The "Deep Secret" and Dangers of Karamat
Miraculous Acts, Revelation, and Secrecy in a South Indian Sufi Tradition
Keywords:
Sufism, miracles in Islam, spiritual healing in IslamAbstract
In classical Islamic traditions, miraculous deeds are identified by two words: mujizat and karamat, words distinguishing the miraculous deeds of prophets and imams from those of the saints. Mujizat are public acts that confirm the identity of the prophets, whereas kar?mat are not intended to be public, for fear of witnesses misunderstanding the source and nature of the miracle. However, in contemporary Indian Sufi practice, karamat are often public acts through which the religious authority of the saint/par is identified. Nevertheless, the“deep secret” of how karamat “work” can be understood only by the spiritually adept. This article analyzes the ambivalent nature of the secrecy of karamat in the practice and narrative performance of a South Indian Sufi female healer, a piranima, and her par husband.
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