ABSTRACT
In the Introduction I have attempted to describe and assess in general terms the place of Sufism as a major social, religious, and cultural force in Islam during the late Middle Ages. Since Sha˚ra\nê had varied and often conflicting Sufi connections, his writings provide a unique source for a better understanding of the bewildering and amorphous reality of Sufism in Egypt.1 In the following chapter Sha˚ra\nê’s connections with the various groups will be described.
