Four Doors is the concept in ''

tasawwuf 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, ...

,'' and to a lesser extent in other branches of

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...

such as

Ismailism Isma'ilism ( ar, الإسماعيلية, al-ʾIsmāʿīlīyah) is a branch or sub-sect of Shia Islam. The Isma'ili () get their name from their acceptance of Imam Isma'il ibn Jafar as the appointed spiritual successor ( imām) to Ja'far al ...

and

Alevism Alevism or Anatolian Alevism (; tr, Alevilik, ''Anadolu Aleviliği'' or ''Kızılbaşlık''; ; az, Ələvilik) is a local Islamic tradition, whose adherents follow the mystical Alevi Islamic ( ''bāṭenī'') teachings of Haji Bektash Veli, w ...

. In this system, there are four paths to

Allah Allah (; ar, الله, translit=Allāh, ) is the common Arabic word for God. In the English language, the word generally refers to God in Islam. The word is thought to be derived by contraction from '' al- ilāh'', which means "the god", a ...

, starting with

Sharia 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 H ...

, then to

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". ...

, then to

Marifa Maʿrifa (Arabic: “interior knowledge”) is the mystical knowledge of God or the “higher realities” that is the ultimate goal of followers of Sufism. Sufi mystics came to maʿrifa by following a spiritual path that later Sufi thinkers categ ...

, and then finally to

Haqiqa Haqiqa (Arabic "truth") is one of "the four stages" in Sufism, '' shari’a'' (exoteric path), ''tariqa'' (esoteric path), ''haqiqa'' (mystical truth) and '' marifa'' (final mystical knowledge, ''unio mystica''). The four stages Shariat Shar ...

. In Alevism, ten stations are listed for each of the Foor Doors. Hence, in full, the Four Doors are also known as the ''Four Doors and Forty Stations'' (Turkish: '' Dört Kapı Kırk Makam''). These Forty Stations are listed below.

The Door of Shari'ah

;1. The Door of Sharîʻah/Divine Law # to believe # to learn knowledge ('' ‘ilm'') # to worship # to earn only what sustenance is permitted ('' halâl'') by its creator in a way that is also permissible # abstaining from that which one's creator has forbidden ('' harâm'') # to perform marriages # to marry oneself # to abstain from sexual relation during inappropriate times # to be a member of the community following the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad # to be compassionate, to dress simply and to consume simple foods # to enjoin that which is right and for abstain from that which is wrong

The Door of Tariqah

;2. The Door of Tarîqah/Sufi Path # taking the hand of a Sufi sheikh and repenting # willfully becoming a disciple ('' murîd'') of a Sufi

sheikh Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...

# keeping one's clothes, hair: beard both clean and in order # struggling against the desires of one's flesh (''

nafs ''Nafs'' () is an Arabic word occurring in the Quran, literally meaning "self", and has been translated as "psyche", " ego" or " soul".Nurdeen Deuraseh and Mansor Abu Talib (2005), "Mental health in Islamic medical tradition", ''The Internati ...

'') # serving others # being in a state between excessive fear and hope # taking lessons from and providing guidance to others # distributing God's bounties to others # reaching a state of intense love and a high level of enthusiasm # seeing his inner essence as poor

The Door of Ma'rifah

;3. The Door of

Ma'rifa Maʿrifa (Arabic: “interior knowledge”) is the mystical knowledge of God or the “higher realities” that is the ultimate goal of followers of Sufism. Sufi mystics came to maʿrifa by following a spiritual path that later Sufi thinkers categ ...

h/Divine Knowledge # proper morals (''adab'') # fear # abstinence # patience and frugality # feeling embarrassment # generosity # knowledge ('' ‘ilm'') # intense poverty # maʻrifah # knowing oneself

The Door of Haqiqah

;4. The Door of Haqîqah/Truth # becoming earth # not scorning the 72 nations of humanity # being as merciful and compassionate as possible # not seeing anyone's faults # to be in agreement with the principles of singleness, uniqueness: oneness of God ('' tawhîd'') # speaking of the secrets of truth with others # following a specific spiritual path (''sayr-i sulûk'') # secret (''sirr'') # beseeching God (''munâjât'') # witnessing God's manifestation in creation (''mushâhadah'')

References

{{Sufism terminology Sufi philosophy Islamic terminology Alevism