l’incarcération sous ses différentes formes, allant des plus concrètes aux plus abstraites, nous étudions les paradigmes les plus communs vers lesquels l’homme maghrébin moderne se tourne dans le but de se libérer des carcans qui l’entravent et nous en relevons tour à tour les limitations ou lacunes. Ainsi, nous remettons en question le modèle matérialiste qui échoue pour ce qui de la libération de l’individu en raison de ses excès. Puis, nous étudions le modèle psychologique mettant l’accent sur ses limites dans la mesure où il comprend un mouvement vertical vers le bas. Or, sans un mouvement vers le haut, aucune libération n’est possible. Très particulière à la société maghrébine est la praxis islamique moderne qui, loin de libérer l’individu, ne fait que l’étouffer davantage. Ensuite, nous soulevons des questions au sujet de la sorcellerie et des dangers qu’elle comprend. Loin d’être un élément libérateur, elle constitue un piège. Nous arrivons éventuellement à la seule clé capable d’apporter la libération intérieure au Maghrébin : la métaphysique et, dans le contexte de la civilisation arabo-islamique, il s’agit de l’ésotérisme islamique ou le soufisme. Ce mémoire requiert une approche très scientifique telle que l’exige la nature même de notre problématique. Nous avons opté pour une approche métaphysique pour conduire notre étude à bon port. / If we cannot deny the fact that the realm of incarceration holds an important place in the texts of Tahar Ben Jelloun, we also have to acknowledge the endeavours of the characters to find liberation in some way or another. Therefore, above all else, liberation constitutes the object of our study. We have chosen five texts of the Moroccan author: Moha le fou Moha le sage (1978), L’enfant de sable (1985), La nuit sacrée (1987), Cette aveuglante absence de lumière (2001) and Amours sorcières (2003). After a quick glance at the different forms of incarceration, starting from the most tangible and moving to the most abstract ones, we study the most common paradigms to which the Moroccan turns to in order to free himself from the shackles that imprison him and we study simultaneously their shortcomings. Hence, we call into question the materialistic model that fails in liberating the individual on account of its excesses. Then, we study the psychological model laying emphasis on its limitations in that it comprises a vertical downward movement while no liberation is possible without an upward movement. Quite specific of the Moroccan society is the modern Islamic praxis that, in lieu of freeing the individual, only stifles him more. Afterwards, we raise questions concerning sorcery and dangers that it represents. Far from being a liberating agent, it constitutes a trap. Ultimately we come to the only key capable of bringing internal liberation to the Moroccan: metaphysics and, in the arabo-islamic context, it is Islamic esotericism or Sufism. This thesis requires a most scientific approach as demands the very nature of our problematic. We have thus chosen a metaphysical approach that best suits our study. / Classics and World Languages / M.A. (French)

French text / Si nous pouvons constater, d’une part, que l’univers carcéral occupe une place très importante dans les textes de Tahar Ben Jelloun, nous ne pouvons cependant ignorer, de l’autre, les efforts des personnages de la diégèse ben jellounienne pour trouver une libération quelconque. De ce fait, la libération constitue l’objet de notre étude par excellence. Nous avons choisi cinq textes de l’écrivain marocain : Moha le fou Moha le sage (1978), L’enfant de sable (1985), La nuit sacrée (1987), Cette aveuglante absence de lumière (2001) et Amours sorcières (2003). Après un survol rapide de l’incarcération sous ses différentes formes, allant des plus concrètes aux plus abstraites, nous étudions les paradigmes les plus communs vers lesquels l’homme maghrébin moderne se tourne dans le but de se libérer des carcans qui l’entravent et nous en relevons tour à tour les limitations ou lacunes. Ainsi, nous remettons en question le modèle matérialiste qui échoue pour ce qui de la libération de l’individu en raison de ses excès. Puis, nous étudions le modèle psychologique mettant l’accent sur ses limites dans la mesure où il comprend un mouvement vertical vers le bas. Or, sans un mouvement vers le haut, aucune libération n’est possible. Très particulière à la société maghrébine est la praxis islamique moderne qui, loin de libérer l’individu, ne fait que l’étouffer davantage. Ensuite, nous soulevons des questions au sujet de la sorcellerie et des dangers qu’elle comprend. Loin d’être un élément libérateur, elle constitue un piège. Nous arrivons éventuellement à la seule clé capable d’apporter la libération intérieure au Maghrébin : la métaphysique et, dans le contexte de la civilisation arabo-islamique, il s’agit de l’ésotérisme islamique ou le soufisme. Ce mémoire requiert une approche très scientifique telle que l’exige la nature même de notre problématique. Nous avons opté pour une approche métaphysique pour conduire notre étude à bon port. / If we cannot deny the fact that the realm of incarceration holds an important place in the texts of Tahar Ben Jelloun, we also have to acknowledge the endeavours of the characters to find liberation in some way or another. Therefore, above all else, liberation constitutes the object of our study. We have chosen five texts of the Moroccan author: Moha le fou Moha le sage (1978), L’enfant de sable (1985), La nuit sacrée (1987), Cette aveuglante absence de lumière (2001) and Amours sorcières (2003). After a quick glance at the different forms of incarceration, starting from the most tangible and moving to the most abstract ones, we study the most common paradigms to which the Moroccan turns to in order to free himself from the shackles that imprison him and we study simultaneously their shortcomings. Hence, we call into question the materialistic model that fails in liberating the individual on account of its excesses. Then, we study the psychological model laying emphasis on its limitations in that it comprises a vertical downward movement while no liberation is possible without an upward movement. Quite specific of the Moroccan society is the modern Islamic praxis that, in lieu of freeing the individual, only stifles him more. Afterwards, we raise questions concerning sorcery and dangers that it represents. Far from being a liberating agent, it constitutes a trap. Ultimately we come to the only key capable of bringing internal liberation to the Moroccan: metaphysics and, in the arabo-islamic context, it is Islamic esotericism or Sufism. This thesis requires a most scientific approach as demands the very nature of our problematic. We have thus chosen a metaphysical approach that best suits our study. / Classics and World Languages / M.A. (French)

The use of music in religious traditions is a complicated subject. Some say it doesn’t have any place in religion while others see it as an essential part of their spiritual life. How one defines music, and indeed religion, can differ greatly but both of these have played an enormous role in our world both historically and today. The relationship between these two subjects is the focus of this study. I aim to analyze how music and sound is used within the Mouridiyya, a Sufi order based mainly in Western Africa, as a religious practice and in what way different forms of music is a way for Mourids in Sweden to connect with their native culture and religion in a society that is in many ways very different. The study is based on interviews and field observations and will explore themes like music as transcendence, the contents of the music, attitudes toward “secular” or more popular, contemporary forms of music as well as gender roles and segregation. I have visited one Mourid group in Stockholm and the study will be based entirely on them. To say something more general about Mouridism or Sufism are generalizations I am not prepared to make, but some of the findings do open up for these kinds of discussions and hopefully this will be but one small step into a fairly uncharted academic field of “religious music”.

On ne trouve pas la racine du mot adab dans le Coran. Dans la littérature pré-islamique, ainsi que dans les hadiths, son utilisation est limitée exclusivement au sens d'« invitation à un banquet », « éducation », « correction » et « punition » (addaba, ta'dīb). Après une période au cours de laquelle les chercheurs n'ont pas considéré l'avis des linguistes et des penseurs musulmans concernant l'étymologie de adab de l'« invitation au banquet de Dieu (ma'dubat Allāh) », des études plus récentes ont remis positivement en question cette opinion. En fait, dans l'histoire des civilisations antiques, la notion de banquet cérémoniel divin ou sacré est très répandue, trouvant son origine dans l'archétype du « Banquet Divin » ou de « L'Hospitalité Divine », qui a exercé une forte influence sur le contexte religieux et culturel d'un certain nombre de différentes civilisations. Cependant, depuis le début du 9é siècle, la littérature religieuse islamique a également commencé à utiliser le terme adab avec un nouvel usage, que l'on pourrait appeler « technique ». La source de cet enrichissement sémantique doit être attribuée aux secrétaires de la cour, les kuttāb, les mawālī persans, les célèbres traducteurs et transmetteurs du patrimoine étatique et culturel persan. En plus d'influencer l'imaginaire culturel de la littérature d'adab classique, l'imagerie de la cour sassanide influencera également la terminologie technique, ainsi que la pratique du soufisme, en engendrant un genre de la littérature soufie, la littérature des ādāb al-ṣūfiyya. / The root of the word adab is not found in the Qur'ān. In pre-Islamic literature as well as in the hadith, its use is limited exclusively to the sense of “invitation to a banquet”, “education”, “correction” and “punishment” (addaba, ta'dīb). After a period in which scholars did not taken seriously the opinion of Muslim linguists and thinkers concerning the etymology of adab from the “invitation to the Banquet of God (ma'dubat Allāh)”, more recent scholarship has questioned this opinion. In fact, the notion of a divine or sacred ceremonial banquet in the history of ancient civilizations is quite widespread, finding its origin in the archetype of the “Divine Banquet” or “Divine Hospitality”, which had a strong influence on the religious and cultural contexts of a number of different civilizations. However, from the beginning of the 9th century CE Islamic religious literature also began to use the term adab in a new usage, that one might call “technical”. The source of this semantic enrichment should be traced to the court secretaries, the kuttāb, the Persian mawālī who were well-known translators and transmitters of Persian state and cultural heritage. In addition to influencing the cultural imaginary of classical adab literature, the Sasanian court imagery will also influence the technical terminology, as well as the practice in Sufism, producing a genre of the Sufi literature, the ādāb al-ṣūfiyya literature.

The Rumi Cultural Events Centre explores how the built environment can reflect a cultural phenomenon such as the evolution of Muslim communities in Western secular society of Canada. The centre has been designed for second generation Muslims, whose simultaneous exposure to religious and secular values change their outlook on religion and culture (Greif, 2007; Amor, 2006, Hadjiyanni, 2007; Kohut, Allan & Wike, 2006; Akyol, 2011; Mandaville, 2001; Distin, 2001). They reinvent the notion of Islam in a secular context, and create a synthesis that embodies religiosity, culture and secularism. The Rumi Centre is a new typology of space that emerges from a need to synthesize the new Muslim identity and values in order to create a non-traditional cultural environment. The Rumi Centre is not a religious institution. It is a culturally appropriate and contemporary events venue where forward looking and traditional Muslims come together with the local community. The centre’s design language reflects the attitude of Muslims who embrace modernity and secular lifestyle but remain true to their culture. / May 2016

Este trabalho consiste numa pesquisa pictórica a partir de uma experiência de contemplação de mosaicos geométricos islâmicos medievais. A pesquisa busca fazer um percurso desde o estudo pictórico da urdidura dos mosaicos, mostrando a natureza de seu ritmo e seu movimento até a elaboração e apresentação de um corpo de trabalhos em desenho e pintura que se apropriam deste movimento \"encapsulado\" nos mosaicos, revelando-os. / This work consists in a pictorical research based on the contemplation of Islamic Medieval Geometric Mosaics. The research comprehends the trajectory from the study of Mosaics\' warp, in which are shown their rithm and movement, towards the preparation and presentation of a corpus of works in design and painting that reveals the countless possibilities of moves \"encapsulated\" in the Mosaics.

Este trabalho recupera elementos do Sufismo via mística originalmente islâmica , nota-­ damente da obra de Ibn \'Arabî, e busca inseri-­los no contexto da sociedade e do pensa-­ mento atuais a fim de pensar as primeiras linhas de um modelo pedagógico voltado para a singularidade e a cidadania. / The present paper brings back subjects found in Sufism, especially the works of Ibn \'Arabî, and tries to integrate them into the context of present society and contemporary thought, in order to sketch the first lines of a pedagogical model directed towards singularity and citizenship.

O êxtase místico costuma ser estudado a partir da análise de rituais de incorporação, possessão de espiritos, transe de curanderia e outros processos que não raro envolvem música para propiciar estados alterados de consciência. Considerando que os rituais sufis integram música, dança e poesia com propósito extático, este trabalho aborda a relação entre a poesia e a dança mística em Rumi e Hafiz, propondo uma metodologia que utiliza noções de linguagem da dança para a análise de poemas. / The mystical ecstasy is usually studied from the analysis of rituals of incorporation, possession of spirits, trance curanderia and other processes that often involve music to provide altered states of consciousness. Whereas Sufi rituals integrate music, dance and poetry with purpose ecstatic, this work addresses the relationship between poetry and mystical dance in Rumi and Hafiz proposing a methodology that uses notions of dance language for analyzing poems.