Persian · noun · Spirit & the Divine

Chilla

चिल्ला

said CHIL-laa

Meaning

A forty-day retreat of seclusion, fasting and intensive devotion undertaken by a seeker.

Literally: forty

Usage & notes

Iqbal respects ascetic discipline yet measures it by the strength of self it forges, not by withdrawal from the world.

Related words

Spiritual austerity and disciplined exercise undertaken to train and purify the lower self.

The inner spiritual struggle against the carnal self, the greater jihad of self-discipline.