Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Ph.D in Teaching Islamic Studies (Quran and Islamic Texts), Department of Islamic Studies and Shiism, Faculty of Theology, University of Tehran (Farabi Campus), Qom.
2
Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Studies and Shi‘ite Studies, Faculty of Theology, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran
3
Associate Professor, Department of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, University of Tehran (Farabi Campus), Qom.
4
Associate Professor, Department of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Theology, Farabi Campus, University of Tehran, Qom, Iran.
10.22034/shistu.2026.2073351.2554
Abstract
One of the major views of Orientalists regarding the origin and roots of Shiite doctrinal teachings is that they are derived from the teachings of the two Testaments. In this context, Angelika Neuwirth and Jane Dammen McAuliffe, in the Encyclopedia of the Qur'an, consider the suffering and salvific role of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) as an adaptation of the status of Mary (peace be upon her) in Christianity. Discussing this issue is highly important due to its connection with the origin and roots of Twelver Shiite beliefs and the necessity of analyzing the views of Shiite-studying Orientalists. Therefore, the present article, using a descriptive-analytical method, compares the status of Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her) in Shiism with the role of Mary (peace be upon her) in Christianity and evaluates the claim of adaptation. The findings indicate that, from the Christian perspective, Mary (peace be upon her), with her perpetual virginity, as the Mother of God and Lady of Sorrows, has less prominent personal, social, and political dimensions in the mission of Christ (peace be upon him). In contrast, Lady Fatimah (peace be upon her), from the Shiite perspective, is introduced as a moral standard and a model in personal, social, and political spheres. Moreover, the concepts of suffering and salvific role in Shiism and Christianity are fundamentally different; hence, the claim that Lady Fatimah’s (peace be upon her) status is adapted from Mary (peace be upon her) in Christianity contains serious contradictions and ambiguities
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