The shaykh, the physical setting and the holy site: The diffusion of the Qādirī path in late medieval Palestine

This article explores the local context of the prominence of Sufism and sanctity in the late medieval period (1250?1500) through an examination of the diffusion of the Q?dir? spiritual path in the spatial frame of Palestine. The geographical spread of the major spiritual paths (?ar?qas) and the emergence of their shaykhs as charismatic figures in the course of the late medieval period has received considerable attention by historians of Sufism. Although the study of the social historical dimensions of the universal evolution and its nuances and variations is in order, patiently asked questions remain open regarding the establishment of the ?ar?qas into locally embedded associations around charismatic shaykhs in particular historical and geographical settings, as well as the role local leaders of the ?ar?qas played in shaping a communities' life and space.