Post by Nadica (She/Her) on Aug 25, 2024 1:52:03 GMT
Sufi Solidarity of Care - Published 07/08/2020
Follow the link to see the pictures!
Giving back to those in need in the good and the most trying of times: A photo essay through the acts of one Sufi community in the UK and Germany.
Covid-19 has had a global impact that has rocked the lives of many. Behind the virus’s death toll numbers – no matter how big or small – are individual stories of trauma and tragedy for family members, friends and neighbours. While the virus swept through the world, bringing down economies and provoking questions about what the new normal could look like, it also forced us to unite in the common greatest challenge since the end of WWII – sharing in an innate want and need to protect our families, neighbours and communities from the coronavirus: a solidarity of care.
The incredible power of togetherness and solidarity in caring for one’s community, country and the world during this crisis is explored in this photo essay through the acts of one Sufi community.
One of the questions provoked by my PhD research on Sufi communities relates to the ethics of virtue and being of service to your community. Central to Sufi identity is a sense of moral obligation to gratitude and giving back to the community. One key concept that is exemplified by the students of MTO Shahmaghsoudi – an Islamic Sufi order with a global presence – is that of service to your community.
This service is built largely on the Sufi concept of khedmat, which means to be of service. It includes giving back to your Sufi order, but also to your neighbours and the society you live in – volunteerism at its best. It is seen as a form of worship, which must be done for the sake of God alone and not for any personal satisfaction or gain. Khedmat is not to be confused with zakat (Islamic almsgiving) or sadaqah (voluntary Islamic charity); for Sufis, khedmat is an action in addition to giving zakat and sadaqah. The act of charity (khedmat) in this context refers to actions intended to assuage hardships – financial or otherwise – for Muslims and non-Muslims alike and for which there is no repayment, either actual or expected, in any form.
Since September 2018, I have been conducting field research in London, UK and Düsseldorf, Germany exploring the everyday performative virtues of MTO students, the pictures below illustrate what I found. The photographs presented here are those that I took as I explored what this concept of khedmat meant in practice pre- and during Covid-19.
Follow the link to see the pictures!
Giving back to those in need in the good and the most trying of times: A photo essay through the acts of one Sufi community in the UK and Germany.
Covid-19 has had a global impact that has rocked the lives of many. Behind the virus’s death toll numbers – no matter how big or small – are individual stories of trauma and tragedy for family members, friends and neighbours. While the virus swept through the world, bringing down economies and provoking questions about what the new normal could look like, it also forced us to unite in the common greatest challenge since the end of WWII – sharing in an innate want and need to protect our families, neighbours and communities from the coronavirus: a solidarity of care.
The incredible power of togetherness and solidarity in caring for one’s community, country and the world during this crisis is explored in this photo essay through the acts of one Sufi community.
One of the questions provoked by my PhD research on Sufi communities relates to the ethics of virtue and being of service to your community. Central to Sufi identity is a sense of moral obligation to gratitude and giving back to the community. One key concept that is exemplified by the students of MTO Shahmaghsoudi – an Islamic Sufi order with a global presence – is that of service to your community.
This service is built largely on the Sufi concept of khedmat, which means to be of service. It includes giving back to your Sufi order, but also to your neighbours and the society you live in – volunteerism at its best. It is seen as a form of worship, which must be done for the sake of God alone and not for any personal satisfaction or gain. Khedmat is not to be confused with zakat (Islamic almsgiving) or sadaqah (voluntary Islamic charity); for Sufis, khedmat is an action in addition to giving zakat and sadaqah. The act of charity (khedmat) in this context refers to actions intended to assuage hardships – financial or otherwise – for Muslims and non-Muslims alike and for which there is no repayment, either actual or expected, in any form.
Since September 2018, I have been conducting field research in London, UK and Düsseldorf, Germany exploring the everyday performative virtues of MTO students, the pictures below illustrate what I found. The photographs presented here are those that I took as I explored what this concept of khedmat meant in practice pre- and during Covid-19.