sˈuːfi ʃˈeɪks flˈɜːɹɪʃt θɹuːˈaʊt ðɪ ɪslˈɑːmɪk wˈɜːld mˈoːɹ ðɐn ˌɛni ˈʌðɚ tˈaɪp ʌv pˈɜːsənəl ɐθˈɔːɹɪɾi bɪkˈʌz ðɛɹ mˈiːdɪətˌoːɹi skˈɪlz wɜː ɹᵻkwˈaɪɚd fɚðə smˈuːð fˈʌŋkʃənɪŋ əvən æɡɹˈɛɹiənnoʊmˈædɪk ɪkˈɑːnəmi wɪð ɐ dᵻsˈɛntɹəlˌaɪzd fˈɔːɹm ʌv ɡˈʌvɚnmənt.
Sufi sheiks flourished throughout the Islamic world more than any other type of personal authority because their mediatory skills were required for the smooth functioning of an agrarian-nomadic economy with a decentralized form of government.