Iranian Studies

Abstract The Concept of National Identity in Sufi Communities: A Case Study of the Ahl-e Haqq Order in Iran  Today, the concept of national identity constitutes a central issue in the nation-state building project and is a fundamental component of social capital. At the same time, defining the role of Sufi communities within this project remains a contentious subject. A critical and underexplored question is whether national identity and a positive attitude toward Iranian nationhood exist among Sufi adherents—a question that this study addresses, demonstrating that, at least for some groups, the answer is affirmative.  The prevailing assumption is that Sufis are inherently non-national, leaning instead toward cosmopolitanism—or even transcendent universalism. This research challenges such notions by examining the extent of national identity awareness and allegiance among followers of the Ahl-e Haqq Order, one of Iran’s largest Sufi traditions.  Conducted through phenomenological analysis in the counties of Sahneh, Sarpol-e Zahab, and Delfan (in Kermanshah and Lorestan provinces), this study draws on 21 purposively sampled cases from the target population. Findings reveal that the lived experience of Ahl-e Haqq followers is predominantly shaped by tariqa (order-based) identity, which, far from hindering national identity formation, actively facilitates its manifestation in everyday life through various mechanisms

Abstract The considerable increase of the Europeans’ travels to Iran in the 19th/13th AH centuries expanded their information about various aspects of Iran's nature and society. But due to their sensory or superficial perception of the Persian culture, religions, and sects, particularly ethnic, local, and mystic sects, their percepts are not that much accurate. This fact is evident in the Western travelers' reports of the religions of Western Iran in the Qajar period. The present paper is a critical study on the basis of the comparative approach. Foreign travel writers mentioned current beliefs and customs of the Kurds, whose central settlement was the city of Kerend-e Gharb. What they recorded in their travelogues -entitled Ahl-e Haq, Nosairi, Cheragh khamush, Cheragh pof, Davudi and, in particular, the Ali-Allahi sect- is actually about Yari, one of the common sects of the area. Therefore, their image of the Ali-Allahi sect is distorted and unreliable.