Sharia and Tariqa in the Gospel of Thomas and Islamic mysticism

The Gospel of Thomas is one of the important texts of Nag Hammadi library. Paying attention to the external implementation of religious laws (Sharia) and its internals (Tariqa) are among the topics that have been mentioned to in this non-canonical text. In this Gospel, the fraudulent behavior of the Pharisees and their imitative traditions are criticized and Jesus encourages the disciples to correct the intention and perform religious practices with the presence of the heart. According to Islamic traditions, religious affairs are divided into Sharia and Tariqat. On this basis, Sufis, as the bearers of the spiritual dimension of Islam, consider the truth of religion including both aspects of Sharia and Tariqa, and they are two sides of the same coin and inseparable. They advise the seeker not to get caught up in the form and oblivious to the meaning while adhering to the Sharia and in addition to the implementation of Sharia laws, they must also take care of the interior of religious practices as the spiritual life of believers. This article compares the approach of the Gospel of Thomas and Islamic texts on this issue.