tariqas

Tariqas, plural of tariqa, are organized Sufi orders or spiritual paths within Islam. A tariqa centers on a living guide, the sheikh or murshid, who provides initiation, instruction, and personal guidance. The authority within a tariqa is typically transmitted through a continuous chain of teachers, the silsila, tracing back to the Prophet Muhammad and early Sufi saints.

Core practices vary by order but commonly include dhikr (remembrance of God), liturgical recitations, and inward exercises such as meditation or contemplation (muraqabah). Moral and ethical training, communal rituals, and service (khidma) may also play roles, and some orders incorporate ritual music, chanting, or dance. Initiates, or murids, pledge allegiance to a master and receive individualized spiritual training.

Most tariqas have defined organizational structures. They may appoint a khalifa or successor to lead the order in a region and operate through centers such as tekke, zawiya, or khanqah. Membership often spans social classes, and many orders maintain charitable networks, educational activities, and social services.

Historically, tariqas emerged in the medieval Islamic world and spread widely, with several major orders associated with distinct regions: Qadiriyya (Abd al-Qadir Gilani), Chishtiyya (Moinuddin Chishti), Naqshbandiyya (Baha-ud-Din Naqshband), Shadhiliyya, Tijaniyya, and Mevlevi. They have influenced religious life, poetry, music, and local customs, and frequently adapted to regional cultures while preserving a core emphasis on spiritual development through a lineage-based transmission.

Tariqas have contributed to spiritual life and social welfare but have also encountered criticism or political tension in various contexts. They continue to be a significant aspect of the Muslim spiritual landscape in many regions.