Rifāʻīyah
Rifāʻīyah is a Sufi order (ṭarīqah) founded by Aḥmad ibn ʻAlī al-Rifāʻī (1106?-1182) in southern Iraq. It is notorious for somewhat extreme ecstatic practices, and prominent in Egypt, Syria, Anatolia, and the Balkans.
- HMML ID
- 417238385153
- PURL
- LC name
- Rifāʻīyah
- HMML name
- Rifāʻīyah
- HMML native script
- رفاعية
Variants
- Howling Dervishes
- Rifai Dervish Order
- Rifaiyya
- Rifâiyye
- Rufaʻi Brotherhood
- Rufāʻī
Organization information
- Organization type
- Sufi order (ṭarīqah)
- Centuries
- 12th century CE ● 13th century CE ● 14th century CE ● 15th century CE ● 16th century CE ● 17th century CE ● 18th century CE ● 19th century CE ● 20th century CE ● 21st century CE
- Founding locations
- Languages
- Fields of activity
Organization relationships
- Founders
General notes
- Description
- "noted in pre-modern times for the extravagance of some of its practices"; Aḥmad al-Rifāʿī founded the order in southern Iraq; prototype for many zāwiyas which sprang up; spread rapidly into Egypt and Syria; popular in Turkey from 13th/14th centuries through early 20th century; continued to be influential in Egypt in 20th century
- Citations
- C.E. Bosworth, "Rifāʿiyya," in Encyclopaedia of Islam, Second Edition, edited by P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, and W.P. Heinrichs, accessed May 7, 2021, http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_SIM_6296.
- Description
- one of the first Muslim sects, attributed to Ahmed er-Rifâî (ö. 578/1182); has also been called Ahmediyye and Batâihiyye referring to the region where it was founded, Batâih; also Rufâiyye in Turkey today; established in 12th century south Iraq; widespread in Yemen, Egypt, Tunisia during the 13th-15th centuries
- Citations
- Mustafa Tahrali, "Rifâiyye," İslâm Ansiklopedisi, Türkiye Diyanet Vakfi, accessed May 7, 2021, https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/rifaiyye.
Preferred citation
"Rifāʻīyah." HMML Authority File. Hill Museum & Manuscript Library. Last modified May 17, 2021. https://w3id.org/haf/organization/417238385153
Change notes
- Date added
- 2021-05-07
- Last edited
- 2021-05-17