This crutch, belonging to a Sufi, was probably used to help prop up the head to avoid falling asleep while reciting the Zikr - the rhythmic repetition of specific phrases or words, such as one of God’s Divine names - is an important Sufi ritual. In some Sufi rituals, zikr sessions would last for days. A Sufi is a mystic who practices asceticism, and is also known as darwish in Persian (from which we get the English term ‘dervish’). The darwish would dress differently from the rest of society, wearing woollen hats and carrying kashkul (begging bowls), made of metal or coconut shells.
