Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: John L. Esposito and John O. Voll, 

eds.,  Makers of Contemporary Islam (Oxford: Oxford 

University Press, 2001); Carolyn Fluehr-Lobban, Islamic 

Law and Society in the Sudan (London: F. Cass, 1987); 

John O. Voll, ed., Sudan: State and Society in Crisis

(Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1991).

Sufi Movement

The Sufi Movement, a representative of the c

hishti

s

UFi

 o

rder

, emerged following the death of India-

born i

nayat

 k

han

 (1892–1927), who had founded 

the s

UFi

 o

rder

 i

nternational

 in 1910 in the U

nited

s

tates

. Khan initiated a woman, Rabia Martin, and 

designated her as his successor. His choice was, 

however, rejected by Khan’s family and his grow-

ing European following. Khan died at a relatively 

young age and had not written a will. Seizing upon 

this circumstance (and the fact that his son/suc-

cessor was still a minor), the European members 

rejected Martin’s leadership and organized the Sufi 

Movement. They chose Mehboob Khan (1887–

1948), Inayat’s brother, as their new leader. He 

would be succeeded in 1948 by a cousin, Moham-

mad Ali Khan (1881–1958), then by Musharaff 

Khan (1895–1967), and then by Fazal Inayat Khan 

(1942–90). Fazal resigned leadership in 1982.

After Fazal Khan’s resignation, a collective 

leadership tried to assume control, but it soon 

met with dissent so deep that it split the move-

ment. Hidayat Inayat Khan (b. 1917) soon 

emerged as the leader of the largest part of 

the Sufi Movement. He shared leadership with 

Murshida Shahzadi. Hidayat, one of the sons of 

Hazrat Inayat, finally became the sole leader of 

the movement in 1993.

Hidayat Inayat Khan was only 10 years old 

when his father passed away in 1927. From his 

father he inherited a love of 

mUsic

. He studied 

at the Ecole Normale de Musique and eventually 

became a professor in the Music School of Dieu-

lefit, Drome, France, and conducted an orchestra 

in Haarlem, Holland. He wrote numerous compo-

sitions, including both secular music and a collec-

tion of Sufi hymns, and was a founding member of 

the European Composers’ Union.

The Sufi Movement resembles the Sufi Order 

International, headed by Hazrat Inayat’s elder son, 

Vilayat Inayat Khan, and it is organized in five 

divisions to focus on universal worship, commu-

nity, healing, symbology, and esoteric activity. The 

movement has spread across e

Urope

 to c

anada

and the United States. Members meet weekly for 

dhikr

 (worship) and classes.

J. Gordon Melton