Women Studies

Women Studies

A Comparative Analysis of the Depiction of Damned Women in Mir Heydar’s Mi‘rajnameh and Dante’s Divine Comedy

Document Type : -

Authors
1 Assistant Professor of Islamic Art, Faculty of Art& Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
2 M.Sc of Islamic Art, Faculty of Art& Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
10.30465/ws.2026.52769.4475
Abstract
The subject of Mi‘raj, referring to the visionary ascent of a purified individual to metaphysical realms, has consistently attracted scholarly attention due to its ethical teachings and influence on social reform. Throughout centuries, from ancient times to the present, it has inspired numerous literary and iconographic works. This study focuses on two texts within this thematic context: Mi‘rajnameh by Mir Heydar and Dante’s Divine Comedy. Employing a case study approach, it analyzes a shared motif—the depiction of damned women—portrayed from Islamic perspectives in the former and Christian theological viewpoints in the latter. The central research question investigates how damned women are described and illustrated in these works, and what points of convergence and divergence exist between them. Comparative analysis reveals that although the texts elaborate various punishments inflicted upon women, all center around a singular sin rooted in the sacred essence of both religions. The attribution of the severest punishments to this sin in both texts results in greater similarity than difference in their portrayal of damned women.
Keywords

Subjects


  • Receive Date 30 August 2025
  • Revise Date 02 November 2025
  • Accept Date 19 December 2025