Idries Shah (/ˈɪdrɪs ˈʃɑː/; Persian: ادریس شاه‎‎, Urdu: ادریس شاه‎, Hindi: इदरीस शाह; 16 June 1924 – 23 November 1996), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayed Idries el-Hashimi (Arabic: سيد إدريس هاشمي) and by the pen name Arkon Daraul, was an author and teacher in the Sufi tradition who wrote over three dozen books on topics ranging from psychology and spirituality to travelogues and culture studies.Born in India, the descendant of a family of Afghan nobles, Shah grew up mainly in England.