The human heart, restless and yearning, perpetually seeks its origin. This innate desire for connection with the Divine finds expression in diverse spiritual practices in Islam. Within the rich tapestry of Sufism, the practice of khulwa, or spiritual seclusion, emerges as a potent method for cultivating this intimate communion with God. Khulwa, often misunderstood as mere physical isolation, is, in essence, a profound inward journey, a stripping away of the veils of the ego to reveal the radiant light of the Divine presence within. This solitary path, however, is not without its challenges. Like any transformative process, it demands meticulous adherence to a specific etiquette, an awareness of its potential outcomes, and a vigilant recognition of its inherent pitfalls. Navigating this delicate balance is the focus of this exploration. I will present excerpts from the illuminating manuscript al-Qaṣd ilā Allāh, attributed to the renowned Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī, which I have been editing, along with brief personal reflections. [1] Drawing upon the wisdom of my Shaykh Sidi Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari and this Sufi master, this exploration seeks to unveil the intricacies of khulwa, aiming to clarify its transformative power and the essential guidance needed to traverse its demanding terrain. I pray that these lines illuminate the path of understanding for all who read them, by the blessings of our Shaykh Sidi Mohamed Faouzi al-Karkari and the shaykh of our shuyūkh, Sidi Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī.

The Etiquette and Fruits of Khulwa

The cornerstone of khulwa, as al-Shādhilī emphasizes, is sincere intention (ṣidq). It is not enough to simply withdraw from the world physically; the heart, too, must detach from its preoccupations and attachments. He eloquently states: “Know, may God strengthen you, that if you desire to reach God, seek His assistance and sit upon the carpet of sincerity, witnessing (mushāhada) and remembering Him with truth (ḥaqq). Bind your heart with pure servitude (ubūdiyya) in the path of spiritual knowledge (ma’rifa), and adhere to remembrance (dhikr), vigilance (murāqaba), repentance (tawba), and seeking forgiveness (istighfār).” 

This passage encapsulates the essential elements of a fruitful khulwa: a heart firmly rooted in sincerity, a mind focused on the Divine through remembrance and witnessing, and a spirit continuously purified through repentance and seeking forgiveness.

Seeking God’s help is essential for reaching Him. Our striving (mujāhada), worship (ʿibāda), and righteous deeds will not enable us to attain Him; rather, it is through His grace (faḍl) and generosity (jūd) that we find our way. Sincerity is the carpet upon which we journey to God, accompanied by witnessing (mushāhada). Indeed, in the Shādhilī path, the emphasis on purifying the soul (nafs) and drawing closer to God is ultimately to reach the station of iḥsān—the station of witnessing—as reflected in the hadith: “Worship God as if you see Him.” This journey involves constant remembrance, with both tongue and heart. Vigilance, as expressed in the second part of the hadith, “And if you do not see Him, He sees you,” follows remembrance. This process leads to self-retrospection (muḥāsaba), then to repentance through remorse for past mistakes, seeking forgiveness, abandoning sin, and resolving not to return to it.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī continues his guidance to the seekers, saying: “The essence of dhikr is to remember with your tongue and watch over your heart. Whatever good comes to you from God, accept it, and whatever comes to you from His opposite (ḍudd), reject it.”

How does one engaged in dhikr distinguish between inspirations (wāridāt) from God, which should be accepted, and whispers (khawāṭir) from Satan, which should be rejected? The seeker (sālik) requires a guiding shaykh (shaykh murshid) to illuminate the path to God and protect them from its perils. Highwaymen and obstacles abound, and entering the khulwa with the shaykh’s permission shields the disciple (murīd) from dangers. The seeker, indeed, stands between the realm of angels and the whispers of Satan. With the shaykh’s guidance, he can discern divine inspiration from satanic whispers. God Almighty says, “Indeed, those who fear God—when an impulse touches them from Satan, they remember [Him] and at once they have insight (mubṣirūn).” (7:201)

In this verse, mubṣirūn refers to baṣīra—the eye of the spirit—rather than baṣar, which is the physical eye. Baṣīra enables perception of the unseen, distinct from ordinary sight. Indeed, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said in a hadith narrated by al-Tirmidhi, “Beware the foresight (farāsat) of the believer, for he sees with the light of God.” This divine light illuminates the heart through dhikr, purifying it and polishing the inner mirror, leaving no room for the illusions and images cast by Satan. Instead, divine lights manifest, revealing what ordinary sight cannot perceive, guiding the baṣīra and the self toward divine unveiling (fatḥ).

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī continues: “Embodying sincerity means recognizing your attributes of helplessness, weakness, poverty, and humility (ʿajz, ḍaʿf, faqr, dhilla). Embody this, while gazing at His attributes of self-sufficiency, power, might, and strength (ghinā, qudra, ʿizza, quwwa). These are the attributes of servitude, and those are the attributes of Lordship (rubūbiyya). Sincerity is in adhering to your own attributes and not assuming what is not yours, lest you fall short of perceiving the realities with a truthful heart. Say: ‘O Self-Sufficient One, O Strong One, O Powerful One, O Mighty One! To whom does the helpless turn but to the Powerful? To whom does the humiliated turn but to the Mighty? O Strong One, to whom does the weak turn but to the Strong? O Self-Sufficient One, to whom does the poor turn but to the Self-Sufficient?’”

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī’s teachings on sincerity (ikhlāṣ) reveal a spiritual discipline that requires embracing one’s inherent limitations while recognizing God’s absolute attributes. Shādhilī warns against the subtle spiritual hazard of attempting to transcend these human limitations by assuming qualities that belong solely to the Divine; to do so would be to distort the essence of sincerity, leading the seeker astray. The servant’s safety, and their closeness to God, lies in acknowledging dependence upon the One who is inherently Powerful, Strong, and Self-Sufficient. Therefore, sincere devotion in the practice of seclusion is grounded in humility, for the servant remains a servant, and the Lord remains the Lord. If the servant tries to move from the attributes of servitude to the attributes of Lordship, they will inevitably perish. Thus, Shādhilī’s guidance redefines sincerity as a dynamic posture of humility. This stance is not self-deprecation but a spiritual orientation of the heart, where the soul recognizes that its truest self emerges only in relation to God’s unbounded might and sufficiency. Such sincerity is both grounding and liberating, allowing the seeker to find safety not in self-reliance but in divine reliance, a surrender that transforms servitude into spiritual freedom.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī continues: “The names (asmā’) of victory (nuṣra) upon entering seclusion (ʿuzla)—hold fast to them and do not hasten in any of your affairs—are: ‘In the name of Allah, and from Allah, and to Allah, and upon Him let the believers rely.’ These names bring contentment (riḍā) and expansiveness of the chest (siʿat al-ṣadr) in the face of any constriction you may experience in seclusion.”

Satan’s whispers reside in the chest. God Almighty says, “…who whispers in the breasts of mankind…” (114:5). And the heart resides within the chest. When the chest expands and the heart is filled with light, darkness is expelled, and whispers cannot penetrate. God Almighty says, “Is one whose breast God has opened to Islam, so that he is upon light from his Lord?” (39:22) and “Is one who was dead and We gave him life and made for him a light by which to walk among the people like one who is in darkness, never to emerge from it?” (6:122) The expansion of the chest in seclusion allows the seeker to experience a spaciousness that transcends mere emotional ease, opening a direct channel to divine wisdom that fills the heart through light. In this state, the seeker is no longer vulnerable to internal disruptions; instead, they gain an inner clarity, where divine presence becomes an unshakable reality that leaves no room for the shadows of doubt or fear.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī continues: “The fruits of seclusion and isolation are the gifts of divine grace (mawāhib al-minna), which are four: unveiling of the veil (kashf al-ghiṭā’), descent of mercy (tanzīl al-raḥma), realization of love (taḥaqquq al-maḥabba), and the tongue of truthfulness in speech. God indeed says, ‘So when he had withdrawn from them and that which they worshipped other than God, We gave him…’ (19:49).”

The outcome of khulwa is divine unveiling (fatḥ), wherein God bestows upon His servant the lifting of the veil and insight into secrets, knowledge, and realization. The servant who abandons blameworthy qualities and adorns themselves with praiseworthy ones, drawing from the essences of the divine attributes—as mentioned in the tradition, “Emulate the attributes of God”—passes through three stages in purifying the soul: abandonment (takhallī), adornment (taḥallī), and finally, manifestation (tajallī), which is unveiling and witnessing. This journey is indeed not merely a process of character refinement but a transformation where the self is shaped by divine attributes, allowing it to reflect the light of God’s presence.

God Almighty says about al-Khidr, “Then they found one of Our servants whom We had given mercy and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.” (18:65) God granted this humble servant mercy and divinely inspired knowledge. Likewise, every friend of God (walī), when they reach the station of love described in the hadith, “When I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his sight with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks,” hears with God’s hearing, sees with His sight, strikes with His hand, walks with His foot, and speaks with His tongue. Indeed, after annihilation in God (fanā’) comes subsistence by God (baqā’). This state signifies a level of presence where the walī becomes a vessel for divine action, embodying a life that moves entirely by the will and love of God.

Pitfalls of Seclusion and Their Remedies

Regarding the pitfalls of seclusion (ʿuzla), al-Shādhilī not only mentions them but also provides remedies. He says: “Know that the pitfalls of seclusion for the common folk (ʿawāmm) seeking God Almighty through spiritual knowledge (ma’rifa) and righteousness on the path of realization leading to God Almighty are four: attachment of the self to causes (asbāb), reliance of the heart on a specific means of acquisition (iktisāb), contentment of the intellect with what it attains of closeness, and the enemy’s assaults in forms of wishful thinking that diverts from the goal. Know that the pitfalls for the elite (khawāṣṣ) among them are four: finding solace in whispers (wasāwis), talking about returning and mixing with people, delimiting (taḥdīd)–which is a sign of bankruptcy, and encountering the calls of Truth through the customary senses. For every pitfall, there is a path of striving by returning to the foundations of monotheism (tawḥīd) and ma’rifa, and persevering on the path of righteousness. If you encounter an obstacle arising from attachment to causes or reliance on a specific means of acquisition, bring it back to the understanding that all preordained matters have already been allotted and decreed…”

The shaykh divides those on the path into the common folk and the elite, explaining that both are susceptible to pitfalls in their seclusion. This vulnerability affects especially those who tread the path without the companionship of a true realized shaykh, as such shaykh has traversed this path and knows its dangers, thus serving as a guide for the seeker on their journey. 

The remedy, the shaykh explains, for attachment to causes is faith in what is preordained in God’s knowledge. One must always remember in their heart that what God wills happens, and what He does not will does not happen. Achieving certainty that sustenance is apportioned by the Provider, the Exalted, dispels the thoughts that distract the murīd in their seclusion from the source of their sustenance.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī continues, “If you experience an obstacle from the direction of the intellect being content with what it has attained of knowledge, action, light, guidance, or address from the heart, then be watchful and do not neglect your beginning and your end…” 

Among the diseases of the heart are self-admiration, arrogance, and self-satisfaction. These ailments are particularly serious on the path, as they bring the journey to a halt. Only an experienced shaykh can guide one in overcoming such obstacles. Left unchecked, these inner diseases create a false sense of arrival, tricking the seeker into believing they have reached the destination while actually standing still. The guidance of a shaykh reorients the heart, showing the seeker that the true path is not about accumulating experiences but about continuous self-emptying, a state in which the ego dissolves and makes space for divine presence to flow freely.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī adds, “If you experience an obstacle from the enemies that divert from the goal, which are of three types: either from the direction of worldly life (dunyā), from the afterlife (ākhira), or from subtle bestowals (latā’if), stations (manāzil), and states within spiritual degrees. These all divert from the goal, and the goal is pure servitude, which is the presence of the Truth (al-Ḥaqq), free from any cause related to creation.” 

The murīd must indeed purify their intention before entering khulwa, ensuring their seclusion is solely for God, not for attaining stations, states, or degrees. Only then does seclusion bear its true fruit: unveiling (kashf) and divine inspiration (ilhām). The seeker’s journey is not one of collecting spiritual achievements but of dissolving all attachments, even to the spiritual gifts that arise along the way. By releasing the desire for attainment, the murīd becomes receptive to a deeper presence that transcends the self, where the true unveiling happens as the heart mirrors the undistorted presence of the Divine.

The Shaykh continues: “If you are among the elite seekers and experience whispers in your seclusion that resemble knowledge through ilhām (inspiration) and kashf (unveiling) but arrive through the means of mental imagination (wahm), do not accept them. Return to the established truth from the Book or the Sunna. If you cannot accept it except through them, how can you find solace in delusional whispers? Reject these until you have clear evidence from your Lord, followed by a witness (shāhid) from Him, and then further evidence for that witness. Indeed, true evidence is free from error or ambiguity, and all praise is due to God.”

The Shaykh’s guidance emphasizes the need for caution against accepting insights that appear as ilhām (inspiration) or kashf (unveiling) but are, in reality, rooted in mental imagination (wahm). For the elite seeker, these impressions can be deceptive, imitating divine knowledge yet lacking the true clarity of witnessing tajalliyāt. By grounding all insights in the established truth of the Book and Sunna, the seeker avoids the pitfalls of self-delusion. The walī acts also as a witness (shāhid). He, in fact, provides necessary clarity, helping the seeker discern between authentic inspiration and mere mental impressions, ensuring their journey remains anchored in truth. If the seeker is in the company of an authentic shaykh, they will be taught how to distinguish between whispers and divine inspiration and, by God’s grace, escape Satan’s deception.

Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī further adds: “If you experience the obstacle of wanting to return to people to share what you are experiencing, then you are still with them; you have not left them in any true way. Do not be deceived by the seclusion of your body if your heart remains with those outside. Flee to God, for whoever flees to God, God will shelter them.”

In khulwa, the murīd separates physically from the external world, but they must also empty their heart of all else but God. This inner purification is achieved by striving to remove everything other than God Almighty from the heart. The shaykh’s role in this process is to guide the disciple in their struggle to empty both mind and heart of worldly attachments, using spiritual and practical means to support this endeavor. Only then does the seeker’s journey become an ascent towards the pure presence of the Divine, free from any attachment or distraction.

The shaykh finally says: “If you experience the obstacle of delimiting (taḥdīd), strive against it with knowledge of possible accidents (ʿawāriḍ) from the world that are permissible but could also counter that delimitation. Direct your aspiration toward God with piety (taqwā) so that He may provide a way out from this issue and grant you provision from where you do not expect. If the callers of Truth reveal themselves to you, beware of the pitfalls in relying on sensory perceptions as evidence for unseen realities. Do not turn to such perceptions, lest you be counted among the ignorant. Do not engage with these matters intellectually; remain, upon their arrival, as you were before their appearance, until God Almighty undertakes their clarification and explanation, and He will assume your guidance. ‘And He assumes [the care of] the righteous.’” (7:196)

The Divine Essence is absolute and non-delimited, while the normal human intellect is delimited and incapable of comprehending the unseen. The Shaykh’s counsel addresses the subtle traps of the mind in its tendency to impose limits (taḥdīd) on spiritual experiences, which can block genuine divine understanding. Furthermore, he warns against grounding spiritual insights in sensory perception, which, while concrete, cannot grasp the unseen realms. The true nature of divine realities lies beyond the conventional senses and intellect, accessible only through the heart and baṣīra (eye of the spiritual), through “taste and witnessing.” This inner perception cultivates an understanding that transcends intellectual reasoning and unveils the “non-delimited” nature of the Divine. In encouraging seekers to defer to God’s timing and guidance for clarification, the Shaykh instructs them to patiently await divine insight, trusting in God’s merciful provision as the ultimate path to truth. God Almighty says, “[He is] the Most Merciful. So ask about Him one well informed (khabīr).” (25:59)

The discipline of speculative theology exemplifies this intellectual limitation. The theological Kalām schools, despite extensive debate, have continually diverged on the subject of divine attributes, ultimately failing to achieve the true objective: reaching the station of iḥsān and attaining certain knowledge of God. Genuine knowledge of God is realized through spiritual experience (ḥāl) and taste (dhawq), not through dialectical discourse. The true expert in this realm is not the speculative theologian but the walī, whom God has uniquely endowed with divine sciences, knowledge, and secrets. Thus, the path to true knowledge of God lies beyond intellectual reasoning, grounded instead in experiential intimacy and inner transformation; by prioritizing spiritual witnessing over theoretical discourse, seekers open themselves to a more authentic understanding of the Divine.

Footnotes:

[1] In this work, I am using my edited version of al-Qaṣd ilā Allāh, based on manuscripts attributed to Shaykh Abū al-Ḥasan al-Shādhilī found in Tunis. The manuscripts I worked with include three versions: the primary manuscript (no. 22601), dated to Dhū al-Ḥijja 1088, consisting of 76 folios in Maghribi script; a second manuscript (no. 15444), housed in the Aḥmadiyya Library in Tunisia, containing additional invocations and descriptions, stamped by Sultan Aḥmad Bāshā in 1268; and a third manuscript (no. 9822) from the ʿAbdaliyya Library, completed in Rajab 1263.