Durkheimien Model and Sufism in South Asia: A Case Study of Pir Muzamil Ali’s Medical Services for his Community

Abstract

As Emile Durkheim analyzed religion as a social reflection and not mere the performance of some certain prayers and obligations, likewise Sufism is not just a religious aspect of Islam but also imbibes broader social activities, especially in South Asia. The institution of Sufi khanqah is the foci for the South Asian society that overlaps all the possible aspects of human life, i.e. religion, health, economy, welfare, customs, traditions, etc. This research paper is primarily focused on the medical services provided by Pir Muzamil Ali, a Qadiriyya-Chishtiyya Sufi of Jabbi Sharif, district Khushab, Punjab. The paper argues that Sufism in South Asia is a social reflection as per Emile Durkheim theory of religious sociology and Pir Muzamil Ali’s medical services for his community were the best example for this. He not only learnt hikmat, like mostly Sufis learn to cure the physical diseases of their disciples along with the spiritual diseases (that is the main duty of a Sufi) but tried to keep it simple, with regionally available natural herbs and free of cost for the poor and needy. The herbal recipes were chosen randomly for the qualitative analysis of this research.