This work investigates the sociological function and persistence of Sufi orders within the context of modern Egyptian society. Michael Gilsenan, an anthropologist specializing in Middle Eastern social structures, utilizes ethnographic fieldwork to analyze how traditional religious practices adapt to contemporary political and economic pressures. He argues that the Sufi brotherhoods serve as essential social organizations that mediate between individual identity and the broader, changing state apparatus.

Scholars frequently cite this text as a foundational study for understanding the intersection of mysticism and social organization in the modern Middle East. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous look at religious institutionalization.