1. VIRTUES OF SECLUSION (AL-KHALWA AL-NAFI) AWAY FROM OTHERS
Nothing is more beneficial than remaining away from people, especially for the ascetic (‘abid) and scholar (‘alim). People either make fun of you when you make a mistake, or are eager for you to make a mistake, or are envious of your blessings.
How beautiful is seclusion (‘uzla). You will be free from the dirt of backbiting (ghiba), the harms of pretentiousness, concealing animosity and wasting time. The heart remains free from being preoccupied with mixing with people, so it looks after its worldly and heavenly needs.
Contrarily, a companion occupies you from doing tasks that are important to you. This is just like a person who intends to travel but becomes occupied with vain talk instead of preparing for the trip, until the horn of the ship is blown (to signal departure).
If seclusion had only the virtue of enabling contemplating the departure from this world, it would be enough.
For a scholar and an ascetic, there is no real seclusion. Books of scholars keep them company and talk to them. Looking into the affairs of the Salaf keeps them steadfast, and thinking about past events brings them relief.
Knowledge {‘Uni) elevates them to a status of fully knowing Allah (maqam al-ma’rifa) to the point of loving Him, then their pleasure will double, and they will become preoccupied with this knowledge.
A scholar will enjoy his seclusion with his loved one, and he will act upon the knowledge that he has gained.
Similarly, an ascetic person’s acts of worship keep him company. If the veil is removed for him to see (the reality of) his Lord, then he will no longer feel the presence of creation, and they will not feel his presence either.
Thus both of them went into seclusion and avoided harmful things, so they are in fact not alone. These two types of men have relieved people of their harm, and were relieved from the harm of others.
They are good examples for worshipers and a guide for seekers. A listener benefits from listening to them, their speeches bring tears to the eyes, and their reverence becomes widespread.
If someone wishes to be like them, then let him bear the difficulties of seclusion. His perseverance will bring him sweetness of honey.
I seek refuge with Allah from a scholar who accompanies wealthy people and kings. He pulls them towards himself and they pull him towards themselves, and he cons and gets conned. He only achieves worldly things on the account of his religion.
Where is his pride not to humiliate himself to wrongdoers? Those who do not worry about such things will never feel the taste of knowledge, and will never understand its objectives. It is as if he found himself in a barren desert.
Similarlv, whenever an ascetic person intermingles with others, he shows-off and (riskily) becomes a hypocrite. So he loses on both worldly and heavenly rewards.
Therefore ask Him for a sweet seclusion, and a tasty abandonment of evil that leads to communicating with Him to seek salvation.
He is indeed near and answers prayer.
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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