Sorcery or Science?: Contesting Knowledge and Practice in West African Sufi Texts

Sorcery or Science? explores how two Sufi Muslim theologians, the Kunta scholars, developed a set of practices based on knowledge of the unseen world to manipulate the visible and invisible realms. These practices were considered legitimate Islamic practices by the Kunta scholars, who argued that they were based on knowledge of the unseen world and were not sorcery. The book connects the Islamic sciences of the unseen with the reception of Hellenistic discourses of magic and proposes a new methodology for reading written devotional aids in historical context.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 08 March 2022
Publisher: Pennsylvania State University Press

Sorcery or Science? delves into the profound influence of two renowned Sufi Muslim theologians, Sīdi al-Mukhtār al-Kuntī (d. 1811) and his son and successor, Sīdi Muḥammad al-Kuntī (d. 1826), on the development of Sufi Muslim thought in West Africa. These scholars, known as the Kunta scholars, established a pedagogical network of students spanning the vast Sahara Desert. Through their exploration of "the realm of the unseen," a vast and invisible world that intertwines with the visible world, Ariela Marcus-Sells unveils how these theologians developed a set of practices known as "the sciences of the unseen." While some Muslims, particularly self-identified "white" Muslim elites, may view these practices as sorcery, the Kunta scholars argued that they were legitimate Islamic practices.

Marcus-Sells contextualizes their ideas and beliefs within the historical and cultural backdrop of the Sahara Desert, examining the cosmology and metaphysics of the realm of the unseen and the history of magical discourses within the Hellenistic and Arabo-Islamic worlds. This erudite and innovative volume establishes a groundbreaking connection between the Islamic sciences of the unseen and the reception of Hellenistic discourses of magic. It proposes a novel methodology for interpreting written devotional aids in historical context, making it a valuable resource for scholars of magic, specialists in Africana religious studies, Islamic occultism, and Islamic manuscript culture.

In conclusion, Sorcery or Science? offers a captivating exploration of the interplay between religion, magic, and the supernatural, shedding light on the profound influence of the Kunta scholars on the development of Sufi Muslim thought in West Africa. Through its meticulous scholarship and innovative approach, this volume contributes to our understanding of the complex and multifaceted world of Islamic practices and beliefs.

Weight: 522g
Dimension: 235 x 156 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780271092294