Sufi Orders (Tariqahs)
Deviantالطرق الصوفية
Overview
Organized spiritual brotherhoods (tariqahs) that emerged in the Islamic world from around the 9th–10th centuries CE. Each order is centered on a founding saint (Shaykh) whose spiritual chain (silsilah) is traced back to the Prophet ﷺ, and involves bay'ah (pledge of allegiance) to a living shaykh, distinctive dhikr formulas, initiation rites, and hierarchical spiritual progression. The institution of organized tariqahs — as distinct from Sufi spirituality in general — is considered bid'ah (innovation) by Ahl us-Sunnah scholars. Some orders have developed practices that cross into shirk, particularly invoking dead saints (istighatha).
Key Beliefs
- Bay'ah (pledge) to a shaykh whose spiritual guidance is considered essential to the path
- Silsilah (spiritual chain) as a transmission of baraka from the Prophet ﷺ through the shaykh
- Specialized dhikr formulas, often kept secret within the order
- Spiritual stations (maqamat) and states (ahwal) as the path to proximity to Allah
- Intercession through saints — in many orders, du'a directed to deceased founders
Scholarly Evaluation
The institution of organized tariqahs is not established by the Quran, Sunnah, or the practice of the Salaf — making it bid'ah. The Prophet ﷺ said: 'Every newly invented thing is an innovation, and every innovation is going astray' (Sahih Muslim 867). The bay'ah given to a shaykh for spiritual purposes has no basis in the Sunnah. Individual practices within orders vary widely — some tariqahs remain within the bounds of the Sunnah in their actual practice, while others have developed shirk-adjacent rites. The key line for individual Muslims is: invoking dead saints (istighatha) is shirk regardless of the tariqah. Ordinary Muslims within tariqahs who avoid these specific practices are not declared kafir.
Key Figures
- Al-Junayd al-Baghdadi (d. 910 CE) — considered a legitimate early Sufi scholar
- Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (1077–1166 CE) — founder of the Qadiriyya
- Ibn Arabi (1165–1240 CE) — controversial; his doctrine of wahdat al-wujud (unity of being) is considered kufr by many scholars
Sources
- Sahih Muslim 867 (every innovation is going astray)
- Iqtida al-Sirat al-Mustaqim (Ibn Taymiyyah)
- Al-I'tisam (al-Shatibi)