Idries Shah was an Afghan author, thinker, and teacher in the Sufi tradition, known for his extensive body of work that includes over three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and cultural studies.

Born in British India to a family of Afghan nobles on his father's side and a Scottish mother, Shah grew up mainly in England. His early writings focused on magic and witchcraft. In 1960, he established the publishing house Octagon Press, which produced translations of Sufi classics as well as Shah's own titles.

His seminal work, The Sufis, appeared in 1964 and was well received internationally. In 1965, Shah founded the Institute for Cultural Research, a London-based educational charity dedicated to studying human behavior and culture. A similar organization, the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), was established in the United States under the direction of Stanford University psychology professor Robert Ornstein, whom Shah appointed as his deputy in the U.S.

Idries Shah presented Sufism as a universal form of wisdom that predated Islam, emphasizing that it was dynamic and adaptable to current times, places, and people. He framed his teachings in Western psychological terms and extensively used traditional teaching stories and parables, containing multiple layers of meaning designed to trigger insight and self-reflection.

Shah is perhaps best known for his collections of humorous Mulla Nasrudin stories. Despite facing criticism from orientalists who questioned his credentials and background, he had notable defenders, including the novelist Doris Lessing. His role in the controversy surrounding a new translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by his friend Robert Graves and his brother Omar Ali-Shah, also came under scrutiny.

Idries Shah came to be recognized as a spokesman for Sufism in the West and lectured as a visiting professor at several Western universities. His works have played a significant role in presenting Sufism as a form of spiritual wisdom that individuals can approach, independent of any specific religion.