Draft:Chilla-nishini
Chilla-nishīnī or Arbaʿīniyya refers to a forty-day period of seclusion dedicated to asceticism and worship, undertaken to acquire the spiritual capacity required for spiritual wayfaring. Proponents of this practice often cite a narration attributed to the Prophet (s), which states that whoever purifies himself for God for forty days, God will cause the springs of wisdom to flow from his heart to his tongue. The forty-day miqat of God with Moses (a) is also frequently adduced as a scriptural precedent. Conversely, some jurists and mystics have opposed Chilla-nishīnī, deeming it an innovation.
Adherence to the permission and supervision of a master, maintenance of bodily purity, remaining constantly in the state of wudu, silence, fasting or reduced food intake, sincerity of intention, consistency in remembrance, Presence of heart, and physical and spiritual readiness are among the prescribed etiquettes of Chilla-nishīnī. The most renowned form is the Mosaic Chilla, which commemorates Moses' (a) forty-day miqat on Mount Sinai.
Meaning
Chilla-nishīnī denotes a forty-day retreat undertaken for the purpose of asceticism and worship.[1] This tradition has historically been prevalent among ascetics and dervishes.[2] The practice is also referred to as Arbaʿīn or Arbaʿīniyya.[3]
Rationale and Documentation of Chilla-nishini
The primary objective of Chilla-nishīnī is said to be the attainment of the requisite aptitude for spiritual wayfaring.[4] It is reported that Sufis cite a well-known hadith from the Holy Prophet (s) regarding seclusion for a forty-day duration,[5] in which it is stated: "Whoever purifies himself for God for forty days, God will make the springs of wisdom flow from his heart to his tongue."[6] Additionally, some believe that the number forty is a sacred figure possessing esoteric secrets; consequently, wayfarers choose a duration of forty days for asceticism to purify the soul and control carnal desires.[citation needed]
Qur'an 2:51 and Qur'an 7:142, which recount the forty-day miqat of God with Moses (a), are cited as further scriptural documentation for Chilla-nishīnī.[7] However, some scholars maintain that Chilla-nishīnī did not exist during the era of the Prophet (s).[8]
Opposition to Chilla-nishini
From the perspective of jurists such as Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani, the practice of Chilla-nishīnī is considered a fabricated method lacking basis in the Shari'a.[9] Certain mujtahids, such as Mohammad Javad Fazel Lankarani, have religiously rejected Chilla-nishīnī—understood as seclusion and confinement at home for worship—attributing the practice instead to mystics and Sufism.[10]
It is noted that some Sufis also did not regard Chilla-nishīnī as a sunnah of Muslims, classifying it instead as an innovation. In their view, aiding the needy and the oppressed is far more beneficial than Chilla-nishīnī.[11]
Etiquettes of Chilla-nishini
Various etiquettes and conditions have been prescribed for Chilla-nishīnī, including the permission and supervision of a master, bodily purity, remaining constantly in the state of wudu, silence, fasting or reduced food intake, sincerity of intention, consistency in dhikr, Presence of heart, and physical and spiritual readiness.[12] Certain Sufi orders have recommended additional protocols, such as sitting towards the Qibla in a cross-legged or kneeling position, abstaining from animal products, keeping vigil at night, covering the head when exiting the chilla-khāna (seclusion room), avoiding leaning while sitting, and keeping the eyes closed.[13]
Mosaic Chilla and Inverse Chilla
The most renowned form of Chilla-nishīnī is the Mosaic Chilla, which commemorates Moses' (a) forty-day miqat on Mount Sinai. This chilla commences on the first of Dhu l-Qa'da and concludes on the tenth of Dhu l-Hijja.[14] Another variation, known as the "inverse chilla" (chilla-yi maʿkūs), was practiced by certain Sufi groups; this involved the wayfarer hanging upside down in a well to engage in remembrance and meditation for forty days.[15]
Literature
The tradition of Chilla-nishīnī is reflected in Persian literature, including the works of Hafiz Shirazi: Template:Poem Nizami Ganjavi also wrote prior to Hafiz: Template:Poem Similarly, in the poetry of Wahdat Kirmanshahi: Template:Poem
Notes
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", p. 102; Dehkhudā, Farhang-i Dehkhudā, under "Chilla-nishastan".
- ↑ Dehkhudā, Farhang-i Dehkhudā, under "Chilla-nishastan".
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", p. 102.
- ↑ See: Baḥr al-ʿUlūm, Risāla-yi sayr wa sulūk, 1422 AH, pp. 39-40.
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", p. 102.
- ↑ Al-Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā (a), 1378 AH, vol. 2, p. 69; Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Al-Wāfī, 1406 AH, vol. 1, p. 10; Baḥr al-ʿUlūm, Risāla-yi sayr wa sulūk, 1422 AH, pp. 28, 29.
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", p. 102.
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", p. 102.
- ↑ Ṣāfī Gulpāyigānī, Maʿārif-i dīn, 1391 Sh, vol. 3, p. 350.
- ↑ "Dar manābiʿ-i dīnī chīzī bi-nām-i chilla-nishīnī nadārīm", Fazel Lankarani Website.
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", p. 103.
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", p. 102.
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", p. 102.
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", pp. 102-103.
- ↑ Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", pp. 102-103.
References
- Baḥr al-ʿUlūm (Ṭabāṭabāʾī Najafī), Sayyid Mahdī, Risāla-yi sayr wa sulūk mansūb bi-Baḥr al-ʿUlūm, commentary by Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ḥusaynī Ṭihrānī, Mashhad, Nūr-i Malakūt-i Qurʾān, 1422 AH.
- "Hāfiẓ Shīrāzī, Ghazaliyyāt, Ghazal 483", Ganjoor Website, accessed: Bahman 25, 1404 Sh.
- "Dar manābiʿ-i dīnī chīzī bi-nām-i chilla-nishīnī nadārīm", Fazel Lankarani Website, date of insertion: Khordad 22, 1400 Sh, accessed: Khordad 23, 1402 Sh.
- Dehkhudā, ʿAlī Akbar, Lughat-nāma, Tehran, University of Tehran Press, 1st ed., 1373 Sh.
- Al-Shaykh al-Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. Bābawayh, ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā (a), Tehran, Nashr-i Jahān, 1378 AH.
- Ṣāfī Gulpāyigānī, Luṭf Allāh, Maʿārif-i dīn (vol. 3), Qom, Office for the Collection and Publication of the Works of Grand Ayatollah Safi Golpaygani, 1391 Sh.
- Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Muḥammad Muḥsin, Al-Wāfī, Isfahan, Imam Amir al-Mu'minin Ali (a) Library, 1406 AH.
- Kāshānī Bīdkhtī, Ḥusayn ʿAlī, "Chilla/Chilla-nishīnī", Dānishnāma-yi Jahān-i Islām, vol. 12, Tehran, Islamic Encyclopedia Foundation, 1387 Sh.
- "Niẓāmī Ganjavī, Makhzan al-Asrār, Section 32, Seventh Discourse on the Virtue of Man over Animals", Ganjoor Website, accessed: Khordad 30, 1402 Sh.
- "Waḥdat Kirmānshāhī, Ghazaliyyāt, Ghazal 59", Ganjoor Website, accessed: Khordad 30, 1402 Sh.