Despite having read four biographies of the great man, I have seen very little
analysis of his religious beliefs. Most biographers simply present him as an
agnostic with a cultural leaning toward Islam. He almost certainly wasn't Catholic, as his wife Isabel would have liked everyone to believe. He strikes me as far too rebellious to embrace any mainstream religion (at least any monotheistic one). My suspicion is that he was a deist (like Thomas Jefferson or the principals of the Enlightenment). Incidentally, my favourite of the Burton biographies is The Devil Drives.
Any thoughts?

Is there exist any evidence or proof that he was a muslim? I`ve heard, that he memorized one third of the Quran, was speaking fluent arabic to the point that he could disguise himself as an arab and even his friends couldn`t recognize him. He also admired muslims a lot and as far as I remember stayed with some of them in Tabora, while Speke went to check rumours about `great water` wich we know presently as a Lake Victoria. I`d be glad if somebady clarify this

Burton's beliefs are an interesting issue. I agree with you that Deist is probably as good a label as any for him. Have you read "A Rage to Live" by Lowell? She paints a nuanced picture where RFB is quoted making gently denigrating comments regarding Catholicism but also putting the Mormans in a fair light. In a sense, he seems to embody a "salad bar" sense of faith: alittle from here, a little from there.

Burton defies all labels. Religion for him was an extension of his deep absorption in anthropology. Sure, he could point to the positive aspects (yes, in Mormonism etc.) but he far more readily alluded to the negative. This however has to be reconciled with the fact that Burton was deeply superstitious and had, for example, a phobia of being entombed in darkness. A pragmatist would say "After I am dead and have no use for this now lifeless body, why should I care where it is put?" Burton was clearly unsure of his ground in this regard. As he became infirm and old, his mind maybe even beginning to cloud, did he reach for some comfort in an established religion? I suppose it's possible but more likely he despaired of all religions because, after so-carefully enquiring into each of them, had found none that he could accept - and Christianity surely among the last.

Dear Mr. Wodz:

I think Burton believed in spirits without any label. He was too well read to embrace any faith. The idea of a faith that said; "my way or the hell way", would have put him off.

I think Bryan Farwell wrote the definitve Burton bio. Fawn M. Brodie sought to get into the mind behind the man; and did a good job. However her opinions are just that. I doubt Burton went after boys in India. It seems to me one likes that sort of thing or not. Burton had plenty of women around him in India.

Howard Wallace

Sir,
Burton studied,Kuran and remebered 2/3 of it.He went to Macca and kissed the sacred stone of kaba.I know he gave respect to islamic culture, as well as he studied Hinduism,Jewdism also.Due to his writing about various culture and beleiefs, we cant divide him in those.he is a great gift to humanity and mankind.We should let him of all.That should i think.As Burton himself also.

As far as I can tell from his books he certainly believed in the 'supernatural' and that there's more than just the material universe. He had seen many strange things during his travels. But Burton had a great distaste for 'organized' or 'institutionalised' religion. He saw them as instruments for powergreedy people to control their subjects and to use religion for their own personal interests. In this way he had a rather modern view of religion. On the other hand he was really superstitious in some ways...

People should make up their mind one way or another. You might as well ask if souls are butterflies, and do they come from the Guf. I remember being in an interim state long before the creation of this standard 01 universe. God is all God's and it is one of the greatest secrets you can know. Burton is ALLAH and most people in that time found out and knew. Thanks to the ministry of information now we don't have to worry about people knowing.

I was enough of a muslim to undergo circumcision and the operation almost killed me. If I love religion and myself enough to lop off the end of my dick of course I am a muslim.

In the Sufis, by Idries Shah, London 1964, there is achapter on Burton and Shah says ' whether he was amason or not is not clear but he was definitely a Sufi'.
Elsewhere( Way of the Sufi) he is referred to as a high ranking Qadiri Sheikh