Lady of the Women of the Worlds: Exploring Shi'i Piety and Identity Through a Consideration of Fatima al-Zahra'

Abstract

This thesis seeks to explore and survey the different understandings of Fatima bt. Muhammad "al-Zahra'" in different Shi'i social, religious, and political contexts. This investigation situates Fatima within a larger Islamic conceptualization of the saint or holy figure. Her liminal status in close proximity to the divine grants her a potency that facilitates her continued importance to Shi'i Muslims, though her memory differs in time and place. The contexts for this discussion range from Arabia in the centuries after her death, Safavid and Qajar Persia and modern Iran, and South Asia. Memories of Fatima reflect the concerns of Shi'i communities, political and religious leaders, and individuals for whom she remains a saint; she serves as a mechanism by which holiness is accessed and communities and persons are created, consolidated, preserved, and understood. For the scholar, Fatima provides invaluable insight into creative religious change through the lens of the Shi'i Islam.