Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören, a Sufism researcher, pointing to the importance of seclusion (inziva) – which is considered a means for individuals to mature spiritually and mentally and become virtuous beings – in Sufism and the life of Prophet Muhammad, said, “We see the first example of living alone for a certain period, away from people, in our Prophet before the revelation.”
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören, Faculty Member at Üsküdar Üniversitesi Institute of Sufi Studies, gave information about 'inziva,' which refers to living alone, away from worldly relationships and social environments.
Prof. Dr. Öngören stated that ‘inziva’ is considered a means for individuals to mature spiritually and mentally and become virtuous beings, and added that this lifestyle, also expressed by the concept of ‘uzlet,’ holds an important place in the Sufi tradition.
Seclusion in Sufism: 40 Days
Prof. Dr. Öngören noted that its common use in Sufi education is ‘khalwa’ (seclusion), and explained the topic of seclusion in Sufi education as follows:
“During inziva/khalwa, the dervish, guided by their mentor, spends days alone in a corner with very little food and sleep, in deep contemplation, and severs all ties with their social environment. The aim is to learn through experience to limit the boundless desires and ambitions that spiritually and mentally exhaust a person in worldly life, thereby freeing one’s heart and mind from worldly attachments and achieving maturation. For this, the dervish is expected to complete the period determined by the mentor with patience; if they leave before the specified time is up, they must start over.”
The terms ‘Enduring Hardship’ and ‘Suffering Ordeal’ Stem from Seclusion (Inziva)
Prof. Dr. Öngören pointed out that khalwa (seclusion), practiced for an individual to become a virtuous being, involves various durations such as three days, one week, ten days, or forty days. He said, “Although different durations are mentioned, the most common form adopted in Sufi education is forty days. Therefore, instead of the concept of khalwa, the terms ‘arba’in,’ which signifies the number forty in Arabic, or ‘chihil,’ meaning forty in Persian, have also been used. The concept of ‘chihil’ entered our language as ‘çile’ (hardship/ordeal), and its use in this form has led to the circulation of certain idioms in the Turkish language that also recall the life of khalwa. For instance, the phrases ‘çile doldurmak’ (to complete an ordeal) and ‘çile çekmek’ (to suffer an ordeal) are commonly used to describe a difficult and troublesome lifestyle, and the idiom ‘çileden çıkmak’ (to lose one’s patience/go mad) is used to mean losing control due to impatience in the face of a negative situation. In Sufism, the expression ‘çileden çıkma’ means that the dervish loses patience and abandons the khalwa before completing the determined period. It should also be noted here that, independently of Sufi training, it is widely observed that some hardships a person endures in the world have a direct effect on their spiritual maturation.”
The Seclusion of Prophet Muhammad Brought Him the First Verses of the Quran
Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören also referred to the seclusion of Prophet Muhammad and described it as follows:
“We see the first example of living alone for a certain period, away from people, in our Prophet before the revelation. He would retreat to Mount Hira, northeast of Mecca, with some provisions he took with him, and there he would spend days alone in a cave in deep contemplation. This state of his is expressed by the concept of ‘tahannus,’ meaning to sincerely worship Allah by withdrawing from the evils into which society had fallen. During this seclusion, which is stated to have lasted for about three years at certain intervals, the angel of revelation first appeared here and brought him the first verses of the Quran. Therefore, this seclusion of his is considered spiritual preparation for prophethood. Our Prophet also continued this life of seclusion in the last ten days of Ramadan after the revelation, which is called ‘i'tikaf’ (spiritual retreat).”
The Ultimate Purpose: “Encountering Truth and Reality, Being Alone with God by Withdrawing from People”
Sufism researcher Prof. Dr. Reşat Öngören stated that the ultimate purpose of performing worship in a state of seclusion/khalwa for a period during Sufi training is to ‘encounter Truth and Reality, and to be alone with God by withdrawing from people,’ and continued his words as follows:
“For when a person reduces their worldly attachments, they become more aware of their companionship with God; they begin to feel deeply the truth that Allah is with them everywhere and every moment. The peak of this is ‘huzur’ (presence), in the sense of finding Allah present in one’s heart. The term ‘huzur,’ used in Turkish to mean ‘a state of happiness and pleasantness,’ is essentially related to being in the presence of Allah. Indeed, for a servant, being in the presence of Allah brings with it an exceptional state of joy, pleasantness, and happiness.
It is stated that in the Holy Quran, Prophet Moses’ lengthy reply to Allah's question, ‘What is that in your right hand, O Moses?’ with ‘It is my staff. I lean on it, and with it I beat down leaves for my sheep, and I have other needs for it…’ (Taha 17-18), by explaining things not asked, was aimed at prolonging the profound state of happiness by remaining in God’s presence a little longer.”
Seclusion and Modern Life
Prof. Dr. Öngören concluded his words by explaining that as the state of inziva/khalwa is repeated at certain intervals, the deeply felt state of ‘huzur’ (presence/peace) is accepted to continue even after the seclusion ends:
“In Sufism, this is called ‘Khalwat dar Anjuman’ (seclusion in the midst of people), meaning to maintain companionship with Allah even while engaged in worldly affairs among the public. Therefore, the purpose of retreating into seclusion is not to live a reclusive life forever, but to live worldly life among people, serving as an example to them, in a state of ‘huzur’ (peace/presence).”