THE LINGUISTIC AND NARRATIVE DIMENSIONS OF FAITH HEALING PRACTICES IN PASHTOON SOCIETY

Abstract

Faith healing practices are found in majority of religions. It is a method of treating illnesses like toothache, stomachache, migraine, exorcism, earache, or pain in other parts of body through the exercise of faith instead of medical methods by physicians (Farooqi, 2016). The present study aims at investigating the linguistic and narrative dimensions of faith healing practices in Pashto speaking society. Linguistic features included lexical choices, invocative terms, and theological concepts. For that purpose, the researcher visited the faith healers and recorded the data during those practices. After recording, data was translated to English. Then the data was analyzed keeping in view the target linguistic and narrative features. The data was analyzed qualitatively as the study adopted qualitative approach. Major themes, patterns, concepts and narrative techniques had identified and deduced. Results of the study depicted that the language of the faith healing practices contained authoritative commands, ritualistic features, and personifications as well as hyperbole. The use of sacred phrases and sacred names like Allah, Beloved of Allah, Saints, Aulias (pious people), other prophets and Sahabas marked the language as theological. For migraine and expulsion of jinn and demon, faith healers used narratives. These narratives had specific and simple plot, characters and setting. Moreover, they invoked Allah, the Holy Prophet (SAW), Sahabas and saints. Lastly, it is recommended that the language of faith healing practices should be explored for other linguistics features and it should be compared with other religions.