The Difference between Suluk & Siyar
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ Dr. Alan A. Godlas wrote, “ A friend asked about ‘ suluk ’. ‘ Sayr ’ and ‘ suluk ’ are two complementary terms that, together, can be seen to comprise the entirety of the Sufi path. Although both of these terms in ordinary discourse mean ‘travelling’, in Sufi discourse. they mean two different, but complementary aspects of following the Sufi path. Hence, commonly, though not always, they are found together as ‘ sayr as-suluk ’. In such a context, on the one hand, ‘ sayr ’ refers to ‘inner work’, an inner, mystical journeying through the subtle planes, levels, or degrees of one’s consciousness, away from compulsive egoism and toward ever increasing Closeness with God or God’s unity. On the other hand, in such a context, ‘ suluk ’ refer to the relatively more ‘outer work’, consisting of striving to relate harmoniously and wisely with people. Since relating harmonious and wisely with people ...