‘Super-Power’ in the Grave: Meaning-Making of Muslim Saints’ Graves in Malaysia

Abstract This ethnographic article shows how state institutions in Malaysia classify certain spiritual practices undertaken at the graves of former religious leaders or prophets as superstitious ( khurafat ) and, therewith, unacceptable in Islam. Many people believe in a “super-power” ( keramat ) that the dead person had and in the miracles that surrounded them. However, the way the superpower is dealt with at the graves varies greatly depending on the religious and ethnic background of the people. Indian Malaysians make sense of their worshipping practices at the keramat graves on the basis of the conflation between Hindu and Islamic elements. Most Muslim Malays, however, consider this to be against the Islamic sources (Qur’an and Hadith). The meaning they assign to visiting keramat graves and practising rites at these places is characterised by an ambiguity that is reflected in the respect and adoration of the Islamic scholars and the simultaneous refusal to show it – not least because of a revitalisation of Islam in the nation-state. Thus, against the backdrop of syncretic, multireligious and political traditions in Malaysia, the ideological orientation of Islam, as well as the perception of what is considered to be superstitious and magical, is the decisive factor for a canalising, disciplining or even repressive form of handling religious and spiritual practices at the keramat graves.