A person who, through physical purification cleanses their body and through spiritual purification elevates their consciousness to a point where they can embrace the Sufi way of life, enters this world through ceremonies conducted according to the methods of the tariqa (Sufi path/order). With this entry, their spiritual training also begins.
The murīd’s (aspirant, disciple) first serious and difficult trial is khalwa (spiritual retreat). Khalwa, which means not mixing with society and being alone, refers to occupying oneself with contemplation and worship day and night in a quiet corner under the supervision and oversight of the shaykh. Although the duration of khalwa varies according to time, place, and circumstances, the common period is forty days. During this period, the candidate is left alone with themselves and focuses their thoughts upon themselves. They come to know themselves and call themselves to account. All acts of worship they perform, the methods they follow, and the lifestyle they adopt will be in accordance with the recommendations of their shaykh. Indeed, even the dreams they see must be recounted to their master with complete clarity, and they must listen to his interpretation.
The period of khalwa is intertwined with a life of mujāhada (spiritual struggle) and riyāḍa (ascetic discipline). Three things are recommended to resist the evil desires of the nafs (the lower self) and to accustom the heart and mind to good things: speak little, sleep little, eat little. In this way, while the needs of the body are minimized, it becomes easier to meet the needs of the ruh (the spirit).
Tustarī points to the connection between tawba (repentance) and khalwa: “The speaking little of one who does not fulfill all the requirements of khalwa is of no use. The repentance of one who does not accustom their nafs to silence cannot be sound.”
It is incorrect to equate the entirety of Sufi life with the life of khalwa. This is a method practiced for a certain period with specific exercises to attain particular strengths. What is essential is to live within society. It is to live in such a way as to benefit people without harming them. Khalwa imparts these faculties to a person.
The principle of “Khalwa dar anjuman,” which, although one of the fundamentals of the Naqshbandiyya, is accepted in all tariqas, also points to this truth. This Persian expression means “solitude in the crowd.” That is, to be physically and occupationally within society, but to be with Allah in the realm of the heart.
Khalwa is also called chilla, arbaʿīn, and uzla (seclusion). Chillahane and khalwathane have the same meaning. Not everyone who enters khalwa completes this period successfully. Its proper outcome depends on the candidate’s effort and sabr (patient endurance), as well as the shaykh’s ability to guide. According to the Sufis, one of the places where shayṭān (Satan) most actively seeks to intervene is the khalwa chambers.
To struggle against the desires of the nafs and to overcome them is the greatest jihad (jihād al-akbar). Khalwa, which is aimed at realizing this, existed in the early centuries, but its method and procedures were developed during the era of the tariqas and were bound to specific rules and ceremonies. Through khalwa, one tastes the Sufi life. The mysterious world of relying upon and trusting in Allah (tawakkul) is opened.