Aidah Aljuran

My research engages a broader question: How does religion orient people in life, both practically and conceptually, from the perspective of social actors themselves? My work examines how practices of secrecy and concealment, whose historical roots within the Ismaʿili tradition extend to the ninth century, continue to shape the religious and social life of the Sulaymani Ismaʿili community today. In particular, I study how women, as caregivers, play a central role in the religious socialization of children—a process that begins in childhood and continues into adulthood. I also examine how women regulate the circulation of religious knowledge by cultivating “nonknowledge” as an ethical practice.