Pakistani Shi‘as have often been painted as blind followers of the Iranian state’s political project. This fifth and final chapter challenges this dominant narrative. The author draws on her fieldwork among Shi‘a ‘ulama, showcasing the diversity and vibrancy of Shi‘a theo-political thought. Her ethnography highlights that three distinct theo-political projects characterize her interlocutors’ discourses. These are: (1) a secular state, (2) a sectarianly unaligned Islamic state, and (3) a state in which the governance of the jurist (wilayat-i faqih) – the political model of the current Iranian state – is implemented. Despite their differences, I contend that all these theo-political projects are propelled by the same force – the specter of violence. I assert that while the threat of violence drives these distinct political theologies, narrative historiography serves as an indispensable legitimizer. The ‘ulama articulate Pakistani history in a manner that justifies their specific theo-political projects. Significantly, Shi‘a ‘ulama’s political projects are often formulated and articulated in private realms for fear of state reprisal. Consequently, the ethnographic focus of this chapter is vital in highlighting the range of Shi‘a thought.

This chapter offers a theoretical analysis of Shi‘a ‘ulama’s conceptions of and engagements with their state in the midst of sectarian violence. My close study of Shi‘a religious journals and fieldwork among the ‘ulama highlights that many clerics view the state as culpable for Shi‘a deaths, not simply despite the state’s claim to an Islamic identity, but in some instances, because of Pakistan’s Sunni Islamic leanings. The chapter then interrogates why the very ‘ulama who critique the state for its complicity in Shi‘a deaths also appeal to the state for protection. By way of answer, I argue that when viewing the state as a configuration of institutions whose negative effects they experience, the ‘ulama rebuke the state for its complicity in anti-Shi‘a violence. However, when viewing the state as an idea, fantasy or image, the ‘ulama understand it as a legitimate authoritative body transcending society and providing security. Drawing on philosophical and anthropological works on the state, I explain that the ‘ulama’s appeals for protection help constitute the state by reproducing the effect of the state idea or fantasy through discourses and bodily practices. I argue that the approach to the state adopted by this chapter can be fruitfully applied to study state–‘ulama relations across the Muslim world.