Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-321-14090-3
Ph.D.
Religious Studies
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2014
This dissertation analyzes medieval Muslim constructs and perceptions of sacred space from the ninth to fourteenth centuries using 'Ali's grave as point of departure. It delves into three themes-sacred body, sacred space, and sacred ritual-all of which shed light on ways in which Shi'i scholars helped mold communal memory and identity, as well as how Sunni scholars contested Shi'i claims to legitimacy based on their distinct memories of the past. This dissertation seeks to understand how and why scholarly representations of 'Ali's body, grave, and connected pilgrimage rituals impacted the development of normative Shi'ism.
Religious history; Middle Eastern history; Islamic Studies
Philosophy, religion and theology;Social sciences;Ali;Najaf;Place;Ritual;Sacred;Space