Poetry and sound lie at the heart of Muslim devotion to the Prophet’s family, the Ahl al-Bayt. Across Shi‘i, Sufi, and Alevi-Bektashi communities, centuries-old traditions of Turkish-language devotional poetry and recitation express love, grief, and reverence for these sacred figures while cultivating enduring emotional and spiritual ties to them. Drawing on long-term ethnographic fieldwork and archival research in Turkey, the Caucasus, Iran, and diaspora communities, this talk explores how poetic and sonic practices sustain these bonds of affection and attachment. Bringing the monograph Sonic Relations, which examines recitation among Twelver Shi‘a, into conversation with new research among Sufi and Alevi-Bektashi communities, the talk considers how shared poetic repertoires and distinct modes of performance animate devotional life. In ritual gatherings, public processions, and recorded performances, sound nurtures intimate relationships with the Ahl al-Bayt while shaping wider expressions of faith, belonging, and communal identity. Attending to these practices, the talk argues, calls for a relational anthropology of Islam—one that takes seriously both the bonds among devotees and their relationships with sacred figures.
Hosted by the Project on Shi'ism and Global Affairs at the Harvard Divinity School
Sponsored by the Jaffer Family Foundation of New York
Cosponsor: The Alwaleed Program for Islamic Studies
Time: 18 November 2026 at 3 PM
Location: HDS Swartz Hall, Room 125. 45 Francis Ave
Speaker:
Stefan Williamson Fa (University of Cambridge)
Registration Required. In-person event with hybrid option. *REGISTER HERE*
LOCATION:Swartz 125 - 45 Francis St. STATUS:CONFIRMED DTSTART:20261118T200000Z DTEND:20261119T045859Z END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR