 A Pir is accorded that status by his Sheikh by way of "Khilafat" or "Khilafah" (Arabic word meaning "succession"), a process in which the Pir identifies one of his disciples as his successor, which may be more than one.The term "Pir" is also used by Nizari Ismailis whose missionaries in the past have used the title Pir.The current Nizari Ismaili Imam Agha Khan IV is also the Pir within the Nizari Ismaili Shia sect.