ABSTRACT
There has been a tendency in some circles to consider Sufis and Mullas as essentially opposed to each other. This chapter focuses on shahid bazi and to a lesser extent it also examines the associated practice of sama. Shahid bazi was one of the major criticisms that Ibn Jawzi made of the Sufis in works of his, such as Talbis Iblis and Dhamm al-Hawa. These criticisms will then be compared with the way that shahid bazi and the sama were presented in the hagiography about Kirmani. Ibn Jawzi's concern for correct forms of Sufism is most evident in his Talbis Iblis, which was written to highlight the deviations and innovations that had appeared amongst Muslims. The writings of some Sufis were designed to convey the spiritual meaning of their visions, which they understood as witnessing God. When investigating famous Sufis it is always difficult to approach the subject matter from a neutral perspective.
