ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of sainthood in Islamic cultures. It defines the key concepts relating to sainthood and analyzes the figure of the saint or “friend of God” (walī Allāh). It begins with a discussion of the early theological controversies concerning the existence of the saints, the reality of their miracles, and the problem of distinguishing them from Muḥammad and the other prophets. It then analyzes the various categories and types of saints, their attributes and miracles, and their cultic veneration, taking into consideration issues of gender and comparisons with similar phenomena in Christianity and Judaism. Finally, it discusses the Islamic hagiographic genres and the religious, social, and political roles that hagiography and that the cult of the saints play in Islamic societies. Special attention is given to providing examples from Shi‘i Islam and from areas in the Islamic world that are not discussed in detail by the contributors of this volume.
