“Hüseyn’im Vay! ”: Voice and Recitation in Contemporary Turkish Shi’ism

Fa, Stefan Williamson

doi:10.5771/9783956504815-209

Cited by 2 publications

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“…The act of praising or remembering through reciting and listening is said to develop and define a relationship between the praiser and the praised. In Turkey, the recitation of devotional poetry and lament not only marks the climax of meclis in honor of the Ehl‐i Beyt but, with the rise of recording technology and various media forms, has also become part of everyday listening practices beyond the ritual context (Williamson Fa 2019). These practices mobilize the senses, language, materiality, aesthetics, and media to cultivate relations with these more‐than‐human beings.…”

Section: Cultivating Intimacy Through Soundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Voices of Sorrow and Joy

2022

Cult. Anthropol.

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The Family of the Prophet Muhammad holds a central position in Shiʿi Muslim religiosity. As immaterial beings able to intercede in this world, they are said to be witnessing and co-present in the lives of Muslims. Anthropology has neglected relations with immaterial more-than-human beings like these. Instead of regarding them merely as symbols or moral exemplars, this essay focuses on the cultivation of relations of intimacy with them through the devotional practice of vocal recitation. In eastern Turkey, gatherings of celebration and mourning are held throughout the year to commemorate the earthly deaths and birthdays of these figures. The climax of such occasions is marked by the recitation of various genres of lament or praise. This essay uses audio examples and focuses on these recitations to demonstrate how their vocal and discursive features offer ways for Muslims to cultivate love and intimacy to live life alongside these immaterial more-than-human beings. ÖZET Hazreti Muhammed’in ailesi (Ehl-i Beyt), Şii mezhebi inancında merkezi bir konuma sahiptir. Bu dünyada şefaat edebilecek gayri maddi varlıklar olarak, Müslümanların hayatlarına tanık oldukları ve onlarla birlikte bulundukları söylenir. Ne yazık ki antropolojide, bu gibi gayri maddi ve insan-ötesi varlıklarla ilişkiler ihmal edilmektedir. Bu makale, insan-ötesi varlıkları sadece birer simge veya ahlâki model olarak görmek yerine, onlarla ilahi ve mersiye okumanın aracılığıyla kurulan yakınlık ilişkilerine odaklanmaktadır. Türkiye’nin Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde, Ehl-i Beyt İmamların şehadet ve doğum günlerini anmak için yıl boyunca kutlama ve eza meclisleri düzenlenmektedir. Bu tarz merasimlerin zirvesi ise çeşitli ağıt veya ilahi türlerinin okunmasıyla gerçekleşir. Bu makalede sesli örnekler kullanılmaktadır ve kayıtlara odaklanılmıştır. Bunların yanı sıra mersiyelerin ses ve söylemsel özelliklerinin, Müslümanların Ehl-i Beytin yanında yaşamak, onlarla sevgi ve yakınlık ilişkileri geliştirmek için ne tarz yollar açtığı tartışılmaktadır.

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Section: Cultivating Intimacy Through Soundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Voices of Sorrow and Joy

2022

Cult. Anthropol.

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Twelver Shi‘a in Turkey

Williamson Fa

2024

The Oxford Handbook of Religion in Turkey

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Despite their historical and sizable presence in parts of the country, Twelver Shi‘a Muslims, or Caferis, are practically absent from the scholarly literature on religion in Turkey. As a predominantly Turkish-speaking Muslim community, albeit a denominational minority, Shi‘a are not officially recognized by the Turkish state. They have therefore faced barriers to the construction and management of their own mosques and public expressions of religious difference. This chapter provides an overview of Twelver Shi‘a in Turkey over the last century, tracing the ways the community has navigated its position in the Turkish public sphere vis-à-vis the state and other religious groups. It also provides insight into Shi‘i piety and religious life by ethnographically highlighting sensory-aesthetics forms and practices of devotion to the Family of the Prophet (Ehl-i Beyt), a distinguishing feature of Twelver Shi‘i religiosity.

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“Hüseyn’im Vay! ”: Voice and Recitation in Contemporary Turkish Shi’ism

Cited by 2 publications

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Voices of Sorrow and Joy

Voices of Sorrow and Joy

Twelver Shi‘a in Turkey

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