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.

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 {{sufism-stub

See also

References