Visualizing Sindhi Sufism: Zubaida Birwani’s Sufi novel and the Making of Progressive Modernist Female Sufi Identity

Abstract

This research explores the intersection of contemporary visual culture and Sindhi Sufism through the lens of Zubaida Birwani’s Sufi novel Aaradhni, written in Sindhi. By focusing on the novel’s female Sufi protagonist, it reveals how Birwani’s work contributes to the formation of a progressive modernist female Sufi identity. The portrayal of female Sufi figures across various visual cultural mediums, such as television and print media, is examined to assess their impact on the evolution of modernist Sufism in Sindh. Additionally, Birwani’s role in promoting her Sufi subjectivity and narrative through appearances on Sindhi TV channels, media coverage of her book launch in Karachi, and contributions to Urdu online visual media is discussed. The study highlights Birwani’s pivotal role in shaping a contemporary visual culture, redefining female Sufi subjectivity within a modernist intellectual framework.