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5 - Bōkā

On Islamic discourses, imaginaries, and incommensurability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 January 2021

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Summary

In Chapter 5, I discuss how people’s divergent Islamic conceptions, practices, and imaginaries can become incommensurable with one another. I describe and discuss the different Islamic divination and healing practices encountered in the zongos and trace their surrounding discourses and debates. These ‘bōkā’ practices are diverse and contested, if not rejected outright by their critics. Proposing the concept of the imaginary, I argue that these practices should be considered in their respective contexts and in view of people’s understandings of how things (should) hang together. I therefore present two ‘bōkā’ practitioners and relate the discourses they hold on their practices, seeking to convey how they ground these in the Islamic discursive tradition and make sense of them. I also discuss people’s varied conceptions and practices of ṣadaqa. I then present the critiques of ‘bōkā’ by different actors and highlight how they ground these within and lay claim to the same discursive tradition of Islam. As I argue, the people of the zongo engage with and take part in a shared discursive tradition as they (re)make and live their religion. Yet, the ways in which they participate in this religion and what they make of it are not only open to varied engagements but inherently diverse.

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Chapter
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Islam in a Zongo
Muslim Lifeworlds in Asante, Ghana
, pp. 177 - 224
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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  • Bōkā
  • Benedikt Pontzen
  • Book: Islam in a Zongo
  • Online publication: 08 January 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108900706.007
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  • Bōkā
  • Benedikt Pontzen
  • Book: Islam in a Zongo
  • Online publication: 08 January 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108900706.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Bōkā
  • Benedikt Pontzen
  • Book: Islam in a Zongo
  • Online publication: 08 January 2021
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108900706.007
Available formats
×