Islamic piety as sovereign transcendence in the Tablighi Jamaat in Pakistan

This article examines the political significance of a distinct form of face-to-face preaching (dawat) in the transnational Islamic piety movement, the Tablighi Jamaat, against the backdrop of Pakistani nationalism. Pakistani nationalism is structured around a genealogical hierarchy that presumes that high-caste (ashraf ) Muslims are purer Muslims and that it is their task to uplift low-caste (ajlaf ) Muslims through the reform of their customary practices. By reenacting the Prophet’s example, dawat creates a “direct” relationship to God and obviates the genealogical hierarchies that structure Pakistani political life. It is this promise of sovereign transcendence that explains the millions of Pakistani Muslims that flock through the gates of the Tablighi Jamaat.