The Guards and the Family of the King: A Metaphor for Sharia and Sufism

There has long been a well-known tension within the Muslim world — a tension that has at times created deep frictions that threatened to tear the ummah apart.

I am speaking of the two major traditions or “wings” of Islam: Sharia — traditional Islamic sciences — versus Tariqah — the Sufi, spiritual path. Over the centuries, there has been great respect between them, particularly in the middle ground, where many scholars have inhabited both worlds. Yet it is undeniable that there has also been misunderstanding and suspicion.

A well-known metaphor beautifully expresses the relationship between the two: Sharia is like the body of a human being, while Sufism is like its soul. Neither can survive without the other. Another metaphor is that Sharia represents the brain and Tariqah the heart; or that one represents the masculine side of faith and the other the feminine side. All of these images emphasize that the two traditions are not meant to compete but to complete one another.

While I was recently reflecting on this relationship, a very different image appeared to me in a spiritual vision — a short story that felt more vivid in its details, one that also happens to integrate all these other metaphors.

The Palace and Its Guardians

Imagine a powerful king with a family very dear to him — his children, his wife, his closest relatives. To protect and house them, he builds a magnificent palace. As all such palaces, this one too was designed so that the most precious ones were placed farthest from the outside world and its dangers, shielded by multiple layers of protection.

As we approach this palace, we encounter layers of guardians. This is the first key image: the guardians. The palace has high walls and imposing gates, and at every door and tower stand the guards. If you have ever seen the guards of a palace, even today in Europe, you know these are stern, serious people. A smiling, casually engaging guard is not a good one. Their intensive training — like that of soldiers or police — prepares them to be vigilant, alert, and suspicious, because they know what is at stake.

And they are not vigilant idly. Just as the police or military know that threats are constant, these guardians understand that all sorts of enemies are always plotting to get inside. To bring down a nation or an empire, enemies will aim at the king himself — or worse, the children who carry the future. So the guards live each day with the knowledge that danger is real, constant, and directed at the heart of the palace.

In this metaphor, these guardians are the Sharia scholars….