Senegalese Marabouts and Their Clientele in the United States.

A Transnational Spiritual Economy
By Ousmane Kane
English

A spiritual economy in which considerable time, resources, and energy are invested is prospering among the Senegalese Muslim community in America. The author describes the modus operandi of this transnational spiritual economy, with particular reference to the activities of marabouts (Muslim religious leaders) visiting from the homeland. He classifies them into three overlapping categories. In the first category are scholars who speak for a broad Islamic audience without publicly identifying with any particular sect. The second category is made up of shaykhs invited by their da’ira (Sufi association) to bless its members and advise them on how to progress spiritually and recruit new members. The third category consists of marabouts selling goods having both a propitiatory and a deprecatory function.

Keywords

  • Senegal
  • marabouts
  • spiritual economy
  • United States
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