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SECLUSION
Halvet
means to remember Allah and be busy with Him without involving
anything in an isolated place. It is defined as “It
is the talk of heart with Allah in a place where no one
can see, and beg from Him, This is the reality of halvet/seclusion.
And it is form is to direct to Allah by separating from
the others in a solitary place in order to reach this truth.”
Hadrat Muhammed -the
Messenger of Allah- before he became a Prophet, -peace be
upon him- went into retreat in the cave of Hira (light)
and worship there for a few night especially in the month
of Ramadan, when his food is consumed he went to home to
take provisions and contunie to worship by going into retreat
in the cave again. In Hadith book of Buhari, in the section
of “The start of Revelation” a hadith communicated
by Hadrat Aisha it is said that: For years The Prophet was
going to retirement in specific times and worship to His
Lord, after this long period of reflection, considering
and worship, the revelation started as valid dreams then
it turned to be the appearance of the Angel and Hadrat Muhammed
was honored with being Prophet. When he faced with the Angel
for the first time, Hadrat Muhammed feared and went back
to home and said to his wife Hadrat Hatije:
- I am afraid that something may happen to my mind. Hatije
said:
- No. You should be glad. I take an oath in the name of
Allah that He never ruins you. You are such a person that
you visit your relatives, dress the poors, treat the guests
with respect and help to people who are in difficulty and
met with disaster.
Later Hatice guided him to Varaka bin Nevfel. He was an
old man who became a Christian in pre-Islam and knew writing
in Hebrew, wrote something from Bible and who became blind
in time.
After listening to The Prophet Varaka said:
-This thing you saw is the canonical law revealed to Moses.
(You are being given the law of Allah) O I wish I had been
young in the days of your call that I would have helped
you when your people would push you out from your country!
The Prophet asked that why his people will push him out
from his country. Varaka said:
-Everyone who brought something similar to yours has met
with enmity. And short time later Varaka passed away. (1)
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(1) Buhâri
This hadith which tells
how revelation started shows us that Hadrat Muhammed-peace
be upon him- withdrew into seclusion and worshipped before
being Prophet. Also after being Prophet, his going into
retreat in the last ten days of Ramazan is nothing but “halvet”.
Going into retirement -itikaf- which was contunied by his
wives after him, became a strong Sunnah. Therefore the devotional
retirement -halvet- of Sufis is not an innovation in religion.
It is a Sunnah which prepared The Messenger of Allah to
the degree of receiving Revelation. The following verse
states that Prophet Moses attained the degree of hearing
the Word of Allah after a retirement of forty days:
“We
appointed for Moses thirty nights and completed (the period)
with ten (more): thus was completed the term (of communion)
with his Lord forty nights. And Moses had charged his brother
Aaron (before he went up): "Act for me amongst my people:
do right and follow not the way of those who do mischief.”
“When Moses came to the place appointed by Us and
his Lord addressed him He said: "O my Lord! show (Thyself)
to me that I may look upon thee." Allah said: "by
no means canst thou see Me (direct); but look upon the mount;
if it abide in its place then shalt thou see Me." When
his Lord manifested his glory on the mount He made it as
dust and Moses fell down in a swoon. When he recovered his
senses he said: "Glory be to Thee! to thee I turn in
repentance and I am the first to believe." (Allah)
said: "O Moses! I have chosen thee above (other) men
by the mission I (have given thee) and the words I (have
spoken to thee): take then the (revelation) which I give
thee and be of those who give thanks.” (1)
As it is seen as Hadrat
Prophet experienced a period of being perfected before he
received Revelation, Hadrat Moses also passed this period,
also the mother of Hadrat Jesus, Mary attained the purity
that she could receive spiritual sustenance in retreat (halvet).
That means “halvet” is a tradition of Prophets
in their state of beginning, and of pious people. The Inspiration
of Allah led them to this application. The words of Hadrat
Muhammed also prove this statement:
“The most beutiful way of life among people
is the one of that man; who holds the halter of his horse
for jihad -holy war-when he hears a voice or shouts from
the enemy he immediately jumps onto his horse and runs to
war, he either wants to kill or to be killed. And that man
who has a small ship in those mountains or valleys, he lives
there, perform worship (namaz), gives alms and until the
time of death he worships to his Lord and he gives no harm
to anybody. (2)
From The Companions
of Our Prophet Ashab-i Suffa ( poor young men who always
were occupied with learning and worship ) are the Imam -leaders-
of retreat. Kushayri says: “-halvet- is the attribute
of the people of purity and, recluse is a sign of meeting
(with Allah). At the beginning, a disciple of Sufi order
should leave the sons of his genus (people) and withdraw
into seclusion -halvet- to attain the truth in familiarity.
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(1) Chapter A’râf, 7/142-143.
(2) Tecrid-i Sraih Translation
But while going into
retreat one shouldn’t have the intention of being
far a way from the badness of people but the intention of
not to touch his own badness to others, he shouldn’t
consider himself as superior to others but consider people
as superior to himself. Those who think in the first way-
consider themselves as superior - are haughty and who think
in the second way -consider themselves inferior- are the
modest ones. (1)
In appearance, retirement
is to leave crowd but in reality it is to leave some attributes,
habits. The important thing is not to change ones place
but to leave the habits. Because of that Sufis says: “A
sagacious person is together with people in appearance but
in reality he is together with Allah”
Ebû Alî
ed-Dakkak said: “When you are together wit people
dress like them, eat what they eat but leave them with your
soul -Be with your Lord-“And he continued: “A
man came to my near and said: ‘I have come from a
distant place’ I said:’ This is not something
which can be realized by passing over distances and by making
difficult journeys. Leave your spirit-nefs- for one step.
Then you will attain your goal”
It is narrated that
Ebu Yezid said: “I saw My Lord The Most High in my
sleep. I asked Him: ‘How can I find you?’ He
said: ‘Leave your “nefs/ego” and then
come’”
Also Ebû Osman
el-Magribî told: “Someone who prefers retirement
to conversation looses his desires of everything other than
mentioning the Name of his Lord. There is no wish left in
him other than the Consent of Allah. The retreat of someone
who is not at this degree, leads him to instigation and
troubles.” (2)
Suhreverdi said: “
When Sufis withdraw into seclusion and worship sincerely,
Allah gives them some states that they will have familiarity
in their -halvet- in return of the things that they abandon.
Indeed the retirement of these people are not limited but
lasting. The retreat of forty days is a time for the rising
of Allah’s endowments and a training period for the
coming of “futuhhat”- to attain the divine endowments-.
But there are some people who hear that Sufis in retirement
attained some wonders and withdraw into seclusion not with
a good intention and sincerety but just for attaining the
wonders, this is a perverted behaviour. Sufis do not go
into retirement-halvet- to attain wonders but just to protect
their spirits, to make worship peculiar only to Allah and
being far a way from hypocrisy.”
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(1) Treatise of Kushayri.
(2) Treatise of Kushayri.
In forty days of seclusion
“erbain“ Sufis ask the things what they always
ask. Their intention in “erbain” is not different
from other times. But because the influence of times are
different they want to limit this period with forty days
so that the influence of this forty day spread to other
times, always to be in a state that they experienced in
those forty days. Especially the hadith of Our Prophet-
peace be upon him-:
“Someone who worships to Allah sincerely for forty
mornings, the springs of wisdom spurts from his heart to
his tongue.” And in the verse which states that Prophet
Moses went into retreat before His Speaking to Allah, the
retreat of forty days is mentioned. So Sufis consider such
a retreat as necessary for the beginning.
Indeed to the people
who lead his spirit to worship with all his heart, the mysteries
of Divine nature are opened. But there is a deep meaning
in the limitation of this time with forty days that only
Prophets or other people like saints to whom Allah informs
can know the truth of it.
When a born servant
turns to Allah by leaving the anxiety of living and the
struggles of world, everyday a veil is lifted from his heart.
As a veil is lifted the servants come closer to the degree
of Divinity which is the source of all knowledge. When the
forty nights are completed, all spiritual knowledge starts
to flow to his heart.
Indeed all knowledge
is consisted of the evident things which are transformed
into lights with the hit by the magic substance of High
Divine Light. The creatures are transformed into lights
with the reflection of Divine Light. The conversation of
Divine Light with the spirit turns to the knowledge of Inspiration
and the subconscious become suitable to receive the Lights
of Greatness. If there were no subconscious, Divine knowledge
wouldn’t be seen on spirit. Because subconscious is
like a vessel to contain Lights. The heart itself is not
in a position to accept knowledge. Heart can receive knowledge
with its conversation with spirit (with subconscious). The
word of The Prophet-peace be upon him-: “The springs
of wisdom rise from the heart to tongue” indicates
the position of heart. Since heart has two sides that one
of them looks to the visible world and the other looks to
the invisible world. The one which looks to visible world
is turned to spirit-nefs- and the other is turned to the
soul.
Thus by means of those
two sides, heart takes the knowledge hidden in the spirit
and raises it to the tongue which does the task of interpreter.
The essence of the knowledge is in the heart. According
to its degree knowledge comes to heart from Allah The Most
High, .by means of inspirations. When the born servant leaves
the preoccupations of world and withdrew into worship to
Allah-May His Glory Be Exalted- and when he empties anything
in his heart other than Allah, he exceeds the limits of
body and receives the jewels of knowledge from the mine
of soul. In a hadith it is declared: “People are like
metals similar to gold and silver. Someone who doesn’t
give up this world cannot attain wisdom. At the end of “erbain”-forty
days of retreat- if the person can not attain wisdom that
means he didn’t observe the conditions of “erbain”
and didn’t give himself completely to Allah. Who didn’t
give himself to Allah sincerely means he didn’t worship
to Allah The Most High. Because Allah -May His Glory be
exalted-declares that:
“And
they have been commanded no more than this: to worship Allah
offering Him sincere devotion being true (in faith); to
establish regular Prayer; and to practice regular Charity;
and that is the Religion Right and Straight.” (1)
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(1) Chapter Beyyine, 98/5. |