Accommodating Modernity and Sufism: Transformation of the Sheikh-Dervish Relationship in Contemporary Turkey

Sufi orders, established in the 12th century, are mystical brotherhoods in Islam focused on cultivating the “mature self”. A fundamental element of these orders is the relationship between the sheikh (master) and the dervish (disciple), as spiritual progress in Sufism is considered unattainable without the guidance of a spiritual mentor. This paper explores how the sheikh-dervish relationship is experienced in contemporary Turkey. Drawing on data from in-depth interviews with thirty members from three Sufi groups (the İskenderpaşa and Erenköy branches of the Naqshbandi order and the Mevlevi order), the study addresses the following questions: (1) How do individuals establish and maintain relations with their sheikhs? (2) What traditional and new methods are used to sustain these relationships? (3) How do they legitimize and relate their sheikh-dervish relationships to tradition? (4) What ideal sheikh-disciple relationship do they envision? Using a comparative and historical approach, along with descriptive analysis and partial discourse analysis, the research reveals key strategies within the sheikh-disciple relationship: (1) prioritizing face-to-face interactions, (2) maintaining communication with elders through texts, (3) emphasizing the bond or spiritual union, (4) utilizing modern communication tools such as radio, streaming, television, and books, and (5) incorporating family relations. The paper highlights how modernity and political processes have influenced and diversified the sheikh-dervish relationship, offering an empirical contribution to contemporary studies of Sufism in Turkey.