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>Abdals
The term "Abdal" means "substitute," which indicates that in a fully realized Sufi, the individual personality is gone, replaced by a direct divine function.
The best Western equivalent to this original concept of the Abdal is the Invisible College of the Rosicrucians.
The Abdal form a supreme initiatory college with a limited number of members. This college operates beyond the confines of any single religion or creed, as its members are chosen by divine election. For example, Michel Chodkiewicz, in his book The Seal of the Saints, describes a Christian convert being established as an Abdal.
It is clear that the historical "Abdals" of the late Middle Ages (like Pir Sultan Abdal) were not Abdal in this metaphysical sense; rather, they were people who claimed to act according to the principles of this hidden group. The parallel with Rosicrucianism becomes even more interesting when we note that most historical "Rosicrucians" were not members of the mythical Invisible College, but people who claimed to follow its teachings.