The Islamic Origins of the Jedi
Ramadan starts in a few days so I figured that now was a great time to talk about this!
(Disclaimer: My point here isn’t to detract from other sources of inspiration that GL used to create the Jedi, but simply to point out another, lesser known one that many often overlook or intentionally refuse to acknowledge.)
I’m Muslim. My family follows the Hanafi madhab, and the guidance of the Naqshbandi order of Sufi masters, mystics, and teachers. I’m by no means an expert or a scholar, but the Sufi theology and view of the Divine is so clearly prevalent as one of the many inspirations for the Force and the Jedi, that it’s hard to get ignore - and it’s hard to watch while people choose to ignore it.
For starters, we know that during his research for the films, George Lucas met and consulted with the Habibiyyah Sufi order in California. He asked questions and learned what they believed.
Something else that’s hard to ignore is the robes that the Jedi wear! I know they’re commonly thought to be inspired by other origins, but I’d like to point out that the traditional Sufi robes look similar to the Jedi as well.
Let’s look at the origins of the word ‘Jedi’. While most believe that it comes from the word ‘jidaigeki’, as GL has mentioned in passing, there is an Arabic equivalent that’s translated to fit the meaning of the Jedi Order with surprising accuracy.
The word is Al-Jeddi, which translates to ‘master of the mystic warrior way’.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty darn familiar to me.
In an article released by a prominent Sufi Muslim order, ‘jeddi’ is mentioned by name and a definition that looks and sounds familiar to the Jedi Order of Star Wars and how the Force is viewed by them:
“We are, at our core, a Movement of Jeddi; Sufi masters of Futuwwat ("the Way of the mystic-warrior"). We encourage adherents to train both physically AND spiritually, for their own personal edification and to enhance their knowledge and abilities in the Struggle. The Balance does not lie alone in contemplation, prayer and meditation; nor does it lie alone in action and revolution.”
At the end of the day, we know that Star Wars appropriated from many, many sources that went mostly uncredited and ignored - in ways that had lasting and negative impacts on the peoples and cultures that served as inspiration - and this was one of them.
One of my biggest complaints about the appropriation present here is that it is an opportunity missed - a big one. There was an opportunity to educate, to help others understand what is often misunderstood, simply by being transparent about what you took, from whom, and most importantly, why.
But instead, we got the racist and islamophobic characterizations of the Tusken Raiders and complete radio silence on any other front that could have made a positive difference in how people view us.
So I’m sharing this with you now, because education is everything, and it is so, so important to be aware of examples of things like this in the media we consume!
