A Review of The Life of Fātemah Zahrā (pbuh)

Author

Scientific Deputy of the Great Islamic Encyclopedia

10.30484/jii.2025.3299

Abstract

Zendegi-ye Fātemah Zahrā (pbuh) stands as a seminal Persian-language scholarly biography of Fātemah and forms part of the late Shahidi’s influential series on Islamic history and early religious leadership. Characteristic of his methodology, this work relies upon a critical examination of early narratives and classical sources. It is distinguished by a fluent prose style that integrates Qurʾanic verses, hadiths, sayings of eminent figures, poetry, and proverbs. A further hallmark is the author’s technique of posing successive questions to the reader concerning complex historical issues where definitive judgment is problematic. This article provides a concise introduction to the book, analyzing its authorial style and principal contributions.