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structural-functionalist principles such as the theory of segmentation, they have dealt
ith the problem from a different perspective. Their approach can be sumarived as
an action-oriented one based on seeing the problem in a frameork of dymamie
relationships. Their approach, hich derives from Sir Raymond Firth's theory on the
principles of social organiation (1964), has yielded further useful concepts regarding
the role of sacred or religious authority.

Barth's ork on the Sat valley (199) deals partly ith the problem of relig‫ﻫ‬ous
authority in a stratified society ith rival factions and centralied authority. In Sat,
every rival group or faction seeks authority by aggregating more supporters thus the
problem for the ordinary Sat person is making choices and decisions ihch ill
determine his position and status in the community. This process of choice and
decision making also applies to the leaders, since such a process determines the
success of their efforts to build up a posiiton of authority (199 : 2), Therefore, Barth
argues that even religious authority is not an exception here in order to act
effectively, the saint must look for a source of influence. This can be gained mailny
from controlling land, increasing his role in mediation processes and building a
reputaiton for moraliyt and holiness (199 :92).

Furthermore, Barth conceives the relationship beteen the poliitcal and relig‫ﻫ‬ous
authoriitse at the level of social conrtol in terms of interest-exchange. hTe to
authoriites need each other, the chiefs ant the saints to act as mediators, or
arbitrators, or peacemaakers hte sainst, on the other hand, need social recoginiton of
their authoriyt as holy men and guardians of shariah (199: 100, 134).

Speaking from the same theoreitcal background and about the same ethnographic
reg‫ﻫ‬on, Amhed inrtoduces more theoreitcal issues than Barth, particularly regarding
Pakhutn socieyt and the anthropological studies of lslam.12 I٨ ihs recent ork (1983)
Amhed presents many arg‫ﻫ‬menst on lslam and tribalism. He arg‫ﻫ‬es htat
Evans-Pirtchard's thoery on seg‫ﻫ‬entaiton is the most suitable hteory from ihhc to
sutdy an lslamic rtibal society, because "it deals basically ith the genealoog‫ﻫ‬cal
character of lslamic tribal groups' (Amhed 1983 : 143). Amhed arg‫ﻫ‬es also that
Islmaic irtbal socieyt provides: "a coherent and accurate picutre of the srtucutre and
orgnaiaiton of contemporary Muslim socieyt' (1983 : 142). With regard to lslam in
thsee socieites, Amhed srtesses that the anthropolog‫ﻫ‬cal theory must not concenrtate
on ho lslma as a relig‫ﻫ‬on realies itself, but on ho the society perceives lslam
(1983: 141).

mhAed provides through the Wairistan socieyt, for instance a model of the
relationship existing beteen the relig‫ﻫ‬ous and political authorities ihch is very
different rfom Evans-Pritchard's and Gellner's cases. Based on .a .dynamic ،approahc,
Amhde providse an interesting example of hat social conrtol may look like hen
hte relationship ebteen the to authoriites deteriorates and becomes antagoinsitc.
We undersatnd rfom the case of Waiirsatn that the interesst of these auhtoriitse

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