In the late 18th century, Bibi Sahiba was one of the most important and influential people in the entire Afghan Empire. Honored as “the first and the most perfect” Sufi guide, Bibi Sahiba the Great’s spiritual and cultural influence can hardly be overstated. So how is it possible that she’s now as unknown in modern Kabul and Kandahar as she is anywhere else?

Bibi Sahiba’s story is astonishing enough on its own — but mind-blowing context from guest Professor Waleed Ziad, along with special musical guests Zeb Bangash and Shamali Afghan, helps us uncover why pretty much everything you know about Afghanistan is wrong.

Guest Waleed Ziad is Assistant Professor and Ali Jerrahi Fellow in Persian Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Prior to this, he was an Islamic Law and Civilization Research Fellow at Yale Law School. He completed his PhD in the Department of History at Yale University, where his dissertation won the university-wide Theron Rockwell Field Prize, one of two most prestigious awards across disciplines. In the last decade, Ziad has conducted fieldwork on historical and contemporary religious revivalism and Sufism in over 120 towns across Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and Pakistan. His forthcoming books include Hidden Caliphate: Sufi Saints beyond the Oxus and Indus, In the Treasure Room of the Sakra King: The Native Copper Coinage of Northern Gandhara, Beyond the Khutba and Sikka: Sovereignty and Coinage in Sindh, and The Arch-Saint of the Afghan Empire, Her Teacher, and Her Son (in progress). His articles on historical and ideological trends in the Muslim world have appeared in the New York Times, International Herald Tribune, the Wall Street Journal, Foreign Policy, Christian Science Monitor, The Hill and major dailies internationally.

All music for this episode provided by special permission of Zeb Bangash, Shamali Afghan and Zain Ali.

Want to help us “make history”? Become a Patron or Donate here!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices