Visualizing Belief and Piety in Iranian Shiism

Description

The representation of prophets and saints in Islam is erroneously considered nonexistent by many scholars of Islam, Muslims, and the general public. The issue is often dealt with superficially without attention to its deep roots in piety and religiosity. Visualizing Belief and Piety in Iranian Shiism offers new understanding of Islamic iconography and Muslim perspectives on the use of imageries in ritual contexts and devotional life. Combining iconographic and ethnographic approaches, Ingvild Flaskerud introduces and analyzes imageries (tile-paintings, posters and wall-hangings), ritual contexts and interviews with male and female local viewers to discuss the representation, reception and function of imageries in contemporary Iranian Shia environments. This book presents the argument that images and decorative programmes have stimulating qualities to mentally evoke the saints in the minds of devotees and inspire their recollection, transforming emotions and stimulating cultic behaviours. Visualization and seeing are significant to the dissemination of religious knowledge, the understanding of spiritual and ethical values, the promotion of personal piety, and functions as modes of venerating God and the saints.

Ingvild Flaskerud is Post-doctoral Fellow at Uni Global, the University of Bergen, Norway.

'Flaskerud explores the visibility of popular Iranian Shi'ism in the context of concrete devotional practices and tackles questions of iconography, epigraphy, representation, emotion and subjectivity in an exemplary way with analytical depth. Developing a visual vocabulary of commodified devotional aids used in various private and communal rituals she acknowledges the sensory embeddedness of material culture. Through her historically grounded study Flaskerud aptly shows the importance of votive images in quotidian religious practice thereby providing many new insights into lived Iranian Twelver Shi'ism.' Jurgen Wasim Frembgen, Museum of Ethnology Munich & Institute of Near and Middle Eastern Studies, University of Munich, Germany -- Jurgen Wasim Frembgen 'From the Safavid period onwards, Iran has been the greatest source of Shi'i beliefs and rituals. It seems that almost from the inception of Twelver Shi'ism as the state religion, the visual aspects of the rituals devoted to Imam Hussein have had a profound impact on many areas of life at every level of Iranian society. From stationary and processional rituals, to the drama of ta'ziyeh, to narrative painting to posters, murals, and graffiti, the tragic events of Karbala are told and retold. During the Iranian Revolution and the "Imposed War" with Iraq, the core symbols of the Shi'i faith were appropriated as graphic images to mobilize the masses. Such images have become iconic and resonate strongly with the Iranian public. Dr. Ingvild Flaskerud's Visualizing Belief and Piety in Iranian Shi'ism is a most welcome volume which examines these rituals and images and the ways in which they continue to influence contemporary Iranian society. Her work is a tour de force which gives new and worthwhile insights into Shi'i beliefs and practices.' Peter Chelkowski, Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, New York University, USA -- Professor Peter Chelkowski