A sālik is a follower of
Sufism
Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality ...
, from the verb ''salaka'' which means to travel or follow, related to ''sulūk'' "pathway". ''Sulūk'' here specifically refers to a spiritual path, i.e. the combination of the two "paths" that can be followed in religion, the exoteric path or
shariah
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
, and the esoteric path or
haqiqa.
The "path" metaphor is derived from the Qur'an: see
sura 16, (An-Nahl, The Bees), ayat 69:
:''faslukī subula rabbiki dhululan'' "and follow the ways of your Lord made easy
or you, which uses the imperative of the verb ''salaka'' which means to follow or to travel.
A ''sālik'' is also called
murid
In Sufism, a ''murīd'' (Arabic مُرِيد 'one who seeks') is a novice committed to spiritual enlightenment by ''sulūk'' (traversing a path) under a spiritual guide, who may take the title murshid, '' pir'' or ''shaykh''. A ''sālik'' or Su ...
when one becomes a disciple to one particular spiritual teacher (
murshid) or a Sufi master.
See also
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Tariqa
A tariqa (or ''tariqah''; ar, طريقة ') is a school or order of Sufism, or specifically a concept for the mystical teaching and spiritual practices of such an order with the aim of seeking '' haqiqa'', which translates as "ultimate truth". ...
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Talibe
A talibé (also spelled ''talibe'', plural ''talibés''; ar, طالب, ṭālib, seeker, 'student'; pl. ) is a boy, usually from Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Chad, Mali or Mauritania, who studies the Quran at a daara (West ...
*
Murid
In Sufism, a ''murīd'' (Arabic مُرِيد 'one who seeks') is a novice committed to spiritual enlightenment by ''sulūk'' (traversing a path) under a spiritual guide, who may take the title murshid, '' pir'' or ''shaykh''. A ''sālik'' or Su ...
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Wassil
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Majzoob
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Muqarrab
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References
*L. Levisohn, 'The Spiritual Journey in Kubrawi Sufism' in: Lawson (ed.), ''Reason and Inspiration in Islam: Theology, Philosophy and Mysticism in Muslim Thought, 2006, ,
ooks.google.ch/books?id=Bq9zSbNr8gIC&pg=PA364 364-379
Sufi philosophy
Islamic terminology
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