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A Sufi lodge is a building designed specifically for gatherings of a Sufism or tariqa and is a place for spiritual practice and religious education. They include structures also known as khānaqāh, zāwiya, ribāṭ, dargāh and takya depending on the region, language and period (see ). In Shia Islam, the Husayniyya has a similar function.محمد صادق محمد الكرباسي (2019). 9781784030315, Hussaini Centre for Research, London.. . ISBN 9781784030315
The Sufi lodge is typically a large structure with a central hall and smaller rooms on either side. Traditionally, the Sufi lodge was state-sponsored housing for Sufis. Their primary function is to provide them with a space to practice social lives of asceticism. Buildings intended for public services, such as hospitals, kitchens, and lodging, are often attached to them. Sufi lodges were funded by Ayyubid sultans in Syria, Zangid sultans in Egypt, and Delhi sultans in India in return for Sufi support of their regimes.
The word khānaqāh ( or ; ; ; ; ; ) is likely either Turkish or Persian in origin.
The words zāwiya (; plural ) and ribāṭ (; plural: ) were especially used in the Maghreb. The literal meaning of zāwiya is 'corner', while ribāṭ means 'frontier guardpost'.
The Classical Persian word دَرگاه]] means 'doorway; shrine'.
The Classical Persian word تَکْیه]] (whence modern ; ; ; ; ) at its core meant "support"; also "cushion" or "pillow". The word was also borrowed in Ottoman Turkish as تَكْیه (modern ), eventually making its way into Arabic as تَكِيَّة (plural تَكَايَا ) and in languages of the Balkans (; ).
Sufi lodges are often associated with tombs of or shaykhs. Typically, they feature a large hall where practitioners could pray and meditate. They also include lodgings for traveling Sufis and pilgrims., in Tus, Iran. The present structure, a khānaqāh, was probably built in the 13th century. Al-Ghazali is buried here.]] In addition to their religious spaces, Sufi lodges also had structures for public services. This included hospitals, kitchens, bathhouses, and schools. Everyone working to provide these services was paid through a waqf.
Sufi lodges have been very inclusive. Visitors from different cultures and religions could visit them and receive a blessing.
Traditionally, Sufi communal lives of asceticism were seen as pious because solitude and self-sufficiency were believed to lead to ego-centricity. Penitence and suffering were intended to bring Sufis closer to understanding divinity.
Saladin also created the role of the Chief Sufi, whose job was to operate activities from day to day and mentor the Sufis that lived in and visited the khānaqāh. There was a lot of competition for this role due to its great degree of influence. The Chief Sufi maintained a close relationship with the Ayyubid Sultan, obtained military power and influence, and had the ability to teach at the madrasas in the area. The Sultan gave a large degree of power to the Sufis in Cairo as part of an important trade off for political support which was incredibly important in solidifying the legitimacy of the Sultan's rule. Scholars in the Mamluk world often did not differentiate between khānaqāhs, ribāṭs, zāwiyas, and madrasas.
By the 20th century, Istanbul itself counted many takyas. Some were dedicated to certain Muslim communities (for example, the Uzbeks' Takya or the Indians' Takya) which symbolized a certain recognition of these communities by the Ottomans.
Ottoman takyas can be found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, North Macedonia, and Syria.
The Madrasa-i-Firozshahi was built by Sultan Firoz Shah Tughlaq near Hauz Khas. Its architecture was said to be so appealing to locals that they relocated to be closer to the complex. The khānaqāh-madrasa structure had educational opportunities for the pious, and teachers were paid with stipends. Its main purpose was to offer lodging for travelers.
The Khanaqah of Sayed Ghulam Ali Shah Mashadi in India was visited by and open to pilgrims from many different cultures around the world. Khānaqāhs had langar-khānas, which served as free public kitchens for the poor sponsored by endowments from lakhiraj lands. Islamic values of equality and fraternity brought khānaqāhs to provide services for members of the lowest castes. The popularity of khānaqāhs declined in the early 14th century in India.
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