Is Monastic Seclusion Established from the Pious Elders?

Question

(1) There is no monasticism (rahbaniyya) in Islam — so why did ‘Abd al-Qadir Jilani spend twenty-five years in the forest? (2) Are these noble personages exempt from this [ruling]? (3) People say that, since the beloved Prophet ﷺ worshipped in the cave of Hira for twenty-five years, ‘Abd al-Qadir Jilani therefore spent twenty-five years in the forest — to what extent is this correct?

Answer

(1) Whether it be Hazrat Sayyid ‘Abd al-Qadir Jilani or any other elder, a [spiritual] state overcame him because of which he became without [personal] control; he did not do this by declaring it a ruling of the Sacred Law. (2) No, no one is exempt. If a person abstains from carnal indulgences (huzuz nafsaniyya)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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