Witnesses of God: exhortatory preachers in medieval al-Andalus and the Magreb
This article analyzes the rhetorical and ritual characteristics of pious exhortation (wa‘z) as practiced in al-Andalus and the Maghreb, based on specimens from two homiletic sources. The texts are considered in light of hagiographical and juridical data in order to assess the social role of exhortat...
| Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | article |
| Status: | Published version |
| Publication Date: | 2007 |
| Country: | España |
| Institution: | Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya) |
| Repository: | Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:recercat.cat:10230/44856 |
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10230/44856 http://dx.doi.org/10.3989/alqantara.2007.v28.i1.32 |
| Access Level: | Open access |
| Keyword: | Muslim sermons Pious exhortation Maw‘ia Majlis al-wa‘ Sufi hagiography Sermones musulmanes Exhortación piadosa Hagiografías sufies |
| Summary: | This article analyzes the rhetorical and ritual characteristics of pious exhortation (wa‘z) as practiced in al-Andalus and the Maghreb, based on specimens from two homiletic sources. The texts are considered in light of hagiographical and juridical data in order to assess the social role of exhortatory preachers and to explain the extraordinary impact of their sermons. The sermon’s affective power derives from the preacher’s personal charisma, rhetorical prowess, and his active engagement of his audience in the production of their own charismatic experience. The hagiographies considered depict the wa‘iz as a witness to God’s omnipotence, precipitating the religious conversion of even the socially marginalized. |
|---|