Ṣuḥba is companionship, modelled on the Companions of the Prophet. Sufis teach that the disciple is transformed by being near the master and the brethren, as iron is changed by fire. Much Sufi teaching was oral, given in such company.
Ṣuḥba
Companionship: keeping company with a master and fellow seekers, a primary means of Sufi transformation.
Also: suhbat, companionship