ABSTRACT
Chapter 7 offers distinctive testimonies from four contemporary female Sufi leaders from two countries (Turkey and America) and from different lineages. Through their testimonies this chapter explores definitions of Sufism, the relationship between teacher (murshid) and student (murid), and the responsibilities of female leaders in contemporary contexts. Their insights suggest that amid changing social landscapes, leadership in Sufi communities remains oriented toward the importance of living Sufi ideals, coming to know deeper or higher levels of one’s spiritual self, the transmitting of spiritual blessing (baraka), and the seeking of unity that transcends dualities between male and female.
