Khalwa (Sufism)
Solitary retreat in Sufism
Khalwa ( Arabic : خلوة , also khalwat ; lit., "solitude"; pronounced in Iran , "khalvat"; spelling in Turkish , halvet ) has several meanings in Sufism , Islamic jurisprudence, and the Druze religion, which in some way derive from the concept of being alone or withdrawing from the world.
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In Sufism , a solitary retreat , traditionally for forty days , during which a disciple does extensive spiritual exercises under the direction of a shaykh . [1]
A Sufi murid will enter the khalwa spiritual retreat under the direction of a shaykh for a given period, sometimes for as long as 40 days, emerging only for salah (daily prayers) and, usually, to discuss dreams, visions and live with the shaykh. Once a major element of Sufi practice, khalwa has become less frequent in recent years.
It is the act of total self-abandonment in desire for the Divine Presence. In complete seclusion, the Sufi continuously repeats the name of God as a highest form of dhikr , remembrance of God. Then, "Almighty God will spread before him the degrees of the kingdom as a test".
Other Sufi uses include:
- A religious school is known as "a khalwa" [2] in Sudanese Arabic . This reflects the former dominance of Sufism in the Sudan.
- The Khalwati order (Halveti) of Sufism derives its name from the term "khalwa".
In Islamic jurisprudence
In Islamic jurisprudence, it is a state in which two people, male and female, are alone and, if unmarried, it is a state from which they ought to remove themselves.
The prohibition of khalwa in Islam is comparable to that of in Judaism of the equivalent concept of yichud .
In architecture
The underground prayer chamber in the traditional mosques of central Arabia ( Najd ) is termed a khālwa . [3]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/DrusischerTempel.jpg/220px-DrusischerTempel.jpg)
See also
References
- ↑ "Mevlevi Terms and Definitions" . www.dar-al-masnavi.org .
- ↑ Revealed: chaining, beatings and torture inside Sudan's Islamic schools The Guardian, 2020
- ↑ For an illustration of an example, see NBHC-SCTH. (2022). ٱلْمَمْلَكَة ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة ٱلسُّعُوْدِيَّة. الدِرْعِيّة. في حي السهل البجيري. مسجد الظويهر. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6967388
- ↑ Samy S. Swayd (2009). The A to Z of the Druzes . Rowman & Littlefield . p. xxxix. ISBN 978-0-8108-6836-6 .
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