Sacred Spaces and Transnational Networks in American Sufism: Bawa Muhaiyaddeen and Contemporary Shrine Cultures

The research in this book sheds light on one of the major Sufi movements in North America, Bawa Muhaiyaddeen, and the first to establish a Sufi shrine in America. This is the first book to provide insight into its historical development and practices, and the movements culture in both the United States and Sri Lanka. Through extensive ethnographic data, Sacred Spaces and Transnational Networks in American Sufism shows that the followers of Bawa in the United States and Sri Lanka shared far more similarities in the relationships they formed with spaces, Bawa, and Sufism than differences, which challenges the accepted conceptualization of Sufism in North America as having a distinct Americanness. These findings challenge scholars to re-consider how Sufism is developing in the modern American landscape as well as globally. The book charts the transnational spaces and ritual activities of Bawas communities from Sri Lanka to America by mapping parallel shrines and pilgrimages. It also examines the roles of culture, religion, and gender and its impact on ritual embodiment. This study highlights the global range of a Sufi community from Sri Lanka to the United States through engagement with distinct Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Christian followers. Capturing the flows and networks demonstrates the diverse manifestations of Sufism, not only in North America and South Asia, but also in a global context.