Podcast episode

July 25, 2025

Episode 208: Ahab Bdaiwi on the Rise of Shi‘ī Esotericism

Turning to the question of early Shi‘ī esotericism, we discuss the figure of ‘Alī, who, along with early successors from the ahl al-bayt – the family of the Prophet – like Ja‘far al-Ṣādiq, becomes the locus for a cultural memory of angelic knowledge, metaphysical teachings, and even occult sciences like alchemy. We get into the historicity of some of this material, deciding that, while ‘Alī might not have been, historically, an alchemical adept, the figure of ‘Alī as master of all esoteric sciences is a Shi‘ī belief of very early provenance. We the discuss the ahl al-bayt and their role in Shi‘ī thought, as source of religious knowledge second only to the Qur’ān itself, in that they are able to interpret the Qur’ān in terms of the bāṭin (باطن), the esoteric meanings. And links between Shi‘ism and sufism are adumbrated which will definitely be returning to the podcast for more exploration in future episodes.

Interview Bio:

Ahab Bdaiwi is Assistant Professor of Islamic Thought and History at Leiden University. He is the founder of the Leiden University Shiʿi Studies Initiative (LUSSI) and Leiden University Centre for Islamic Thought and History (LUITH) and co-founder of the Leiden University Centre for Late Antique and Medieval Studies (LAMS). He is a Senior Member in the Netherlands Interuniversity School for Islamic Studies (NISIS).

Works Cited in this Episode to follow

 

Themes

‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib, Esoteric Hermeneutics, Ibn al-'Arabī, Islam, Islamic Esotericism, Islamicate Alchemy, Ja‘far al-Ṣādiq, Naqshbandīya, Qur'ān, Shi‘ī Esotericism, Taṣawwuf