''Pir'' () or ''Peer'' is a title for a

Sufi Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

spiritual guide. They are also referred to as a ''

Hazrat The Arabic word ''ḥaḍra'' (, ; construct state: ''ḥaḍrat''; plural: ''ḥaḍrāt''), and its derivatives in languages of the Persianate world (; ; ; ; ) are used to form various styles in the Arab world, Iran, the Republic of Azerbai ...

'' (from ) . The title is often translated into English as "saint". In

Sufism Sufism ( or ) is a mysticism, mystic body of religious practice found within Islam which is characterized by a focus on Islamic Tazkiyah, purification, spirituality, ritualism, and Asceticism#Islam, asceticism. Practitioners of Sufism are r ...

, a Pir's role is to guide and instruct his disciples on the Sufi path. This is often done by general lessons (called ''Suhbas'') and individual guidance. Other words that refer to a Pir include ''

Murshid ''Murshid'' () is Arabic for "guide" or "teacher", derived from the root ''r-sh-d'', with the basic meaning of having integrity, being sensible, mature. Particularly in Sufism it refers to a Spiritual director, spiritual guide. The term is freque ...

'' () and ''Sarkar'' (). The title ''Pir Baba'' (from ) is common in the

Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakista ...

used as a salutation to Sufi masters or similarly honored persons. After their death, people visit their tombs or mausolea, referred to as

dargah A Sufi shrine or dargah ( ''dargâh'' or ''dargah'', Turkish: ''dergâh'', Hindustani: ''dargāh'' दरगाह درگاہ, ''dôrgah'') is a shrine or tomb built over the grave of a revered religious figure, often a Sufi saint or dervi ...

maqbara The Arabic language, Arabic word ( "mausoleum"; ''plural'': ''maqâbir'') is derived from the word qabr, which means grave (burial), grave. Though refers to the graves of all Muslims, it refers especially to a Muslim cemetery. In some Islamic ...

. An alternative title is Pirzada or Peerzada. The people having this title are also called Shah. The title is most used by Pirs of

Sindh Sindh ( ; ; , ; abbr. SD, historically romanized as Sind (caliphal province), Sind or Scinde) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, southeastern region of the country, Sindh is t ...

. The title is common in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, India and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. Pir-o-Murshid is a

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

term that is often used in

. In Sufism, a Pir (also spelled as peer, pir, or peer) refers to a spiritual guide or master who provides guidance and mentorship to seekers on their spiritual path. The word "Pir" is derived from the Persian word for "old" or "elder. The term "Murshid" is an Arabic word meaning "guide" or "teacher." It is used to refer to a spiritual leader who offers guidance and support to disciples or students in their spiritual journey.

See also

References

Further reading