Twelfth International Conference on Religion & Spirituality in Society

Abstract

The generic focus on Islam through the lens of centre-periphery has meant that almost everything revolves around the texts and contexts of particular geo-historical locations. Islam, however, spread in multifarious ways and regional specificities dominate how these went into play. Rather than an ‘Islamisation’ thesis or ‘great/ little’ traditions, what does South Asia have to offer us in terms of the ways in which Islam prospered in the Indian subcontinent. How does love for the Prophet Muhammad, his companions and a chain of beloveds spread over time and space create new ‘traditions of love’ that transform hearts and selves? What can the histories of love - textual and embodied - in South Asia tell us about ways in which Islam was understood and realised beyond the centre-periphery distinctions? We welcome works that engage with the past through texts, fiqh, Sufi manuals, hagiographies, songs, oral narratives, origin myths, paintings, art, and anything that focuses on love as a central aspect of the tradition.