Shortly after his first book, Bashir published this concise but powerful study as part of Oneworld’s "Makers of the Muslim World" series. The book focuses on Fazlallah Astarabadi, a 14th-century religious leader who founded the Hurufi movement, which was based on the esoteric interpretation of the letters of the Persian and Arabic alphabets. This work is notable for being the first comprehensive study of Astarabadi’s life and thought. It emphasizes the incredible diversity of medieval Islam by taking seriously an apocalyptic movement founded on the idea that the cosmos contains embedded secrets that become manifest through an extraordinary human being. The Hurufis, as Bashir explains, represent a fascinating intersection of Sufism, Shi'ism, and esoteric philosophy, a theme that runs throughout his broader oeuvre.
Bashir's writing is vital for anyone looking to look past the surface-level narratives of Islamic civilization. His books do not just tell you what happened in the past; they force you to think about how we know what happened, and who gets to decide how history is structured.
It unpacks complex esoteric doctrines, making them accessible to modern readers interested in heterodox Islamic movements of the 14th and 15th centuries. shahzad bashir books
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Ritual, sensory experience, saintly behavior, and gendered perceptions of the body. Shortly after his first book, Bashir published this
His contributions to the understanding of the Persianate world and Sufi traditions have made his books essential reading for students and scholars of Islamic Studies, South Asian history, and comparative literature. Exploring More
Students of religious studies, performance theory, and anyone interested in how physical action creates spiritual belief. It emphasizes the incredible diversity of medieval Islam
Scholars of postcolonial theory, memory studies, and anyone working on Central Asia or Iran’s pre-modern past.
Exploring how religious ideas are lived, negotiated, and transformed in social contexts.
(2021): This book examines poetry as a material object of value in the Persian world, detailing its connections to political and religious authority and economic exchange. Fazlallah Astarabadi and the Hurufis
It challenges Western media narratives, presenting a nuanced picture of the human experience in a frequently misunderstood region. Research Themes and Academic Contribution