Donning the Khirqa: Entering the Ṣufi Path

Donning the Khırqa: Entering The Ṣūfī Path offers a focused examination of the khirqa, the Sufi cloak, as a central component in the historical articulation of spiritual transmission within the Islamic tradition. While often referenced in passing in broader studies of Sufism, the khirqa remains underexamined as a discrete subject of inquiry. This work aims to fill that gap by investigating the historical, symbolic, and institutional dimensions of the practice across a range of textual and ritual contexts.
Drawing on classical Sufi sources and manuscript materials the study traces the development of the khirqa from early references to its more formalized treatment in the writings of figures such as Ibn ʿArabī, al-Suyūṭī, and al-Kushāshī. It considers both the internal Sufi perspectives on the significance of the khirqa, and the broader Islamic discourses that have engaged with or contested its meaning and function.
By situating the khirqa within both its historical specificity and its symbolic reach, this study offers a detailed and critical contribution to the understanding of Sufi pedagogy, ritual authority, and the transmission of knowledge in Islamic intellectual history.