Question:
ASALAMALYKUM WARAHATHULLAHI WABARIKATHU
AM I ALLOWED TO PERFORM SECLUSION (3 months – 5 years) BY MYSELF , OR DO I NEED PERMISSION FROM SHAYKH NAZIM UL HAQQANI. I AM CURRENTLY 17 YEARS OF AGE AND LIVE IN US, BUT I WANT TO INSHALLAH VISIT BELOVED SHAYKH NEXT YEAR.
Jazakallah
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
May Allah grant you according to your pure niyyah, intention, with the baraka of our master Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Nazim al-Haqqani and the prayers of Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani.
The correct (sahih) seclusion, is the one which is ordered by the Shaykh, who received the order from the Prophet (s), as Mawlana Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani said in a suhbat 17th October, 2003:
Muraqabah and Khalwah
There are six levels of seclusion, from highest to lowest: Arba`een (40 days), khalwat (seclusion), `uzla (isolation), riyada (training), suluk (spiritual wayfaring),` itikaaf (staying in worship in the mosque).
Pushing yourself in khalwah will not work. As you go in you come out.
I only went into khalwah with Mawlana’s order in 1996. … So he ordered me into seclusion that Rajab after the [first Unity] Conference. Then when people heard I was going and Shaykh Adnan as well, they ran to come and join. They pushed and Mawlana said “yes, as you like” but that is not of benefit. So some came in khalwah with me and some with Shaykh Adnan. But without the order of the Prophet it is of no benefit (on the spiritual level). For suluk it is ok, but for spiritual benefits it is not ok.
But he pushed himself for that khalwat (several years) and Mawlana told him, “as you go in so you come out.” And many asked to go in with him. But for suluk it is ok.
The only strong power now is muraqaba. To tie yourself. Rabita and muraqaba are two different levels. You begin with muraqaba and end with rabita. Muraqaba is to imagine yourself with the Shaykh and rabita is to tie yourself with him so you cannot move except with his movements.
Taher Siddiqui
