The latest survey by historian and anthropologist Thierry Zarcone, research director at the CNRS and teacher at the Institute of Political Studies in Aix-en-Provence, stands out for two reasons. First by its original subject, the cult of saints in Islam; then by his demonstration of the crucial role played by the “Islam of the tombs” in the past and present divisions within this religion.
A specialist in systems of thought in the Turkish-Persian area, Thierry Zarcone had so far mainly focused on esoteric currents of Islam, with The Abd el-Kader Mystery (Deer, 2019), The Crescent and the Compass. Islam and Freemasonry, from fascination to detestation (Dervy, 2015) or even Secrecy and Secret Societies in Islam (Arche, 2003). With this latest workIslam Torn. The Saint, the Salafist and the PoliticianCerf), he is interested in a subject where popular, mystical and political piety intermingle.
What is this “Islam of the tombs” which is the subject of your work?
The “Islam of the tombs” refers to the worship of saints, in contrast to what one might call “the Islam of the mosques”. The Islam of the tombs is not directly opposed to the Orthodoxy practiced in the mosques. But it differs from it because it appeals to an intercessor, a saint, an ancient spiritual figure, aiming to capture the “charisma” of this missing personality.
This cult of saints was born very early, from the beginnings of Islam. And this immediately gives rise to a conflict: by placing himself between believers and God, to whom he grew closer during his life, the saint undermines, according to his adversaries, pure monotheism. From the earliest times of Islam, this controversy crystallized on burials: how to prevent the tombs of saints from becoming places of veneration, and therefore of idolatry?
Despite the opposition, this Islam of the tombs developed everywhere from the 8the and IXe centuries, carried by a popular Islam marked by the attraction for hagiographical stories, rituals and miracles. The cult of tombs is becoming very important in the Shiite world, but it is also significant among Sunnis. Thus, the first buildings – recognizable by their cupola – will develop in Central Asia and in northern Iraq, before spreading with Sufism, an esoteric current whose members seek to relive the spiritual ascent experienced by the saints. .
The mausoleums of saints are then the object of pilgrimages and festivals which mark the anniversaries of birth and death. They are also visited to make requests, or grievances – to have a child, to recover from an illness, to find the stolen wheel of his tractor… The Sufis also ask the deceased saint for spiritual direction.
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