Abstract:
Among religious teachings, the concept of solitude is of great importance. Mystics also recommended the solitude to the seekers of the way of God. Man is naturally a social being, which has to have an effective relationship with the society. Solitude means separation from people and connection with God. To have a happy life and to complete the rational soul, some mystics prefer solitude to companionship with others. In contrast, others had a social view of mysticism and believed that, some of the seeker’s and mystic’s existential capacities are perfected in the shadow of fellowship with the people and avoiding associating with people in society causes the negligence of the social dimension of human beings. Therefore, they have established a connection between solitude and the social dimension of human life. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this paper analyzes the possibility of connection between solitude and the social dimension of man. The findings show that, solitude is a temporary and esoteric process that takes place at the beginning of a spiritual conduct, and it does not prevent mystic’s social presence as has been the practice of the great mystics.