Although sainthood has influenced religious practices and political structures in Muslim societies since medieval times, it has not been given sufficient attention neither by Western nor Muslim scholars, according to the authors of this book. This volume is a collection of papers presented at The International Conference on Saints and Sainthood in Islam at Berkeley in April 1987. Through 15 papers written by scholars including Halil Inalcik, Suraiya Faroqhi and Carl W. Ernst it discusses a wide range of practices and beliefs related to saints in Islam. One of the strengths of this collection is that it presents studies relating to all corners of the Muslim world, from South East Asia through Afghanistan, Iran and Kurdistan to Turkey and Africa, demonstrating the remarkable penetration of sainthood into many diverse Islamic societies. The excellent use of primary sources, including texts, performances and interviews, also contributes to the high quality of this volume. One of the common conclusions is that development of sainthood in Islam must be traced in the Sufi tradition as well as in Shi’ism.