Our Arabic word of the week, suluk, means behaviour and describes how we conduct ourselves at home, school, work and in relationships with others.
Husn al-suluk means good behaviour, while su al-suluk refers to bad behaviour or misconduct. Suluk al-tifl describes a child's behaviour, while suluk mihani means professional conduct.
The word comes from the Arabic root letters seen, lam and kaf, associated with entering or following a path. The verb salaka means to travel along a route, while maslak can refer to a physical pathway or a person's approach to a situation.
In personal relationships, suluk can describe someone's general conduct rather than an isolated action. This differs from another Arabic word, tasarruf, which generally refers to a particular action or response. A person may behave rudely on one occasion, for example, without that incident reflecting how they usually treat others.
UAE residents will recognise another root word in Salik, Dubai's road toll system. The name means “open” or “clear”, suggesting travel without barriers.
In Sufism, suluk takes on a spiritual meaning, describing the journey towards closeness to God. Someone following this path is also known as a salik. The concept is explored in the 11th-century work Al Risala Al Qushayriyya, or Al Qushayri's Epistle on Sufism, which examines stages of spiritual practice, including repentance, patience and trust in God.
The related adjective suluki means behavioural and appears in the psychological term al-ilaj al-suluki al-marifi, or cognitive behavioural therapy, which addresses patterns of thinking and behaviour. Sulukiyat, meanwhile, refers to individual behaviours or behavioural practices.
The term also appears in UAE schools, where the Ministry of Education uses al-suluk al-ijabi to mean positive behaviour and includes conduct as part of student assessment.
From our everyday conduct to our spiritual pursuits, suluk reflects how we live and the paths we choose to follow.
