Why are Sufi orders called Tariqa?
In the early centuries of Islam, the word Tariqa was used to denote a track for crossing the desert. A prime example is the narrow trace left by camels walking in single file, one after the other. However, this was not an ordinary path, as it was fragile and could be erased by the wind in a single night.
The question then is: Why was this term used to describe the Sufi discipline?
Sufis—often misunderstood in our time—do not act arbitrarily, and they are far from random in their choice of terminology to define their approach. Their terms, like their architecture, are carefully selected and layered with meaning.
The word Tariqa “order” or “way”, can be understood through the image of a caravan heading toward an oasis: the Sufi Sheikh is the leader of the caravan, the passengers are the disciples (murids), and the oasis is the Reality of God, the Exalted. The Sufi path is called a Tariqa because it is not traced in the sand externally, but rather it is traced in the hearts. Meaning, whoever attempts to reach the oasis by following only the visible traces risks getting lost in the desert of the soul.
This is why it was called Tariqa: it is a path that only appears behind the guide, that is, the Sheikh. If the guide is absent, the path vanishes. This is in contrast to the Sharia, which in Arabic means the clear path or main road. The Sharia represents the visible rulings of Islam, which are plain for all who follow them. Since they are direct commands from Almighty God, they are clear and straight.
Hence, the Tariqa differs from the Sharia, as it cannot be fully traversed except with a murshid (guide) who leads the travelers (salikin). It is not a path visible to everyone like the Sharia, but a journey into the esoteric dimensions of the self.
All sincere Shaikhs trace their spiritual lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, the first guide who led his companions to the Reality of God. In other words, every true Tariqa preserves this blessed chain of guides, generation after generation, up to this day. Thus, the Tariqa is not merely a name, but a living discipline, a path from heart to heart, and from Sheikh to murid, across the centuries.
This term is a constant reminder that the Sharia is a path open to all, while the Tariqa is a path that cannot be fully followed except with a guide who leads the travelers to the oasis of Truth.
