Gender, Sainthood, and Everyday Practice in South Asian Shi’ism

Glossary

Glossary ʿAdālah: Justice. Āfāqī: “Foreigners” from Iran who came to seek their fortunes in the Shiʿi ʿAdil Shahi and Qutb Shahi kingdoms in the Deccan. Agniparīkṣā: The trial by fire that Sita underwent to prove her fidelity to her husband, King Rama, while she was imprisoned by Ravana. Ahl-e bait: “The People of the House,” the members of the Prophet Muhammad’s family descended through his daughter, Fatimah al-Zahra. ʿAlam: Metal battle standard or flag. In Hyderabad, the ʿalam is a nonfigural representation of various members of Imam Husain’s family, including ʿAbbas, Qasem, Imam Husain, and Fatimah al-Zahra. ʿAqd: Contract. ʿArsī muṣḥāf: Husband’s viewing of his wife’s reflection in a mirror for the first time following the marriage ceremony. ʿArūsī: Marriage. Ashrāf: The Muslim noble class. ʿĀshūrā: The tenth day of Muharram, when Imam Husain was killed in battle. ʿĀshūrkhāna: The “House of the Tenth”; special buildings containing ʿalams where the sufferings of Imam Husain and his family are ritually remembered. Āstāna: The threshold that separates the sacred from the profane. Ayyām-e ʿazā: The two months and eight days of mourning, between 1 Muharram until 8 Rabiʿ al-Awwal. Bājā: Brass band that heralds the groom’s movement to his bride’s home. Band: Stanza of a poem. Baraka: The grace and spiritual power of a saint emanating from his/her tomb. Barāt: The groom’s horseback wedding procession to his bride’s home. Bāṭin: That which is concealed; in the context of Islamic mysticism (Sufi and Shiʿi), that which is esoteric and not readily apparent. Bayʿah: An oath of allegiance formalized through the act of shaking or giving one’s hand. Bāzārī: The powerful class of merchants, dealers, and traders who have historically had a close relationship with Iran’s clerical class. Bevāh: Widow. Bevāhpā: The state of widowhood. Bhakta: Devotee of a god, goddess, or saint. 172 | GLOSSARY Chakkī: Grinding stone. Chārdah maʿsūmīn: The “Fourteen Infallibles,” including the Prophet Muhammad, Fatimah al-Zahra, and the twelve Imams. Chuṛi (pl. chuṛiyāṅ): Bangles. Dahej: Dowry given by the bride’s family to the groom and his family. Darbar: Court of a king or other ruler. Dargāh: Shrine/tomb of a Sufi saint. Dharma: One’s duty or responsibility in accordance with one’s caste and station in life. Ḍhaṫṫī: Cloth that is presented to the ʿalam during Muharram. Dīwān: Prime minister. Dorūgh-gū: False speech, lies. Dupaṫṫa: A long oblong cloth draped over a woman’s shoulders to cover her breasts. Fiqh: Jurisprudence or interpretation of Islamic law (sharīʿah). Gham: Grief, sadness. Ghāzī: Warrior. Ghūṅgaṫ: A large veil worn to cover the head and the face. Giryān: Weeping, crying. Ḥadīth/Ḥadīṡ: Reports of the deeds and words of the Prophet Muhammad; in the Shiʿi tradition, also includes the traditions of the twelve Imams. Haldī: Turmeric. Howzeh: Religious seminary where Shiʿi religious scholars receive their training; the most famous howzehs are located in Qom, Iran. Ḥujjat: “Proof.” Ḥusainiyyat: The religious and social ethic of Imam Husain and his family’s sacrifice at the Battle of Karbala; referred to in this book as “ḥusaini ethics.” Ijmāʿ: Consensus of legal scholars on a matter. Ijtiḥād: Self-exertion to attain knowledge of a matter; the practice of independent reasoning in jurisprudence; an important component of Shiʿi jurisprudence following the occultation of the twelfth Imam, al-Mahdi. Imam: One of the twelve spiritual successors of the Prophet Muhammad whose authority is recognized by the Shiʿa. ʿImāmah: Turban. Imāmah: The institution of the Imamate, or the twelve spiritual successors to the Prophet Muhammad who guide the Shiʿi community. Indic: The articulation of an essential South Asian identity, worldview, and ethos that is shared by Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Iranians, and Europeans who have lived on the Indian Subcontinent. GLOSSARY | 173 Jāʾiz: Permissible. Jashn: Celebration, joyous occasion. Jahez: Dowry given by the bride’s family to the groom and his family. Julūs: The funeral procession in which the ʿalam is taken out and paraded, usually accompanied by devotees performing mātam and chanting nauḥa. Jūtā chhupāʾī: Ritual performed during the mehndī ceremony in which the bride’s sisters steal the...