A Sufi Sheikh as a Court Advisor: The Case of ‘Imad al-Faqih al-Kirmani
Keywords:
Sufism, Persian poetry, Sufi didactics, political Sufism, ‘Imad Faqih KirmaniAbstract
The emergence of Sufism, or Islamic mysticism, was accompanied by a preaching of worldly renunciation and contempt for worldly authority. With the emergence of Sufi brotherhoods in the 12th century, a parallel narrative of “communicating with this world”, i. e. Sufi admonitions to rulers — began to take shape. During the era of Mongol rule (13th — early 14th centuries), as well as the early post-Mongol period, the authority of Sufi sheikhs gradually turned into their “symbolic capital”, a source of legitimacy for Iran’s rulers vying for power. The works of ‘Imad Faqih (late 13th century — c. 1371) offer rich material for studying the interactions between the Sufi abode (khanaqah) and the court. A renowned poet, he served as the head of a Sufi khanaqah in Kerman, caring for its prosperity and seeking the support of those in power. The article examines the leitmotifs of ‘Imad Faqih’s Sufi didactics. These poetic motifs reflect the personal history of the sheikh and poet’s relationship with royal patrons; but they also present a formative stage of the Sufi “political advice” narrative. The Appendix provides a translation of a chapter on “Admonition” from ‘Imad’s “Humayun-nama”.Downloads
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