Nagore-E-Sharief : A Sacred Complex Study

Contents: Foreword. 1. Introduction. 2. Sufi Saint worship. 3. Sacred geography. 4. Sacred performances. 5. Sacred specialists. 6. Mendicant functionaries. 7. The devotees. 8. Conclusion. Bibliography. Appendixes.
 
In India almost every village and city has a sacred centre, whether it is a temple or a tan or a Samadhi or a Dargah tomb. Quran suggests Allah rewarded such and such for their good deeds by bestowing upon them the rank of prophethood. Sufis believe that a prophet, before he is raised to this rank, is a Wali Saint. The prophet of Islam introduced the custom of pilgrimage to Makkah to earn religious merit. However Sufism has directly or indirectly encouraged the concept of tomb pilgrimage and considers the tombs of Sufis as sacred centres. Perhaps this consideration largely waives with the Muslim devotees while for the non-Muslims it is the miraculous powers of the saint. (jacket)