Contrasting regimes of Sufi prayer and emotion work in the Indonesian Islamic revival

This chapter examines contrasting usages of a core Sufi ritual, 'remembrance' of God using repetitive litanies (dzikr). These litanies are composed of phrases from the Qur'an and are deployed with the intention of bringing God more and more constantly to mind, and in so doing 'cleansing' the 'heart' of base desires. In Islam, the use of these litanies has been perennially associated with the heroic quest for mystical awareness of God. However. dzikr litanies are also recited simply as modest efforts at enriching the obligatory five daily prayers (sholat wajib) with a deeper inward focus and sense of intimacy with God.