M1:651 — روی در دیوار کن تنها نشین / وز وجود خویش هم خلوت گُزین

This verse is the core of a command the Christian vizier claims to have received from Jesus. Having feigned death to escape his worldly duties, he now instructs his followers from behind a closed door, telling them that true spiritual practice requires a radical form of retreat (khalwat).

The first hemistich, "Turn your face to the wall and sit alone," is a literal instruction for contemplative practice, invoking an image of complete disengagement from the external world. It signifies turning away from all distractions and social interactions.

The second hemistich deepens this command immensely. The ultimate retreat is not just from others, but "from your own existence" (wujūd-i khwish). This points to the Sufi goal of transcending the ego-self (nafs), with all its desires, thoughts, and attachments. The real seclusion is an inner one, where the seeker becomes absent to their own sense of selfhood in order to become present to God. It is the final, most difficult stage of spiritual isolation.