Murid
Topic: Bhakti and Sufi Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 2 "Bhakti-Sufi Traditions"
Meaning
A murid is a disciple of a sufi master, called a shaikh (or pir or murshid). The murid joined the master's khanqah, the hospice where the sufi community lived. Joining involved special rituals: taking an oath of allegiance (a promise of loyalty), wearing a patched garment and having the head shaved. The murid then followed the master's rules for spiritual life.
Example
Amir Hasan Sijzi was a disciple of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya at Ghiyaspur, near Delhi, in the 14th century. He wrote down his master's conversations in the Fawa'id-al-Fu'ad. Texts of this kind are called malfuzat.
Don't confuse with
- Khalifa: a murid whom the shaikh chose as his successor. Every khalifa was a murid, but most murids did not become khalifas.