Da'wah Movements and Sufi Tariqahs: Competing for Spiritual Spaces in Contemporary South(ern) Africa

This paper provides a brief survey of the contemporary da'wah movements and Sufi orders (tariqah) that have redefined and reformulated some of the social institutions among the Muslim community in southern Africa. After a theoretical discussion of the definition of movements and orders, the paper provides a brief overview of Islam's presence in contemporary southern Africa. This is followed by a historical review of the various Sufi tariqahs and Muslim movements in the region, focusing on the Tabligh Jama'at and including the Chistiyyah, Murabitun, Qadriyyah, Alawiyyah and Naqshbandi tariqahs. In the final section of the paper comparisons are made between the growth of da'wah movements and Sufi tariqahs and the reasons for their relative influences and successes are analysed.