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The Sufi aspect of Spiritualism is demonstrated in many of Doris Lessing’s short stories. Sufism, a mystical philosophy emphasising inner exploration and self realisation that seeks to develop an understanding of self in order to find meaning and purpose. The Sufi influence in Lessing’s works is illustrated by the exploration of each character’s lifelong search for who they are and what they are meant to do in life. Through the course of five short stories "Through the Tunnel", "A Sunrise on the Veld", "An Unposted Love Letter", "Our Friend Judith", and "Two Potters", character growth due to an internal transformation and connection to the Universe is exhibited as a pathway to Spirituality. The characters in Lessing’s stories show Sufi teaching on the subjective nature of experience; how one must go beyond the limitations imposed on them by the society; and how inner peace can be achieved. By exploring Lessing’s stories through a Sufi lens, this paper highlights the universal themes of human existence, the search for meaning, and the interconnectedness of individual and collective spirituality.
Dr Reshmi R L. “Unveiling the Mystique of Sufism: A Study of Doris Lessing’s Short Stories.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 2, Apr. 2026, pp. 128–154. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n2.9.
Open Access · CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI ·
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