| Project Detail |
Analysing the Sufi path Melâm?ya-nûriya in Southeastern Europe The Melâm?ya-nûriya, an Islamic Sufi path established in Southeastern Europe in the 19th century, remains largely unexplored in Islamic Studies and Southeastern European history. Understanding it will challenge current perceptions of Sufi movements and their adaptation to modern changes. Supported by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the ReSuSEE project will analyse the doctrines and deployment networks of the Melâm?ya-nûriya in Southeastern Europe. The project will focus on understanding the circulation of Melâm?ya Sufi knowledge within trans-local networks and exploring the changes in Sufism since the 19th century. It will employ philological and comparative historical methods to contextualise the spread of the Melâm?ya and determine whether the Melâm?ya spiritual outlook can be considered an open-minded approach to the Sufi initiatory path. ReSuSEE is a project that will conduct an analytical and comparative in-deep insight of the doctrines, and the networks of deployment of the Melâm?ya-nûriya, an Islamic Sufi path that emerged in South-eastern Europe (SEE) through Muhammad Nûr Al-’Arabî’s (d. 1887) teachings. Since nineteenth century, Melâm?ya centers were established in Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania, including three women-only in Strumica, Vranjevci and Prizren. The Melâm?ya represents a still little-studied case in the field of Islamic Studies and SEE history: yet its study will challenge current understandings of Sufi movements that reshape the Islamic tradition along different practical, organizational and doctrinal lines to cope with late modern social and political developments. Drawing on a translocal approach and network analysis, ReSuSEE focuses on Melâm?ya Sufi knowledge and its circulation among the trans-local networks imbued with new forms of associationism. It aims to shed light on the complex interplay between mobilization and association-building patterns, and on the theological and doctrinal (re)shaping of Sufism since the nineteenth century. Employing mainly philological and comparative historical methods, ReSuSEE aims to: 1. reframe the socio-political context within which Melâm?ya spread, taking into account the profound transformations that were taking place in SEE societies; 2. retrace and explore Muhammad Nûr Al-’Arabî’s (melâm?ya) mystical-philosophical-gnostic system; 3. Analysing and tracing networks and channels of melâm?ya doctrines circulation in SEE by employing DH tools (Cytoscape and NodeXL software); 4. developing an analytical and comparative insight framework to understand whether Melâm?ya spiritual outlook can be considered as an approach to the Sufi initiatory path perceived as liberal, intellectual, inclusive and open-minded. |
