Attendees judged a daeiya by rhetorical passion as much as doctrinal knowledge

Evidence

A number of the participants remarked to me that she “made people like their religion [tikhalli in..-nas tibibb dinha]” because she did not invoke hell’s fi s and God’s wrath to compel them into action; she tolerated the less—than..devout appearance of some of her audience; and she gave them a chance to change over time by listening to “God’s speech” (kalam alla ). These participants were quick to point out, however, that Hajja Faiza did not compromise on the basic principles of God’s message. She remained within the bounds of the four schools of Islamic law. For some, therefore, it was precisely Hajja Faiza’s noninterventionist style that brought them closer to the implementation of divine will in their lives. Others were more critical , acknowledging her command of the canonical sources, but faulting her for not deploying a strong exhortatory style and for her tendency to desist from giving specifi recommendations; if these things were remedied, they said, she would be more effective in impelling them toward pious behavior. — Saba Mahmood, Politics of Piety, 603

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Mahmood’s core thesis that piety is cultivated through embodied, passional practice — the rhetorical performance itself is a technology of self-formation.