Sufis and Religious Authority

New Environment, Old Patterns

Abstract

In the modern Islamic world, increased literacy rates, mass education, print and the new media have all contributed to the systematization of Islamic thought and the democratization of access to sacred texts, thus intensifying the process of pluralisation of religious authority. Information and communication technology have brought changes in the construction of religious authority, threatening to undermine the authority of traditional religious figures.
New Muslim intellectuals have emerged who, despite the lack of formal religious education, have increasingly claimed the right to speak for Islam. Recent studies show that ‘ulamā’ and Sufis continue to play a vital role in contemporary societies; however, the developments in the construction of the authority of Sufi masters still deserve further investigation. This article aims to contribute to our understanding of the issue by focusing on the masters of two Qādirī lineages in Hyderabad, India. In an age of intense competition among Muslim religious groups, Sufis have acknowledged the importance of building broader constituencies. However, unlike many renowned Sufis in modern India, the Qādirīs in Hyderabad have not enthusiastically embraced new initiatives aimed at rooting authority in
society at large. Rather, the ways in which their authority has been constructed, perceived, and legitimised are consistent with pre-modern patterns.