Traditional history often focuses on kings and conquests. Bashir focuses on the mystic seeking God. Traditional anthropology often looks at "society" as a whole. Bashir zooms in on the individual body as a site of history.
Part of Oneworld’s Makers of the Muslim World series, this concise volume introduces Fazlallah Astarabadi (1340–1394), the founder of Hurufism—a mystical-linguistic movement that believed in the divine secrets of letters (huruf). Bashir situates Hurufism within the chaotic aftermath of Mongol rule in Iran. shahzad bashir books
In the landscape of contemporary Islamic studies, few scholars navigate the delicate balance between rigorous historical analysis and deep empathy for the subject matter quite like . Traditional history often focuses on kings and conquests
(2022): An innovative, born-digital open-access book published by MIT Press. It uses multimedia and interactive storytelling to rethink how Islamic history is conceptualized, moving away from strictly linear or geographically limited frameworks. The Market in Poetry in the Persian World Bashir zooms in on the individual body as a site of history
This is not just a story of survival against political persecution; it is a story of intellectual resilience. Bashir and Daftary trace the Nizari Ismaili trajectory through the tumultuous middle periods, offering a nuanced look at how the community maintained its identity and theological structure despite being scattered across disparate regions.
Shahzad Bashir Primary Genre: Academic History, Religious Studies, Islamic Intellectual History Affiliation: Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University