In 1650, various rulers in the Islamic world began persecuting Sufi practitioners, targeting their ecstatic practices and shrines. This persecution reflected broader tensions within Islam regarding orthodoxy and spirituality. The suppression of Sufism during this period had lasting effects on religious practices and cultural expressions in the Islamic world, leading to a complex legacy of resistance and adaptation.

The persecution of Sufis under various rulers in 1650 led to a rich tradition of poetry expressing longing and spiritual resistance. Sufi poets like Rumi and Hafiz encoded their responses to repression, exploring themes of love, unity, and the quest for divine connection in their evocative verses.