Piri Muridi Relationship

Piri Muridi Relationship -
A Study of the Nizamuddin Dargah, 
*[A5] Hardback - 354 pages,
by Desiderio Pinto,
Published by Manohar, India.

The Relationship between a Spiritual Master (Shaykh) and his disciple (piri-muridi) becomes important when one witnesses day after day the large numbers of Muslims and non-Muslims flocking to spiritual masters/shaykhs (pirs) stationed at the various dargahs of India.


This work discovers that piri-muridi aims at making the disciple see God in all Things while very often allowing him to enjoy worldly success. This is achieved through a lengthy 'socialisation' process that spans a period of time ranging from twelve years to a lifetime. This socialisation process is very painful, and some disciples (murids) run away. Most, however, remain bound to their pir, by their vow of allegiance to him, the pir's friendliness, sympathy, material, magical and psychological assistance, and, when that is not enough, fear of his magical power.  


During this period the murid learns to fall in Love with the pir whom he strives to see as the representative of God, by observing, serving, and seeing the pir's Hand in everything that befalls him, and frequently recalling and concentrating on a mental Image of the pir while believing that his actions are prompted by the pir. Having thus attained union with the pir, he one day suddenly realises that the pir is just a curtain or veil that hides something else- that which he has truly loved all the time in the image of the pir is God himself.

Table of Contents :

---Preface.

---Introduction :
---[1]. The Origins of Piri-Muridi : Three Accounts,
---[2]. Piri-Muridi in Works of Sufism,
---[3]. Studies on Piri-Muridi,
---[4]. God and Religion as Treated in Sociology.
 

Section I :
---[1]. God, Man, and the Universe in Sufi (or Muslim Mystical) Theology (or Typology),
---[2]. The Mystical Social System (Values and Norms),
---God and Man as a Social Actor,
---Piri-Muridi.


Section II : Piri-Muridi in the Nizam al-Din Dargah :
---[1]. The Pir in the Nizamuddin Dargah,
---[2]. Definitions of the Pir,
---[3]. Characteristics of the Pir,
---[4]. Duties of the Pir,
---[5]. Adab for the Pir,
---[6]. The Pir's Power,
---[7]. The Pir's Conception of Himself,
---[8]. Kinds of Pirs,
---[9]. The Murid in the Nizamuddin Dargah,
---[10]. Definition of the Murid,
---[11]. Types of Murids,
---[12]. Reasons for Becoming a Murid,
---[13]. Characteristics of the Murid,
---[14]. Practices,
---[15]. Piri-Muridi in the Nizamuddin Dargah,
---[16]. Definitions of Piri-Muridi,
---[17]. Stages in Piri-Muridi,
---[18]. The First Stage : Choosing a Pir,
---[19]. The Second Stage : Bai'ah,
---[20]. The Third Stage,
---[21]. The Fourth Stage,
---[22]. The Final Stage.

---Conclusion.


 

*Dimensions : 22.2 x 15cm.