Sufis and Sufi-Pretenders: Approaches to Intra-Group Social Differentiation in Medieval Iran

After moving from the asceticism (See Arberry 2007: 32–47), Sufism has always tended to redefine its basic beliefs and restrictive frameworks to getting out a number of groups who distanced themselves from certain frameworks and social behaviour and called them "non-Sufi" or "Sufi-pretenders." This method of differentiation was basically to reduce public criticism of contradictory behaviors of members of Sufi groups. This article focuses on the procedures of differentiation between members of Sufi groups in the Middle Iranian history, its goals and social consequences. The issues of this research are: Was the formation of a group called "Sufi-Pretender" among Sufi communities, due to the people's acceptance of the teaching of this movement or the weaknesses of Sufi organizations that provide the opportunity to form a group disproportionate to the invitation of Sufis? What solutions did the Sufi leaders find to deal with this problem and to settle the heterogeneous people from within their community? The methods of differentiation among Sufi groups were based on what necessitated and how were they defined? In this regard, it seems that the procedures of redefining the identity, in the form of formulating the practical life of mystics, emphasizing the practices of Sufi education, improving the livelihood of the group, informing the people.