The Cultural Repository of Persian Sufism: Medieval Chivalry and Mysticism in Iran

The Sufis are inheritors of both Iran's rich cultural heritage and its mystical legacy. Although this is true of the culture of Sufism in general, since Persia was once a dominant cultural and linguistic force throughout the East, such a claim, however, applies directly to the Sufis of Iran. It would appear that Sufism has its roots in a pre-Islamic age, a hypothesis which asserts the existence of a Persianate Sufism that is highlighted by the distinct presence of Iranian identity and cultural products. Iranian Sufism may therefore display a measure of Mithraic, Zoroastrian or Firdausian influence. Particularly important is the chivalric ideal that is found at the heart of Sufism, which is readily noted across the board, but given greater emphasis among the Iranians especially. What is unique about the chivalric component within Sufi practice is that through it the Sufis found a more practical approach to spirituality, giving their tenets greater weight in the daily life of the Muslim. Sufism and chivalry have always been closely connected, and it is often difficult to discern which had first influenced the other, in particular in terms of how the connection was lived in the Iranian Middle Ages as well as the way it is perceived today.