Some Notes on Spirit Possession and Islam

This essay explores the phenomenon of cultic activities based on the notion of spirit possession in the Arab world, and the long-standing association of such ideas with Sub-Saharan Africa. It discusses certain key aspects of the syncretistic interplay of Islamic and African cultural elements in these cults, especially the idea of a well-defined pantheon of named spirits, the peculiar gender patterns observable within the cults, the belief that spirits are confined in a distant place during the fasting month, as well as the conscious inclusion of a variety of highly visible symbolic markers of Islamic belief and identity in the rituals.