born 1253, Ardabl, Iran died Sept. 12, 1334, Ardabl Iranian founder of the afavid Sufi order, which in time developed into the Safavid dynasty. He was influenced by mystics of the Sufi order and by Sheikh Zhid, a religious leader whose daughter he eventually married. On Sheikh Zhid's death, af al-Dn assumed leadership and gradually attracted many more adherents, largely through his policy of hospitality to all who sought refuge. He is commemorated by a shrine in Ardabl