ABSTRACT
Awhad al-Din Kirmani is regarded as one of the most colourful characters in Persian Sufi history, whose reputation has been largely tainted by both non-Sufis and Sufis. Despite this, some maintain that Kirmani must have been a "chaste" Sufi. But the significance of the controversy surrounding Kirmani's supposed practice of shahid bazi is greater than the story of the rise and fall of a single individual, entertaining, enlightening and moving, as it is. This part conclusion present some closing thoughts on the concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The part argues that Sufism in Kirmani's lifetime exhibited remarkable diversity in terms of practice and belief. It outlines the most significant opposition to Kirmani from Sufis. It examines one of the major significant historical contributions to Kirmani's hagiography. Aside from revealing the deep-rooted spiritual and pious leanings of the community, it demonstrates certain social and political tensions within the Sufi movement itself and also at large.
