Ibn ʿArabī’s Idea of Retreat: Transformation of a Sufi Concept into a Metaphysical Premise

Authors : Sultan Adanır Salihoğlu

Pages : 300-319

Doi:10.35415/sirnakifd.1731429

View : 125 | Download : 277

Publication Date : 2025-12-15

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study examines how khalwa (retreat), a traditional Sufi practice, is paradoxically transformed into a rejection of khalwa in the thought of Ibn ʿArabī. Ibn ʿArabī approaches retreat from two perspectives: The first is the traditional form known in Sufism— retreat from the world, both physically and spiritually, which may be called “practical retreat.” This understanding of khalwa appears to align with the broader Sufi tradition. The second, primarily discussed in his al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya, can be termed “metaphysical retreat,” in which Ibn ʿArabī considers retreat in relation to existence. This distinction holds significant importance in his thought, particularly because he did not address it in any independent work solely on retreat, and because he ultimately concludes that both forms of retreat are, in essence, impossible. Accordingly, this study aims to present an original interpretation and claim regarding retreat as a Sufi practice. According to Ibn ʿArabī, practical retreat becomes invalid once its intended goal is achieved, because the kashf (unveiling) that results from it eliminates the very solitude that was sought, since the person in retreat is now in communion with God. On the other hand, metaphysical retreat is associated with the \\\"void\\\" from which the world emerged, but this too is deemed impossible due to the manifestation of Being. In this context, Being manifests upon the aʿyān al-thābita (immutable entities), making it impossible for the externalized realities to return to their states of non-existence. Thus, retreat, which is associated with the oneness of the Real prior to existence and the affirmative non-existence of the aʿyān al-thābita, is transformed into a metaphysical concept. Ibn ʿArabī also considers this retreat as a \\\"station\\\" (maqām) attained through the Sufi path, asserting that those who reach this spiritual station come to know the truth of existence with the certainty of direct vision (ʿayn al-yaqīn). In conclusion, retreat becomes a practice that, when undertaken, teaches the seeker that both its practical and metaphysical forms are ultimately unattainable.
Keywords : Tasavvuf, İbnü’l-Arabi, Halvet, Metafiziksel Halvet, Halvetin İmkânı

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