Sufism in Khurasan/Central Asia

Abstract

Sufism emerged in Khurasan and Central Asia during the ninth and tenth centuries in the form of circles of followers organized around spiritual masters. Either practicing various professions or living as mendicants, Sufis gathered in lodges called khanaqah to experience pious companionship. Masters were often trained as religious scholars and were well‐versed in Islamic disciplines, including law. Among them, medieval authors such as Sulami and Tirmidhi shaped the so‐called Khurasani school of Sufism based on regional spiritual traditions. Thanks in part to the patronage of rulers seeking religious legitimacy, Sufi institutions spread in the region. In this favorable context, Sufi scholars of the eleventh century elaborated principles of organization and spiritual progress. Two phenomena arose in the history of Sufism before and after the Mongol conquest: the elaboration of Persian mystical poetry and the advent of Sufi lineages. In a time of crisis preceding the nomads' surge, poets such as Sanaʾi delivered a salutary message. In response to the disorder caused by the invasions, early Sufi orders strengthened the institutionalization of Sufism. The main Sufi orders in the region included the Kubrawiyya, the Yasawiyya, and the Naqshbandiyya, each characterized by specific teachings related to, among other things, ritual repetitions and spiritual inner life. They developed in branches headed by missionary deputies in Khurasan, Transoxania, Khwarezm, Badakhshan, and the Kazakh Steppe. Especially under the Timurids (fifteenth century), Sufism became a mainstream culture, a source of inspiration and constant reference in the writings of influential polymaths such Jami and Nawaʾi. Lastly, beside Sufi orders, marginal mystics with antinomian practices livened up the socioreligious scene of cities like Herat.