On Java, the pesantren and the tarekat, meaning (mystical) path, is the hall-mark of traditional Islam. The former is a place where syare'at (the exoteric dimension of Islam) is transmitted to the next generation; the second, in the strictest sense, is an organisation by which the esoteric dimension of Islam is established, especially among the aged.^[1] The pesantren mainly prepares the young to cope with their immediate future in social life. It enables them to undertake active and acceptable participation in various societal roles without neglecting the more distant future, the hereafter. The tarekat, on the other hand, prepares the aged to cope with their immediate future. It attempts to secure for followers' safety and well being in the hereafter, after they feel that their worldly life is close to its end. In addition, the tarekat attempts to open the heavens to the public. It is a way to ensure equity of opportunity for entry to paradise  between the religiously knowledgeable individuals and the laymen, and between the rich and the poor.^[2]

The tarekat is usually associated with tasawuf. The objective of joining a tarekat comes after a commitment to the Sufi way (tasawuf) is taken by means of cleansing the heart (tasfiyatul qalb).^[3] In practice, tasawuf is a strict adoption of the Islamic precepts through observance of both obligatory and recommended religious work for attaining God's favour. Although not always, the by-product of doing tasawuf, if God's favour is obtained, is the ability of the individual to attain the knowledge of Divine Truths, the Essence (hakekat). The attainment of the Truth is ma'rifat, literally meaning knowing the Reality (gnosis). Ma'rifat (gnosis) is knowing the hakekat, the Essence or Divine Truth. This hakekat can be attained by following tasawuf, cleansing the heart. It is said that to many people, doing tasawuf, although not essential, is much easier and more convenient if it is carried out by following a certain tarekat (path). Whichever one would choose, the pre-requisite for following tarekat is the observance of syare'at. As not every Muslim observes the syare'at, not every Muslim who observes the syare'at wishes to follow a tarekat. In turn, not all the Muslims who follow a certain tarekat could attain the hakekat and thus experience ma'rifat. In local popular uses syare'at, tarekat, hakekat and ma'rifat form a sequence to characterise the degree of piety in which the first is the lowest, and the last is the highest. Because of either individual or societal factors only wali are thought to be likely to reach ma'rifat.