Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

, a ''murīd'' (Arabic مُرِيد 'one who seeks') is a

novice A novice is a person who has entered a religious order and is under probation, before taking vows. A ''novice'' can also refer to a person (or animal e.g. racehorse) who is entering a profession A profession is a field of work that has ...

committed to spiritual enlightenment by ''sulūk'' (traversing a path) under a spiritual guide, who may take the title

murshid ''Murshid'' ( ar, مرشد) is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher", derived from the root ''r-sh-d'', with the basic meaning of having integrity, being sensible, mature. Particularly in Sufism it refers to a spiritual guide. The term is frequently use ...

, '' pir'' or ''

shaykh Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliteration of Arabic, transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonl ...

''. A '' sālik'' or Sufi follower only becomes a ''murīd'' when he makes a pledge ('' bayʿah'') to a ''murshid''. The equivalent

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

term is ''shāgird''. The

initiation Initiation is a rite of passage marking entrance or acceptance into a group or society. It could also be a formal admission to adulthood in a community or one of its formal components. In an extended sense, it can also signify a transformation ...

process of a ''murīd'' is known as ''ʿahd'' ( ar, عَهْد) or ''bai'ath''. Before initiation, a ''murid'' is instructed by his guide, who must first accept the initiate as his

disciple A disciple is a follower and student of a mentor, teacher, or other figure. It can refer to: Religion * Disciple (Christianity), a student of Jesus Christ * Twelve Apostles of Jesus, sometimes called the Twelve Disciples * Seventy disciples in t ...

. Throughout the instruction period, the ''murīd'' typically experiences waridates like visions and dreams during personal spiritual awrads and exercises. These visions are interpreted by the ''

''. A common practice among the early Sufi orders was to grant a ''

khirqa The khirqa is the initiatory cloak of the Sufi chain of spirituality, with which esoteric knowledge and barakah is passed from the Murshid or the Shaikh to the aspirant murid. The khirqa initiates an aspirant into the silsilah, the chain or lineage ...

'' or a robe to the ''murīd'' upon the initiation or after he had progressed through a series of increasingly difficult and significant tasks on the path of mystical development until attaining wassil stage. This practice is not very common now. ''Murīds'' often receive books of instruction from ''murshids'' and often accompany itinerant ''murshids'' on their wanderings.

John Esposito John Louis Esposito (born May 19, 1940) is an Italian-American academic, professor of Middle Eastern and religious studies, and scholar of Islamic studies, who serves as Professor of Religion, International Affairs, and Islamic Studies at Geor ...

, ''The Oxford Dictionary of Islam'', Oxford University Press, 2003

References

External links

Qualities of a Successful Murid

Sufi Live

The Online Murid Library (DaarayKamil.com)
Arabic words and phrases Sufism {{Sufism-stub

See also

References

External links