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There is a tendency within the study of Islam to prioritize religious ideology over the lived experiences of ordinary Muslims. While affirming the significance of such ideology, Dr. Judy Wanjiru Wang'ombe suggests that it is equally important to understand how Islamic teachings are actually lived out within Muslim communities. Utilizing a cognitive anthropological framework and drawing from qualitative field data, this study examines the phenomenon of spirit possession as experienced by Borana Muslims in Marsabit County, Kenya. Dr. Wang'ombe analyzes the practices and beliefs of the Ayyaana possession cult in light of stipulations provided by official Islamic texts, specifically the Qur'an and Hadith as taught by their Muslim teachers, and explores the prominent gaps that often exist between tenet and practice.
An excellent resource for scholars and practitioners alike, this study enhances anthropological understanding of contextual Islam as practiced in East Africa, while offering insight into local perspectives on the spirit world.
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JUDY WANJIRU WANG'OMBE is a member of the faculty of interreligious studies at Africa International University, Kenya, where she completed her PhD. She has been involved in crosscultural engagement and interreligious dialogue for over twenty years, and she researches and writes extensively about missions, anthropology, Islam, and Muslim-Christian relations.
