Wilayah, or spiritual sainthood, is the linchpin of Sufi thought and practice. While the concept of the "wali" (spiritual guide) existed in early Sufism through figures like "pir," "murad," and "shaykh," it was Hakim Tirmidhi who first systematically explored wilayah from a Sufi perspective. He laid the foundation, which Ibn Arabi later refined. Since then, all who have explored wilayah in...