"Shadd" and its Ceremony

Subject Areas : The Journal of Islamic History and Civilisation

امین  مهربانی ¹ (ندارد)

Received: 2012-11-12 Accepted : 2013-01-16 Published : 2013-02-19

Keywords: shadd, rabã al-miÈzam, initiation ceremony, Futuwwat, aßnāf,

Abstract :

"Shadd" is a symbolic belt which was being tied around the waist ofthe neophytes and novices of fityān, aṣnāf and some sufi communitiesin an initiation ceremony where the earlier waist-tied (mashdūd)members presented. By this ceremony, the person became,provisionally or permanently, a member of the aforementionedcommunities. It has been emerged at least in the 7th century andcontinued in some Sufi orders so far. In addition to be a sign ofacceptance in the mentioned groups, shadd has also functioned insome other ways; among the traders, it has somehow been as a licensefor their job and among some Sufis functioned as lubs i khirqaceremony. In this paper, the function, history, material, apparentfeatures, conditions and terms of mashdūds ceremony details havebeen investigated. The study is based on the futuwwat-nāmas andkasb-nāmas, particularly the Persian ones which have been seldomstudied in previous surveys.