Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Michael A. Cook, Early Muslim 

Dogma: A Source-Critical Study (Cambridge: Cam-

bridge University Press, 2003); Henry Corbin, History 

of Islamic Philosophy (New York: Kegan Paul Inter-

national, 1993); Tilman Nagel, The History of Islamic 

Theology from Muhammad to the Present (Princeton, 

N.J.: Markus Weiner Publishers, 2000); W. Mont-

gomery Watt, The Formative Period of Islamic Thought

(Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1973); A. J. 

Wensinck,  The Muslim Creed: Its Genesis and Histori-

cal Development (New Delhi: Oriental Books Reprint 

Corporation, 1979).

murshid

This is a Sufi guide, also known as 

shaykh

 (Ara-

bic), or pir (Persian), who serves as the spiritual 

master of a Sufi. The murshid traced his spiritual 

aUthority

 through a silsila, or chain of spiritual 

murshid

  

503  J

---

transmission, which included all of the former 

murshids of that particular order back to the initial 

founder, and sometimes as far back as the prophet 

Mohammad. Typically, the Sufi order would be 

named after the initial founder of the spiritual 

lineage. A murshid would be expected to maintain 

the particular mystical teachings that were passed 

on to him by his predecessors and to instill them 

in turn in his disciples.

The relationship between the murshid and his 

disciples was the key to their spiritual progress. 

First, they had to swear allegiance to the murshid

in an initiation ceremony (bayaa) in which often 

they would receive a hair cut. The murshid would 

then present them with a hat or cloak, symboliz-

ing their new status. After joining the Sufi order, 

complete submission and obedience to the mur-

shid was expected. In fact, many manuals on the 

correct behavior of disciples exist, with advice on 

subjects such as the proper way to sit in the pres-

ence of one’s Sufi master.

See also 

adab

; 

tariqa

.

Sophia Pandya