Content area
Full Text
Abstract Vernacularization of Islam is the process through which the message and teachings of Islam adjusted and adapted in local regional environments outside Arabia. The universal principles of Islam were vernacularized in specific time and space, and contextualized or localized forms and expressions of Muslim piety emerged in these regions. The credit of vernacularization of Islam and Sufism in South Asia particularly goes to the sufis who challenged the Arabo-Persian linguistic hegemony by producing religious literature in vernacular languages and dialects, as a vast majority of the sufis depended less on Arabic and Persian for the popularization of the sufi message. They employed the medium of vernacular poetry to disseminate the message of Sufism among the common people. They contributed to the development of various scripts as well as new or existing literary genres such as siharfis, kafis,Prem-kahani or 'Sufi Romances,' and ginans, in order to popularize the teachings of Sufism in South Asia.
Keywords: Vernacular Islam, Sufism, sufi literature, poetry, languages, dialects Arabia is traditionally considered the heartland of Islam, from where Islam, or more accurately, the shari'ah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) originated. Soon Islam spread outside Arabia, resulting in mass conversions of the local population to Islam in Persia in the East, in Byzantium in the North, and in North Africa in the West. To the adherents of Islam in these regions, Islam as a faith promised enough flexibility and accommodation to be adjusted in varied socio-cultural backgrounds. Consequently, the universal principles of Islam were vernacularized in specific time and space, and contextualized or localized forms and expressions of Muslim piety emerged in these regions. Owing to the regional geographical and cultural variations, diverse manifestations of Islam in the form of beliefs, thoughts and practices can be seen in these regional settings. The indigenous social and cultural traditions came to be well-reflected in the beliefs and practices associated with Islam.
Thus, vernacularization of Islam can be understood as a process through which the message and teachings of Islam adjusted and adapted in local regional environments, particularly in the non-Arab regions.
The notion of 'vernacular Islam' does not deny the consistencies or universalist orientations in many Muslim beliefs and practices, which are practiced all over the globe with considerable similarity. The five daily prayers...