How did Sufi masters guide murids on the spiritual path?

Sufi masters, known as sheikhs or pīrs, guide their disciples (murīds) through a structured spiritual path known as the tariqa. This relationship is foundational to Sufi practice, often described as requiring the disciple to be in the master's hands like a corpse in the hands of a washer.1

Masters guide their followers through several key methods:

• Initiation and Allegiance: Upon finding a master with whom they share a spiritual affinity, the disciple undergoes an initiation ceremony, swearing allegiance (bayʿat) to the master.2
• Strict Discipline: The master prescribes ascetic practices, including poverty, renunciation, and periods of seclusion, often requiring the disciple to perform menial labor to cultivate humility.21
• Spiritual Instruction: The master provides specific formulas for meditation and dhikr (remembrance of God) to transform the disciple's inner life.1
• Inner Struggle: The master teaches the disciple to engage in a constant jihad—a struggle against the lower soul—to tame it rather than destroy it.1
• Gradual Annihilation: The master leads the disciple through stages of "annihilation," beginning with fanāʾ fī ash-shaykh (annihilation in the master), progressing toward the ultimate goal of fanāʾ (annihilation in God).1