Read the following passage and answer the question:
By the eleventh century, Sufism evolved into a well-developed movement with a body of literature on Quranic studies and Sufi practices. Institutionally, the sufis began to organise communities around the hospice or Khanqah controlled by a teaching master known as shaikh. He enrolled disciples and appointed a successor. He established rules for spiritual conduct and interaction between inmates as well as between laypersons and the master. Sufi silsilas began to crystallise in different parts of the Islamic world around the twelfth century.
In Sufism, the enrolled disciples of a teaching master are called ____.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → Murids
Option (1) Murids — Correct. The teaching master enrolled disciples (murids) in the khanqah.
Option (2) Khalifa — Incorrect. The khalifa was the successor appointed by the master, not an ordinary enrolled disciple.
Option (3) Murshid — Incorrect. Murshid is the Persian term for the teaching master who enrolls the disciples.
Option (4) Pir — Incorrect. Pir is another Persian term for the teaching master, like murshid.
NCERT (2026-27): “6.1 Khanqahs and silsilas … By the eleventh century Sufism evolved into a well-developed movement with a body of literature on Quranic studies and sufi practices. Institutionally, the sufis began to organise communities around the hospice or khanqah (Persian) controlled by a teaching master known as shaikh (in Arabic), pir or murshid (in Persian). He enrolled disciples (murids) and appointed a successor (khalifa). He established rules for spiritual conduct and interaction between inmates as well as between laypersons and the master. Sufi silsilas began to crystallise in different parts of the Islamic world around the twelfth century.…” |