Sufi meditation and devotional disciplines have indeed been taken up by people from many religious backgrounds, yet how this is understood and permitted depends greatly on the Sufi milieu in question. In universalist or non‑sectarian circles, especially in some Western Sufi movements, practices such as breath‑based meditation, silent or vocal dhikr, sacred music, and even whirling are often presented as universal methods of inner transformation rather than as rites bound exclusively to Islamic identity. In such settings, individuals are explicitly encouraged to remain within their own religious traditions while drawing on Sufi methods as a complement to their existing path. Here, Sufism functions less as a confessional boundary and more as a language of direct encounter with the Divine that can be translated into many faith idioms.

By contrast, traditional Sufi orders that see themselves as firmly rooted in Islamic law and theology tend to regard Sufism as the inner dimension of an explicitly Islamic life. In these lineages, formal discipleship, structured spiritual training, and the full use of Qur’anic litanies and the divine names are ordinarily reserved for those who affirm the Islamic creed and participate in its ritual obligations. Non‑Muslims may be welcomed as guests, listeners, or sympathizers, but are not usually admitted as full initiates into the order’s disciplined path. From this perspective, separating Sufi methods from the larger framework of Islamic belief and practice risks emptying them of their intended meaning.

Between these poles lies a wide field of partial or adapted practice, where elements of Sufi devotion are re‑expressed in more general spiritual language. Breath awareness, repetition of sacred phrases in non‑Arabic forms, contemplative poetry, and music are often shared in interfaith settings as vehicles for remembrance of the Divine and purification of the heart. Some teachers are comfortable offering such techniques to seekers of any background, while maintaining that explicitly Islamic forms of dhikr and the more esoteric disciplines belong within a committed Muslim life. At the same time, there are voices that caution against excessive decontextualization, warning that Sufi practices can be reduced to mere psychological exercises if severed entirely from their religious roots, even as others affirm that sincere remembrance of God retains value across doctrinal boundaries.

The practical reality, therefore, is that many of the techniques associated with Sufism have proven adaptable across traditions, while the full, classical path of Sufism is generally treated as inseparable from Islam itself. The distinction often turns on whether one is adopting certain contemplative tools or entering into a complete spiritual lineage with its own creed, law, and devotional universe. For those from other faiths, engaging Sufi practices respectfully usually means recognizing both their universal resonance and their specifically Islamic home, and allowing that tension to deepen, rather than dilute, spiritual understanding.