Healing the spirit: The social and religious impact of Sufi shrine practices in Pakistan

Abstract

In Pakistan, Sufi shrine practices have been considered sources of spiritual healing and more of a cultural and societal practice than purely a religious one. The aim of this research article is to explore the role of Sufi shrines in shaping religious expression and social interactions in contemporary Pakistani society. The purpose of the study is to revisit the ritual practices at the Sufi shrines of Bahauddin Zakariya and Shah Rukn-e-Alam in Multan city, Pakistan, and explore the socio-spatial relationships that make these shrines impactful to society and religion. This research is ethnographic in methodology, focusing on both rural and urban devotees from Southern Punjab. In this qualitative approach, semi-structured interviews with 15 devotees showed that the practices at Sufi shrines provide psychological comfort, spiritual purification, and a connection with God. These results demonstrate that pilgrimages to shrines with special religious rituals, such as the lighting of candles, dam karna (blowing), dhamal (a trance-like dance), cleaning shrines, langer (serving meals), qawwali (spiritual music), mannat (tying pieces of cloth to the latticed walls), laying chadar (cloth sheet), and placing flowers on the graves of Sufi saints, satisfy most of the spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and economic needs of the devotees. Visits to shrines and the performance of such rituals establish a link with God, as devotees feel that the Sufi saints are nearer to God and thus act as mediators. On the contrary, some devotees believe in praying directly to God; they visit the shrines to pray for the souls of the deceased saints to rest in peace. This study concludes that shrine practices are not only religious activities but are also crucially involved in the cultural, economic, and social life of individuals, contributing to their well-being. Future studies may be conducted by incorporating the opinions of non-visitors and religious scholars regarding shrine practices to understand the concept more fully in terms of their function and importance.