Khalwa


Khalwa has several meanings in Sufism, Islamic jurisprudence, and the Druze religion, which in some way derive from the concept of being alone or withdrawing from the world.

Sufism

In Sufism, a solitary retreat, traditionally for forty days, during which a disciple does extensive spiritual exercises under the direction of a Sufi master.
A Sufi murid will enter the khalwa spiritual retreat under the direction of a shaykh for a given period, sometimes for as long as 40 days, emerging only to pray and, usually, to discuss dreams, visions and live with the shaykh. Once a major element of Sufi practice, khalwa has become less frequent in recent years.
It is the act of total self-abandonment in desire for the Divine Presence. In complete seclusion, the Sufi continuously repeats the name of God as a highest form of dhikr, remembrance of God. Then, "Almighty God will spread before him the degrees of the kingdom as a test".
Other Sufi uses include:
In Islamic jurisprudence, it is a state in which two people, male and female, are alone and, if unmarried, it is a state from which they ought to remove themselves. For example, in Malaysia in 2009, 197 students "were caught for khalwat" in the state of Kuala Terengganu within seven months. Muslims there who are unmarried, non-relatives of a person of the opposite sex can be apprehended by state religious police under the offence of khalwat. Religious Department enforcement officers can conduct "checks, surveillance and raids to curtail khalwat cases," catch "students from secondary schools and higher learning institutes...for khalwat" and advise "youth organisations and student leaders on the bane of committing khalwat."
The prohibition of khalwa in Islam is comparable to that of in Judaism of the equivalent concept of yichud.

In the Druze religion

is the name of the prayer-houses of the Druze religion.