A dervish’s staff like this one was commonly used by members of Sufi brotherhoods. In certain Sufi orders, members practiced “the remembrance of God” and asceticism on long retreats, keeping a vigil as they prayed. During these vigils, the dervish used the staff to rest his head or arm as he warded off sleep. At one end, the staff forms a calligraphic ornament that elegantly spells out the name Ali, referring to Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Shiites’ most important religious figure after the Prophet Muhammad.