The Extraordinary, Enchanted Lives of the Female Sufi Masters in the Afghan Empire with Dr. Waleed Ziad

It is the 18th century, and you’re living in the Afghan Empire, where Sufi leaders collaborate closely with kings and political figures. Sufi orders and schools are highly respected and well-endowed throughout the region. Among the Sufi masters in the late 1700s is Bibi Sahiba the Great, one of several female religious leaders in the empire. Revered as 'the first and the most perfect' Sufi guide, Bibi Sahiba is one of the most prominent authorities of the time, with a profound spiritual and cultural impact.

Fast-forward to the 21st century, and she remains largely unknown, even in today’s Kabul, Kandahar, and Peshawar. Join us as we journey back to the 18th century with award winning author Dr. Waleed Ziad, who has spent over a decade researching across South and Central Asia, to explore Bibi Sahiba's story and understand where we lost the thread.

This talk is based on Dr. Ziad’s upcoming book, The Extraordinary, Enchanted Lives of the Female Sufi Masters of the Afghan Empire (Harvard, 2025).

This session will feature a musical performance by Dutar Maestro Khalil Sheikh, a storytelling presentation by Dr. Waleed Ziad, and a discussion between him and Hareth Al Bustani.

The session is in collaboration with Emirates Literature Foundation.

About:

Musician - Khalil Sheikh

Khalil Sheikh is an acclaimed Dutar Maestro from Khorasan, Iran and is renowned for popularising Maghami music globally. A creative force in today’s Folklore music scene and with deep roots in Sufism, he has been showcasing poetry, music, and philosophy in the UAE for the past three years. His performances, covering themes like Rumi, Indo-Persian traditions, the Silk Road, nomadic tales, and Ibn Battuta’s journey, have been well-received.

Author/Speaker - Dr Waleed Ziad

Waleed Ziad is Associate Professor in History at Georgetown University. Prior to this, he was a Religious Studies professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an Islamic Law and Civilization Research Fellow at Yale Law School. He completed his PhD in History at Yale University, where he won the university-wide Field Prize, the highest Yale doctoral dissertation award across all disciplines. His first book Hidden Caliphate (Harvard, 2022) was awarded the Albert Hourani Prize from the Middle East Studies Association, the most prestigious prize in Middle Eastern Studies. For over a decade, Dr. Ziad has conducted fieldwork on historical and contemporary religious revivalism and Sufism in over 140 towns across Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. Dr. Ziad has studied Arabic, Persian, Urdu, French, Sindhi, Uzbek / Chaghatai and Romanian.

Moderator/Speaker - Hareth Al Bustani

Hareth Al Bustani is a Senior Cultural Consultant and Head of Content & Publishing for Burson's Arts & Culture Practice. An Emirati-Briton, he has crafted holistic communications strategies for some of the region's most ambitious arts and culture projects, including Noor Riyadh, the world's largest light art festival; Zarqa Al Yamama, the first Saudi opera; Diriyah Art Futures, the MENA region's first New Media Arts centre; and Dhai Dubai, the first Emirati-led light art festival. He previously worked for 12 years as a journalist, notably as Arts & Culture Editor at The National News, specialising in art, culture, and heritage in the GCC and Middle East. He has also written extensively for BBC History Revealed and All About History, among others, and authored the Amazon history bestseller Nero and the Art of Tyranny.

Location: Common Room