Il ḏikr nella ṭarīqa Burhāniyya secondo l’insegnamento di Muḥammad ‘Uṯmān ‘Abduhu al-Burhānī

Abstract

Abstract The ḏikr, the remembrance of God, is a Sufi ritual that is common to many Sufi orders and is performed by each of them in accordance to precise rules. While the rules may differ in its practice, the final aim is the same: coming near God through the repetition of His beautiful names. My paper is focused on the method introduced by šayḫ Muḥammad ‘Uṯmān ‘Abduhu al-Burhānī, a Sudanese Sufi master who lived and spread his teachings during the 20th century. Collective ḏikr is also an important element of the procedure of ḥaḍra, a traditional sufi ceremony which is performed regularly by the disciples of Burhāniyya once a week, as well as on important occasions, such as the mawlid in commemoration of the birth of the Prophet and of Sufi saints. Today the participation in this ritual has a crucial meaning for the Burhāniyya adherents, as it represents the affirmation of their Sufi identity within contemporary Muslim world.