the political approach of shaykh zāhid gīlānī and shaykh ṣafī al-dīn ardabīlī as reflected in the historical texts

the political approach of shaykh zāhid gīlānī paved the way for shaykh ṣafī al-dīn ardabīlī’s political thinking and his closeness to the power-holders of the time. in addition to acquiring the rules and manners of sufism, shaykh ṣafī al-dīn learned from his master the political approaches for expanding his sufi order, as well. these approaches turned into a political movement in the safavid order and eventually laid the foundation for one of the great orders in the history of iran.