The book, the wilderness, and the family: Islamic doctrine and African practice
The book, the wilderness, and the family: Islamic doctrine and African practice
The renegotiation of relationships of dependency within households and families in which Muslim teachings became implicated took place amid the consolidation of the political practice that is termed ‘republican’, and was similarly low key. Differences in the way men and women related to the sphere of commerce existed before the colonial period in Southeast Tanzania. Muslim teachings could be readily evoked to argue for changes that affected women. The villagers' views of religious change are discussed. Funerary practices common among non-Muslims have come to be redefined as Muslim. In addition, the chapter presents the problems surrounding healing and dealing with witchcraft. The development of witchcraft cleansing in Southeast Tanzania shows the resilience of pre-existing ways of addressing misfortune. Witchcraft cleansing constituted a significant field of religious practice, whose dynamics cannot be reduced to the concurrent spread of Islam. Furthermore, the chapter reports the survival and decline of sacrifice.
Keywords: Islamic doctrine, African practice, Southeast Tanzania, Muslim teachings, witchcraft cleansing, sacrifice
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