ais . ▁ ▁The ▁R uf ais ▁origin ated ▁in ▁Ira q ▁as ▁the ▁" R ifa ' is ", ▁from ▁the ▁teach ings ▁of ▁the ▁jur ist ▁A hm ad ▁ibn ▁' A li ▁al - R ifa ' i . ▁Little ▁is ▁known ▁about ▁how ▁they ▁spread ▁to ▁the ▁B alk ans , ▁but ▁in ▁the ▁B alk ans ▁they ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" how ling ▁der v ishes " ▁because ▁of ▁rit ual ▁practices ▁including ▁pier cing ▁of ▁lips ▁and ▁che eks , ▁e ating ▁of ▁glass ▁and ▁burning ▁of ▁skin . ▁Most ▁of ▁these ▁practices ▁have ▁ceased ▁but ▁they ▁still ▁occur ▁in ▁P riz ren , ▁in ▁Kos ovo . ▁In ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁fl our ishing ▁R uf ai ▁community ▁around ▁G jak ova , ▁in ▁Kos ovo , ▁which ▁helped ▁spread ▁the ▁sect ▁in ▁various ▁parts ▁of ▁Alban ia . ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁some ▁R uf ai ▁te kk es ▁became ▁Be kt ashi . ▁At ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁period ▁the ▁order ▁spread ▁to ▁Tro po ja , ▁Tir ana , ▁Pet re la ▁and ▁parts ▁of ▁Southern ▁Alban ia . ▁In ▁Alban ia ▁all ▁of ▁their ▁te kk es ▁were ▁closed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁b anning ▁of ▁religion ▁under ▁Commun ism , ▁but ▁in ▁Y ug oslav ia ▁the ▁order ▁continued ▁to ▁operate ▁major ▁te kk es ▁in ▁G jak ova , ▁Mit rov ica ,