穆斯林對於伊斯蘭教義、信仰的實踐，不僅在社群（Ummah）生活層面上落實，亦在屬靈（Ruh）的精神面呈現。有學者將伊斯蘭分為「體制伊斯蘭」（institutional Islam, high Islam）及「民間伊斯蘭」（popular Islam, folk Islam）。前者主張伊斯蘭法（al-Shari‘ah）的推行，後者則強調一些靈修儀式的落實。伊斯蘭內涵基本上可分為三個層面：教乘（al-Shari‘ah）、道乘（al-Tariqah）、真乘（al-Haqiqah），亦即所謂的Islam（順服）、Iman（信仰）、Ihsan（求善）。伊斯蘭中的Tasawwuf（Sufism蘇非主義）即強調這三種面向或層次的整合，以取悅真主阿拉，進而接近祂（Qurbah）。接近真主之目的在於取得今世的（al-Dunya）救贖，亦即今生今世的解脫，以及為後世（al-Akhirah）永恆的救贖鋪路。本論文試就Tasawwuf教義中的基本內涵去探討虔誠穆斯林的近神之道（al-Tariqah），亦即成為Wali（接近真主者，或真主所眷顧者）之道。

Islamic teachings are practiced by Muslims in both material and spiritual lives. Scholars used to classify Muslim religion into “Institutional Islam” and “Popular Islam.” The former emphasizes the practice of al-Shari‘ah, while the later spiritual purification, i.e. the practice of Tasawwuf (Sufism). The three dimensions of Islam are al-Shari‘ah, al-Tariqah, and al-Haqiqah, and they reflect the three elements of al-Din: Islam, Iman, and Ihsan respectively. The practice of Tasawwuf in Islam is to integrate the three elements to achieve the state of perfectness in Muslims’ everyday life. In other words, it means that a sincere Muslim must seek for Allah’s love to get close to the One, thus attaining the salvation in this word, and prepare for eternal life in the hereafter. This essay attempts to give a discourse on the Sufi al-Tariqah to Allah by examining the fundamental concepts of Tasawwuf such as the theories of Maqam, Walaya, and Hijab, i.e. the Journey of Qurbah.