In Iran and Turkey, a religious mendicant;
throughout the rest of Islam a member of an
Islamic religious brotherhood, not
necessarily mendicant in character. The
Arabic equivalent is fakir. There are various
orders of dervishes, each with its rule and
special ritual. The `whirling dervishes'
claim close communion with the deity through
ecstatic dancing; the `howling dervishes'
gash themselves with knives to demonstrate
the miraculous feats possible to those who
trust in Allah.