A summary of Part One: Preliminaries About the Science of the Spiritual Journey ('Ilm al-Sulūk) — Chapters 1–3
Chapters 1–3
Part One
Chapter 1: Defining 'Ilm al-Sulūk
The Science of the Spiritual Journey ('Ilm al-Sulūk) is defined as "the knowledge of how to follow the path to Allah and recognize its hazards, and the knowledge of what brings one closer to Him and guides him." Ibn al-Qayyim warns: "Ignorance of the path, its hazards, and the intended goal causes a lot of fatigue with little benefit."
Its subject is the moral and spiritual characteristics of the heart and soul — the inward morals and psychological dispositions. It is described as "the most noble of sciences": the knowledge of spiritual realities, stations, states, sincerity in obedience, and turning towards Allah in every way.
'Ilm al-Tazkiyyah
Science of self-purification
'Ilm al-Akhlāq
Science of ethical moral character
'Ilm al-Qalb
Science of the heart
'Ilm al-Mu'āmalah
Science of dealings
The Spiritual Journey: A Path of the Heart
Ibn Taymiyyah explains that al-sulūk covers beliefs, worship, and moral ethics — all grounded in the Qur'ān and Sunnah. He calls it "the nourishment a believer must have." All the Companions knew this path directly from the Qur'ān and Sunnah without needing specialists, because "the Quran and the Hadith are filled with this."
Al-Dhahabī summarizes the ideal sulūk as: guarding one's tongue, constant remembrance of Allah, weeping over sins, contemplative Qur'ān recitation, frequent fasting, night prayers, humility, maintaining kinship ties, generosity, and seeking forgiveness at dawn — "the characteristics of the awliyā' and the attributes of the followers of Muhammad."
The Obligation of the Heart's Actions
Ibn al-Qayyim
"The obligations of the heart are more obligatory and more emphatic than the obligations of the body, even though many people consider them merely virtues and recommended acts."
Why This Matters
Ibn al-Qayyim identifies heart-level major sins — showing off (riyā'), vanity ('ujub), arrogance (kibr), envy, despair of Allah's mercy — as more strictly forbidden than many outward major sins like fornication or drinking wine.
Ibn Taymiyyah lists the heart's obligations as: love of Allah and His Messenger, reliance upon Allah, sincerity, gratitude, patience, fear, and hope — obligatory upon all by scholarly consensus.
Self-Purification: Al-Tazkiyyah
Ibn al-Qayyim explains that tazkiyyah means growth and purification together: "The impurity of sins in the heart is like harmful substances in the body, weeds in crops, and impurities in gold." When the heart is purified through repentance, its strength and desire for good are liberated — it grows, strengthens, and governs its faculties.
Crucially, Ibn al-Qayyim identifies monotheism (al-tawḥīd) as the core of self-purification, citing the Qur'ānic verse on those who "do not give Zakat" as referring to those who reject tawḥīd. The Prophet ﷺ defined self-purification as: "For one to know that Allah is with him wherever he may be" — connecting sound beliefs directly to inner growth.
The Centrality of Intention & Heart Quality
The degree of virtue in one's deeds is determined by what is in the heart. Ibn al-Qayyim states: "The varying virtue of deeds in the sight of Allah is according to what is in the hearts of faith, sincerity, love, and its implications."
Ibn al-Mubārak
"Perhaps a small deed is made great by the intention, and perhaps a great deed is made small by the intention."
Ibn Rajab
"Virtues are not in accordance to the abundance of physical actions, but in their being purely for Allah, correct in following the Sunnah, and in the abundance of the heart's knowledge and actions."
Al-Sa'dī
"Being characterized at all times by the strength of sincerity to Allah… is unmatchable and paramount to all deeds. The people of sincerity, benevolence, and remembrance are the foremost."
Abu Bakr al-Siddīq did not surpass the Companions through excessive fasting or prayer, but through "something that settled in his heart" — the love of Allah and sincere goodwill to His creation.
The Heart's Strength & Personal Happiness
Ibn al-Qayyim recounts the remarkable example of Ibn Taymiyyah, who said while imprisoned: "What can my enemies do to me? My paradise and garden are in my heart; wherever I go, they are with me." He said: "My imprisonment is seclusion, my death is martyrdom, and my expulsion from my land is a journey."
Ibn al-Qayyim testifies: "I have never seen anyone live a more enjoyable life than him, despite the imprisonment, threats, and intimidation — he was the happiest of people, the most cheerful in spirit, the strongest of heart." When his students were overwhelmed by fear, they would visit him and return invigorated with strength, certainty, and tranquility.
Key Synonymous Concepts
Al-Istiqāmah (Steadfastness)
Journeying on the straight path without deviating right or left — encompassing all outward and inward acts of obedience. Ibn Taymiyyah said: "The greatest honor is to adhere to uprightness."
Al-'Ubūdiyyah (Servitude)
Singling out Allah exclusively with ultimate love and ultimate humility. Ibn Taymiyyah said: "Whoever desires eternal happiness, let him adhere to the threshold of servitude." Ibn Rajab: "If the pain of the journey intensifies, let them remember the comfort of arrival."
Al-Zuhd (Asceticism)
Ibn al-Qayyim: "Asceticism is the heart's journey from the homeland of the world to attend to the stations of the Hereafter." It is disinterest in what is of no benefit — not abandonment of lawful enjoyments. Ibn Taymiyyah: the Hereafter is only established upon worldly works that necessitate worldly benefit.
Reference Books for This Knowledge
The primary sources are the Qur'ān and the authentic Sunnah. Abu Zur'ah warned against books of innovation: "You must follow the narrations, for you will find in that what will suffice you." Al-Dhahabī advised: "Ponder over the Book of Allah, and continuously contemplate the two Sahihs, Sunan al-Nasā'ī, and al-Riyāḍ by al-Nawawī. You will prosper and succeed."
The Two Premier Imāms
Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim were the most prolific writers on this subject. Their works corrected generations of errors by the Mutakallimīn and the Ṣūfīs, safeguarding the Ummah from widespread deviation.
A Suggested Reading List (Selection)
Al-Wasā'il al-Mufīdah — Al-Sa'dī
Al-Risālah al-Tabūkiyyah — Ibn al-Qayyim
Al-Dā' wal-Dawā' — Ibn al-Qayyim
Tazkiyah al-Nafs — Ibn Taymiyyah
Madārij al-Sālikīn — Ibn al-Qayyim
Laṭā'if al-Ma'ārif — Ibn Rajab
Ighāthah al-Lahfān (ch. 1–13) — Ibn al-Qayyim
Chapter 2: Is 'Ilm al-Sulūk Sufism?
Ibn Taymiyyah warns that innovations are more prevalent in worship and intention than in doctrine, because intention is shared by all people. Al-Albānī states plainly: "If 'Ilm al-Sulūk is built upon the practices of Sufism, then this is a deviation from the religion."
The term Ṣūfī was not known in the first three centuries of Islam. It began as a reference to ascetics wearing wool, but Ibn Taymiyyah notes it became "an ambiguous term applied to both the true believer (Siddīq) and the heretic (Zindīq)." Al-Dhahabī records that even Sufis described some of their own: "If you saw him at the beginning, you would say: a true believer; and if you saw him at the end, you would say: a heretic."
The Danger of Ambiguous Terminology
Vague Terms Cause Confusion
Ibn Taymiyyah: "Much of people's disputes are due to vague, invented terms and ambiguous meanings." Terms not found in the Qur'ān and Sunnah must be interrogated for their intended meaning before acceptance or rejection.
The Sufi Trajectory
Ibn al-Jawzī charts the decline: from Muslim and Mu'min → Zāhid and 'Ābid → a distinct group with unique methods → Satan confused them generation by generation until he "gained total control over the later followers."
The Wise Believer's Approach
Ibn Taymiyyah: Accept from every group what conforms to the Qur'ān and Sunnah; reject what contradicts it. What is praiseworthy in Sufism — repentance, patience, sincerity — is commanded regardless of its label. What contradicts the Sharī'ah is forbidden regardless of its name.
Al-Shāṭibī's Verdict
Corruption entered through later generations who "claimed entry without following the legitimate path" and attributed to early ascetics what they never said — until Sufism became "as if it is a different Sharī'ah from what Muhammad ﷺ brought."
Chapter 3: The Reality of Ethical Moral Character (Al-Akhlāq)
'Ilm al-Sulūk is a near synonym to 'Ilm al-Akhlāq. The best definition of moral character is: "A deeply rooted disposition of the soul from which actions emanate easily and smoothly, without the need for thought or deliberation." If good deeds flow from it easily, it is good character; if ugly actions flow from it, it is bad character.
Character Is Changeable
Ibn Qudāmah refutes the claim that character cannot change: "If moral character was unreceptive to change, then exhortations and advice would be meaningless." The goal is moderation — not suppression of natural drives.
Two Innate Forces
Ibn al-Qayyim: Allah placed in humans the force of desire (drawing benefits) and anger (repelling harm). When misused, desire breeds greed and envy; anger breeds arrogance and transgression. When balanced, they serve noble ends.
Noble vs. Base Souls
"Noble souls are only content with things that have the highest and most praiseworthy outcomes. Base souls hover around lowly matters, descending upon them like flies on filth." — Ibn al-Qayyim
Al-Ādāb: Disciplined Mannerism
Ibn al-Qayyim defines adab as "the combination of good qualities in a servant" and declares: "Manners are the entirety of the religion." He identifies three types:
1
Manners with Allah
Protecting one's dealings from deficiency; protecting the heart from turning to other than Him; protecting one's will from what He disapproves.
2
Manners with the Messenger ﷺ
Complete compliance and obedience; accepting his reports without imposing false conjecture or the opinions of men. Ibn al-Qayyim: "Meeting Allah with every sin is better than meeting Him while placing another's word above the Prophet's."
3
Manners with Creation
Treating each person according to their rank — parents, scholars, rulers, peers, guests — with fitting etiquette. "A person's etiquette is the definitive mark of his happiness and success."
Manhood & Chivalry: Al-Murū'ah & Al-Futuwwah
Al-Futuwwah (Chivalry)
Ibn al-Qayyim: "The station of benevolence towards people, refraining from harming them, and bearing their harm — the outcome of good character and its application."
Ja'far b. Muḥammad defined it: "If we are endowed, we prefer others; and if we are denied, we are grateful." Al-Fuḍayl b. 'Iyāḍ: "Futuwwa is overlooking the slips of brothers." Imām Aḥmad: "Abandoning what you desire for the sake of what you fear."
Al-Murū'ah (Manhood)
The self's attribution to qualities that distinguish humans from animals and the devil. Three conflicting drives exist in every soul: toward devilish traits (arrogance, envy), toward animal traits (desire), and toward angelic traits (benevolence, knowledge, obedience).
"The essence of Murū'ah is having hatred of the first two drives and responding to the third." As the Salaf said: whoever's intellect conquers his desire joins the angels; whoever's desire conquers his intellect joins the animals.
The Three Levels of Murū'ah
Level 1: With Oneself
Force yourself in private to embody what beautifies and adorns, avoiding what defiles — so it becomes your fixed disposition in public. Do not do privately what you would be shy to do publicly.
Level 2: With People
Employ manners, shyness, and good character with all. Take people as a mirror — whatever you dislike from others, avoid it yourself. Benefit from every interaction, whether with the virtuous or the flawed.
Level 3: With Allah
Be shy that He sees you at every moment. Fix the flaws of your soul to the best of your ability. "Your shyness of Him should occupy you from acting according to natural flawed traits, and being occupied with fixing your own flaws distracts you from the flaws of others."
Summary: The Inward Journey
Ibn al-Qayyim: "Know that a servant only travels the stages of the journey to Allah with his heart and determination, not with his body. True piety is in the heart, not in the limbs."
'Ilm al-Sulūk addresses the connection between the inner and outer dimensions of faith, worship, and uprightness. The traveler on the straight path has a destination, a methodology, enemies, and obstacles. He must: (1.) cure the heart's sicknesses, (2.) reach the inner stations of worship that validate and multiply his deeds, and (3.) thereby attain personal happiness and contribute to societal flourishing.
Ibn Rajab: "The best of people are those who followed the path of the Prophet ﷺ in practicing moderation in physical worship and diligence in the states of the heart, for the journey of the Hereafter is traversed by the journey of the hearts, not by the journeying of the bodies."