One of the most powerful spiritual practices in Islam that is geared towards the goal of attaining enlightenment and a deeper connection with the divine presence of God is Khalwa, or spiritual seclusion. Seclusion requires the seeker to disconnect himself from people and to disengage himself from all material interactions for a period of time.
The word ‘Khalwa’ can be translated as “seclusion”, and in Islamic spirituality, it is used to refer to withdrawing oneself from ‘Dunya’, the manifest world of form, typically for a period of intense meditation and reflection.
By understanding, practising, applying and incorporating khalwa in your life, the seeker has a powerful opportunity to not only transcend illusion and the vanity of the self, but to awaken to Truth, discovering the imminence of the Divine Presence and establishing a permanent connection with the Source of all that is.
An Islamic scholar, Imam Lateef Sulaiman, noted that Khalwa was practised by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) throughout his life, both before and after receiving revelation. In fact, it was during immersions in Khalwa that the Prophet received not only insight, but
revelation itself.
He added, “Khalwa is a kind of isolation and its shortest time limit is 40 days, as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an. To quote Sayiddina Musa in Surah Al-Baqarah 51, “And remember, we appointed 40 nights for Moses”. Muslim, another early scholar, narrated that the Prophet (SAW) made seclusion in the cave of Ara for one complete
month.
“Its aim is to clean the heart from the connection to this world of material pleasures, and to bring it to a state of remembrance of Allah, the Almighty, the
Exalted.
“In Khalwa, countless visions occur, and it elevates the mind to a state of knowing the self, and from there, to a state of knowing Allah. There is always a recitation and engagement of Dhikr.”
Sulaiman further explained the importance of Khalwa, saying, “By learning how to effectively apply the principle of khalwa to your life and spiritual practice, you progressively increase your inner peace and happiness. Through such spiritual practice, you’re dependent within, solely subsistent upon the light of the Divine, rather than upon external elements.
“Owing to the distracting nature of the world, also known as Dunya, it is nearly impossible to
awaken to such truth and purpose without the active application of the principle of khalwa in consistent spiritual practice. So in such a state, you naturally attract barakah, that is, blessings and
success.”
He concluded that regarding the importance of khalwa and meditation, the Holy Messenger (SAW), the Seal of the Prophets, said, “One hour of introspection is more valuable than 70 years of worship.
“For without meditation and contemplation of Islamic spirituality, the religion degenerates and ultimately fails to serve its very purpose of evolving and awakening
humanity.”
