Prof. Reşat Öngören: "Some of the sufferings that people undergo in the world are effective in their spiritual maturation"
Pointing out the importance of reclusion in Sufism and the life of the Prophet, which is considered as an occasion for a person to mature spiritually and mentally and become a virtuous individual, Sufi researcher Prof. Reşat Öngören stated that "We see the first example of living alone for a certain period of time by moving away from the people in our Prophet before the revelation."
Üsküdar University Institute of Sufi Studies Instructor Prof. Reşat Öngören informed about 'reclusion', which refers to living alone by moving away from world relations and the social environment.
Stating that 'reclusion' is accepted as an occasion to mature spiritually and mentally and become a virtuous individual, Prof. Dr. Öngören stated that this lifestyle, which is also expressed by the concept of 'Uzlet', has an important place in the Sufi tradition.
40 days of Sufi retreat
Noting that its common use in Sufi education is 'halvet', Prof. Öngören explained the subject of reclusion in Sufi education as follows:
"During the retreat, the dervish spends days alone off to one side, in deep contemplation under the guidance of the guide with little food and little sleep, and cuts off any contact with his social circle. The aim is to learn by experiencing the restriction of unlimited desires and desires that wear people out spiritually and mentally in the life of the world; therefore, it leads to freeing their hearts and minds from worldly bonds and maturing. Thus, the dervish is expected to patiently complete the time determined by the guide, and if he leaves before the specified time expires, he will return to the beginning."
The terms ‘to undergo a period of suffering’ and ‘to suffer’ come from reclusion
Pointing out that there are different durations such as three days, one week, ten days, and forty days for a person to become a virtuous individual, Prof. Öngören said that "Although different periods are expressed, the most common form adopted in Sufi education is forty days. Therefore, the terms of 'arbaîn', which refers to the Arabic number forty, or 'çihil', which means forty in Persian, were also used instead of the term of halvet (reclusion). The concept of çihil has passed into our language in the form of 'suffering' and its use in this way has led to the circulation of some idioms in the Turkish language, which also reminds us of the life of halvet. As a matter of fact, the terms 'to undergo a period of suffering' and 'to suffer' are widely used to express a difficult and troubled lifestyle, and the term ' exasperation ' is widely used in the sense of not being patient in the face of a negative situation and getting out of control. In Sufism, the expression 'exasperation' means that the dervish cannot be patient and leaves the halvet before the specified time is completed. It should also be noted here that regardless of Sufi education, it is often observed that some sufferings in the world have a direct effect on his spiritual maturation."
The Prophet's reclusion brought him the first verses of the Qur'an
Referring to the retreat of the Prophet Prof. Reşat Öngören Described this retreat as follows:
"We see the first example of living alone for a certain period of time by moving away from the people in our Prophet before the revelation. With some of the little he had taken with him, he retired to Mount Hira, northeast of Mecca, where he spent days alone in a cave contemplating for days. This state of his is expressed by the concept of 'tahannüs' in the sense of sincerely serving Allah by moving away from the evils that society has fallen into. During this reclusion, which is stated to have lasted about three years at regular intervals, the angel of revelation came here for the first time and brought the first verses of the Qur'an to him. Therefore, his reclusion is considered spiritual preparation for prophecy. After the revelation, the Prophet (peace be upon him) continued his life of seclusion during the last ten days of Ramadan, which is called 'itikâf'."
The ultimate purpose: "Meeting with the Merit and the Truth, moving away from the people and being alone with the Truth"
Sufi researcher Prof. Reşat Öngören stated that the ultimate purpose of performing servitude in reclusion for a while during Sufi education is to 'meet with the Merit and the Truth, to be alone with the Truth by moving away from the people' and continued his remarks as follows:
"For when a person reduces their worldly interests, they become more aware of their communion with the Truth, and they begin to feel internally the fact that God is with them everywhere and at every moment. The milestone of this is 'peace' in the sense of finding God present in your heart. ‘Peace’, which is used as 'a state of happiness and pleasantness' in Turkish, is essentially related to being in the presence of Allah. As a matter of fact, the fact that the servant is in the presence of Allah brings with it an exceptional state of joy, pleasantness and happiness for him.
In the Holy Qur'an, when Allah addresses the Prophet Moses, he replied to the question, "What is that in your right hand, O Moses?" by saying, "It is my walking stick. I lean on it, I shake leaves with it to my sheep, I need it other things...' (Taha 17-18), it is stated that the prolongation of the word by explaining the things that are not asked, is intended to prolong the state of deep happiness by staying in peace a little longer."
Reclusion and modern life
Prof. Öngören explained that it is accepted that the state of peace, which is deeply felt as the state of reclusion is repeated at regular intervals, will continue after the retreat, and concluded his remarks as follows:
"In Sufism, it is called 'Halvet der Encümen' in the sense of maintaining communion with Allah even while engaging in worldly affairs among the people. Therefore, the purpose of reclusion is not to live as a hermit for life, but to spend the life of the world in 'peace' with the people and as an example to them."
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)