The Role of Muslim Sufi Shayyukh in Formation and Preservation of Religious Identity of Muslims in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This study explored the techniques used by three generations of Muslim Sufi Shayyukh [plural of a Muslim religious leader, Shaykh in Arabic], of Eidgah Sharif, Rawalpindi, Pakistan, mainly between 1970’s-2025, to help their British Muslim followers with formation, preservation and transfer of positive religious identity as law abiding citizens of the UK and transforming them into peace builders. Pakistanis from remote areas of Pakistan with low literacy and few professional skills were brought to the UK in the 1950s as cheap labor to keep older textile mills competitive after electrification. Low pay and the need to live near the mills led to Muslim-majority neighborhoods. Subsequent family reunions created a critical need for preserving positive religious identity in the presence of socio-economic, linguistic, cultural, and racial tensions with the host society. Most Pakistanis were unaware of the differences between British and Pakistani cultures before arriving, and they had little religious literacy. The new land contributed to their economic well-being, but they needed guidance to navigate the many differences. Labels of extremism and terrorism presented additional challenges for Muslims. The Shayyukh realized the challenges their followers were facing as early as the 1980s, when they started helping them integrate into British society, while still retaining their positive religious identity and helping them transfer those benefits to the next generation. This ethnographic study used interviews of the Shayyukh’s followers in the UK and Pakistan, observations, field notes, multi-modal data from social media, including photographs, screen shots of videos, and video recordings of publicly-delivered speeches. Discourse analysis and multimodal discourse analysis of data revealed that the Shayyukh used traditional Naqshbandi Sufi Muslim concepts of Sohbat [companionship with the Shaykh] and Rabta [connection(s)] in creating the desired changes. Five specific methods used are given below. First, they developed in their followers a deeper understanding of Islam and its application in domestic, professional and public lives. The second method involved role modeling applied to religion in domestic and public lives. The third method was to offer hope, resilience and training to followers seeking positive alternatives, particularly in the face of adversity. Fourth, they helped their followers understand who they were in their new land, and how to become part of it in the following ways: by being good, caring neighbors even when harshly treated; by getting educated; by getting good employment; by doing charity; among other things; all of which should help dispel negative stereotypes. The fifth method was to engage youth in celebrating their religious identities by organizing and performing in formal religious gatherings. They made extensive use of relationship-building to help their followers. Most important was making the new land their arena by being flexible, without sacrificing Islam’s core religious values, integrating instead of self-segregating, getting to know the local community and building successful relationships with it. To do this, the Shayyukh used the language of hope and positivity, visiting their followers’ homes frequently, never judging them nor closing doors on them.