Enchantment and the ethic of brotherhood
Marzia Balzani
January 20, 2020 DOI: 10.4324/9781315197289-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Environmental ethics Aesthetics |
| Key points | Argues that dream incubation rituals and true dream experiences reinforce belief in the sacred and in Ahmadiyya Islam, while the institutional organization provides a replicable structure that engenders Ahmadi subjectivities. |
Abstract
By focusing in particular on Islamic understandings of dreams and the charisma of Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of Ahmadiyya Islam, and his successors, this chapter considers the relationship between enchantment and the establishment of a global institutional Ahmadi organization. The Islamic practice of dream incubation rituals ( ishtikara ) and the true dream experiences of Ahmadis which often result reinforce beliefs in the sacred and in Ahmadiyya Islam. The Ahmadiyya jama‘t institutional organization is briefly discussed as providing a structure which can be replicated across the globe and which, through a system of elected and nominated offices and regular meetings, engenders Ahmadi subjectivities.