Chilla (retreat)

This article is about Sufi practice. For other uses, see Chilla.

Sufi Maulvi (teacher) meditating

Chilla (Persian: چله, Arabic: أربعين, both literally "forty"), also known as Chilla-nashini, is a spiritual practice of penance and solitude in Sufism known mostly in Indian and Persian traditions. In this ritual a mendicant or ascetic attempts to remain seated in a circle practicing meditation techniques without food for 40 days and nights in imitation of the Arba'een.[1][2]

Etymology

The word chilla is derived from the Persian word chehel "forty".[3]

Chilla-khana

Chilla is commonly performed in a solitary cell called a chilla-khana.[4] The place itself is sometimes called Chilla where chilla has been performed.[4]

Incidents of Chilla

The most famous case of chilla is found in the biographies of the 14th century Sufi poet Hafez of Shiraz.[5][6][7]

In music

Main article: Chilla katna

A practice similar to chilla is also performed by Hindustani classical music practitioners at an advanced level. It is called chilla katna.

See also

• Khalwa
• Meditation
• Sādhanā
• Shugendō
• Tabligh Jamaat

References

1. Landolt & Lawson 2005, p. 203.
2. Dehlvi 2012, p. 109.
3. "The Path of Khalwati and Shabani". Archived from the original on 2005-01-11. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
4. Ireland, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and (1896). Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain & Ireland. Cambridge University Press for the Royal Asiatic Society. p. 328.
5. "Teachings of Hafiz". www.sacred-texts.com.
6. "Biography of Hafiz". www.hafizonlove.com.
7. "Persian Language & Literature: Hafez Shirazi". www.iranchamber.com.

Bibliography

• Dehlvi, Sadia (5 September 2012). Sufism: Heart of Islam. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 978-93-5029-448-2.
• Landolt, Hermann; Lawson, Todd (2005). Reason and Inspiration in Islam: Theology, Philosophy and Mysticism in Muslim Thought. I.B.Tauris. ISBN 978-1-85043-470-2.