This article explores the esoteric position of Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet of Islam, within the Twelver and Isma’ili Shi’ite traditions. The author remarks on how Fatimah has been studied in classical and modern feminist scholarship, where her role as a manifestation of the Divine has been largely ignored. The author then focuses on the relationship between Fatimah and the Shi’ite Imams. He discusses her title “The Radiant One,” and the relationship between Fatimah and the “Night of Power.” The essay closes with a discussion of Fatimah’s role in the Isma’ili tradition, and draws conclusions concerning the relationship between apophatic theology and the feminine, as well as the relationship of this research to wider studies of women in Islam. The article contains numerous original translations by the author.
http://sacredweb.com/contributors/#Carney
http://sacredweb.com/journals/sw27.html
Ismailimail 