The Concept Pìr in the Command ascribedto Imam al-Sådiq (a.s.)

The concept pìr, or 'spìritual master' is one of the fundamental concepts of Sufism. The novice's need to choose a pìr, the status and station of the pìr, and his role in traversing the way are among the main topics of the oldest Islamic mystical sources, and various Sufi masters have tried to explain various aspects of this concept in both poetry and prose.In particular the concept pìr and the discussion of the pìr's status and the conditions necessary to reach this station are among the topics which are dealt with in detail in the sources of the Alevis of Anatolia. At the same time, the conditions and status of this station according to the Alevis has been expressed with different dimensions from traditional Sufism. The goal of this article is to investigate this subject and to compare the perspectives of these two groups.