Rachel Parikh
Synopsis:
According to legend, during the Battle of Uhud against the Meccans in 625, the Prophet Muḥammad presented Dhu’l Fiqar, a bifurcated sword imbued with preternatural powers to ‘Ali. The sword is arguably the most important weapon in the Islamic world, and is regarded as an emblem of victory, power, and of ‘Ali himself. Here, we take a look at a few objects from across a wide chronological and geographic spectrum that demonstrate the sword’s significance.
Worksheet:
A worksheet for this video is available here.
Also visit the Khamseen Worksheets page here.
Reference:
Alexander, David. Dhu l’Fakar, doctoral dissertation, New York University, 1984. 
Alexander, David, Stuart Pyhrr, and Will Kwiatkowski. Islamic Arms and Armor in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016.
Elgood, Robert (ed.). Islamic Arms and Armour. London: Scolar Press, 1979.
Ekhtiar, Maryam and Rachel Parikh. Power and Piety: Islamic Talismans on the Battlefield (online exhibition catalogue). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2016.
Kaoukji, Salam. Precious Indian Weapons: And Other Princely Accoutrements. London: Thames & Hudson, 2017.
Citation:
Rachel Parikh, “Islamic Arms and Armor: Dhu’l Fiqar, ʿAli’s Miraculous Sword,” Khamseen: Islamic Art History Online, published 28 August 2020.
Rachel Parikh is a specialist of Indian and Islamic arms and armor as well as works on paper. She currently serves as the Marguerite S. Hoffman and Thomas W. Lentz Curator of Islamic Art at the Dallas Museum of Art. Prior to this appointment, she held curatorial positions at the Art Institute of Chicago; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Worcester Art Museum; and the Harvard Art Museums. In addition to her curatorial work, Parikh serves as a consultant to major public and private collections of arms and armor, including the Wallace Collection in London (2015-2018). Parikh recently curated the exhibition, “Might and Magnificence: Ceremonial Arms and Armour Across Cultures” (November 2024–February 2025) at the Indra and Harry Banga Gallery, City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK). She has presented her research at both national and international forums and has published widely, including her book, The Khalili Falnamah (2022). Parikh is currently writing her second book on Indian arms and armor.