Pir
An elder or Sufi master; the spiritual preceptor to whom disciples give allegiance.
Literally: elder; spiritual master
The Sufi master or saint, head of an order and guide to disciples. Iqbal honoured the true pir as a source of guidance and inner fire, but he was scathing about the institution's degeneration into a hereditary, custom-bound shrine-keeping that drugged the community rather than awakening it. His reverence for Rumi as pir stands against the hollow pir-ship he condemned.
Murshid
A spiritual guide or master who directs the disciple along the path to God.
Murid
A disciple who has pledged himself to a spiritual guide on the Sufi path.
Mureed
A disciple, a follower who submits to the guidance of a spiritual master.
Faqr
Spiritual poverty; the dervish's chosen detachment from wealth and power.