Along with other Sufi practices and duties such as zikr, khilwah and others, travelling (safar) plays a significant part in Sufism. Travelling in Sufism is remarkable since a traveler focuses not only on the place of the visit but also on the journey and all the obstacles on the way. Travelling in Sufism can be metaphorical (inward travel) and realistic (outward travel). Enlightenment and dreams can evoke inward travel. Outward travel is a physical movement in a particular geographical place in search for new knowledge, taming the nafs, fostering the spirit, and visiting holy places. During an outward travel, a traveller is likely to meet Khizr (the patron of travellers) and obtain his blessing, hear a mysterious voice (savt-i sarmad) that shows the Sufis new spiritual perspectives, and encounter robbers. Hajj is the highest form of travelling in Sufism. Pilgrimage to Mecca took place in dire conditions. During the Hajj, the Sufi gained new insights and new experience. This research draws on the 16th century Maverannahr hagiographic works written in the Persian language (manaqib). These writings often describe the journeys that the Sufis made around their location and in neighboring countries.

Ismoilov Lutfullo Eshonovich, Candidate of Sciences (History), Associate Professor, Department of Oriental, African and Islamic Studies, Institute of International Studies, Kazan Federal University, 18, Kremlevskaya st., Kazan, 420008, Russian Federation, e-mail: ismoilov-62@mail.ru

Ismoilov L.E. Phenomenon of “Travelling” in the Late Medieval Maverannahr Sufism. The Bulletin of Irkutsk State University. Series Political Science and Religion Studies, 2020, vol. 31, pp. 91-100. https://doi.org/10.26516/2073-3380.2020.31.91 (in Russian)

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