Dervish, << DUR vihsh, >> is a member of one of the mystical religious orders of the Islamic religion. Most dervishes lead wandering lives of self-denial. They live by begging. The word dervish comes from Persian, and means beggar or religious mendicant. In the A.D. 1000’s and 1100’s, Muslim mystics organized the first dervish orders. Each order lived in a center resembling a monastery and had its own ritual. One order is known commonly as the whirling dervishes because they whirl and dance to the music of a reed pipe as part of their worship. Other orders give special prayers or practice unusual forms of devotion, such as wearing rough clothing, fasting, and keeping vigils. Many Muslims consider dervishes holy, and often think them capable of miracles or predicting the future. Others criticize the dervish orders and practices for introducing changes to fundamental Islam. Dervishes are sometimes called fakirs.
