THE PILLARS OF I’TIKAAF
The pillars of i’tikaaf. Intention (niyyah). ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab, May Allah be pleased with him, said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, say: ‘Actions are but by intentions and every man shall have but that which he intended. So he whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for Allah and His Messenger, and he whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take some woman in marriage, his migration was for that for which he intended.’” (Al-Bukhaari, 1/15)
Staying in the mosque. As it says in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“We commanded Ibraaheem and Ismaa’eel that they should purify My House (the Ka‘bah at Makkah) for those who are circumambulating it, or staying (I‘tikaaf), or bowing or prostrating themselves (there, in prayer).” [al-Baqarah 2:125].
This confirms that the place of I’tikaaf is the mosque. This is also indicated by the actions of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, and by his wives and companions after him (may Allah be pleased with them all). And in the hadeeth from Yoonus ibn Zayd that Naafi told him from ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Umar, May Allah be pleased with them both, that the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, used to do I’tikaaf in the last ten days of Ramadhan, Naafi said, ‘Abd-Allah (may Allah be pleased with him) showed me the spot where the Messenger of Allah, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, used to do I’tikaaf in the mosque. (Reported by Muslim, 8/308).
The place, time and starting point of I’tikaaf
The place of I’tikaaf is the mosque, as indicated in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187].
The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, and his wives and companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) used to do I’tikaaf in the mosques, and it is not reported that any of them did I’tikaaf in any place other than the mosque.
The timing of I’tikaaf is during Ramadhan and it is best to be done during the last ten days of the month. But it is permissible at any time during Ramadhan and at other times. It is not restricted to a specific time; indeed it is mustahabb at all times, and it is obligatory if a person makes a vow committing himself to it. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) reported that ‘Umar asked the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, , “I made a vow during the Jahiliyyah that I would spend a night in I’tikaaf in al-Masjid al-Haraam.” He said, “Fulfil your vow.” (al-Bukhaari, 4/809).
The beginning of I’tikaaf is before sunset, for the person who wants to spend a day and night or longer in I’tikaaf. Some scholars said that a person should enter his place of I’tikaaf at Fajr.
The adab (etiquette) of I’tikaaf
There is a certain etiquette which it is mustahabb for the person in I’tikaaf to follow so that his I’tikaaf will be acceptable. The more he adheres to this etiquette, the greater his reward from the Lord of the Worlds will be, and the less he follows it, the less his reward will be.
It is mustahabb for the person in I’tikaaf to keep himself busy with prayer, reading Qur’an, remembering Allah (dhikr) and other kinds of pure worship. He should avoid all kinds of words and actions which will not help him to do this. He should not talk too much, because the one who talks too much, is more likely to say wrong things, and because the hadeeth says, “Part of a person’s being a good Muslim is that he leaves alone that which does not concern him.” He should avoid arguing, disputing, swearing and speaking in an obscene manner, for all of that is makrooh when he is not in I’tikaaf, so it is even more makrooh when he is in I’tikaaf; he should not invalidate his I’tikaaf by doing any of these things. There is nothing wrong with his speaking when he has to, or conversing with others. The two shaykhs (al-Bukhaari and Muslim) narrated that Safiyyah, the wife of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, , came to visit him during his I’tikaaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadhan. She spoke with him for a while, then she got up to leave. The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, stood up to go with her, and when she reached the door of the mosque, by the door of Umm Salamah, two men of the Ansaar passed by and greeted the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him. The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, said to them, “Wait, this is Safiyyah bint Huyay.” They said, “Subhaan Allah, O Messenger of Allah!” They felt distressed (that he thought they might think something bad). The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The Shaytaan is as close to a man as his blood.” According to another report: “(Shaytaan) flows through the veins of a man like blood.” “I was afraid that the Shaytaan might cast some evil ideas into your hearts.”
Al-Hafiz said:
We learn a number of things from this hadith:
It is permissible for the person who is in I’tikaaf to do permissible things such as seeing a visitor out and talking with him, and it is permissible for him to be alone and for a woman to visit him.
‘Abd al-Razzaaq narrated that ‘Ali said: Whoever does I’tikaaf should not engage in obscene speech or swear; he should attend Jumu’ah and funerals, and talk to his family if he needs to, but he should remain standing and not sit with them.
With regard to teaching Qur’an and other (Islamic) knowledge, studying, debating with the fuqaha’, sitting with them and writing down ahaadeeth, there is a difference of opinion among the scholars. According to Imam Ahmad, this is not recommended (not mustahabb), because the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, used to do I’tikaaf and it was not reported that he did anything except devote himself to acts of worship.
Al-Marwazi said:
I said to ‘Abd-Allah that a man was teaching the Quran to others in the mosque and he wanted to do I’tikaaf and perhaps he would complete the Qur’an each day. He said:
If he does that, it will be for himself, but if he sits in the mosque it will be for himself and for others; I prefer for him to teach others.
The view of al-Shafi’i, as recorded in al-Mughni, was: that it is mustahabb because it is the best kind of worship and its benefit is not limited to only one person.
The view of Imam Ahmad is better, and Allah knows best.
NB (1): some people see I’tikaaf as an opportunity to be with some of their friends and spend time chatting with them. This is not good.
There is nothing wrong with a group of people doing I’tikaaf in the mosque, because the wives of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, did I’tikaaf with him, and one of them even did I’tikaaf with him when she was experiencing Istihaadah (non-menstrual bleeding), but she was in the mosque with him. (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 303, 304). So there is nothing wrong with a person doing I’tikaaf with his friend or relative, but the problem arises when I’tikaaf is regarded as an opportunity to stay up late chatting and gossiping, etc. Hence Imam Ibn al-Qayyim, after referring to what some ignorant people do by treating I’tikaaf as an opportunity to get together and visit with one another and chat, said: “This is one thing, and the I’tikaaf of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, was something else altogether.” (Zaad al-Ma’ad).
NB (2): Some people leave their work and neglect their obligations in order to do I’tikaaf. This is not the right attitude, because it is not right for a person to ignore something obligatory in order to do something that is Sunnah. The one who has left his work in order to do I’tikaaf has to stop his I’tikaaf and go back to work so that his earnings will be halaal. But if he can do I’tikaaf during his time off from work, or if he can make an arrangement with his boss, then this is very good.
Things which are forbidden in I’tikaaf
Going out of the mosque. I’tikaaf becomes invalid if a person goes out of the mosque for no reason, because the Messenger, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, did not go out of the mosque except in the case of “human need” i.e., to eat, if it was not possible to have food brought to him. Food used to be brought to him in the mosque, because Saalim says: “As for his food and drink, it was brought to him where he was in his place of I’tikaaf.”
He also used to go out to purify himself from minor impurities and to do wudoo’, as ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, used to put his head into my room whilst he was in the mosque, and I would comb his hair. He would not enter the house except in the case of need when he was in I’tikaaf.” (Fath al-Baari, 4/808).
Touching women – including intercourse. This is something which invalidates I’tikaaf, because it is clearly stated that this is not permitted, in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques” [al-Baqarah 2:187].
Menstruation and post-natal bleeding. If a woman who is in I’tikaaf starts to menstruate or experiences post-natal bleeding, she has to leave the mosque, so as to preserve the purity of the mosque. The same applies to anyone who is in a state of junub (impurity following sexual discharge) – until he does ghusl.
To complete ‘iddah. If the husband of a woman who is in I’tikaaf dies and she is in the mosque, she has to leave the mosque so that she can do her ‘iddah in her house.
Apostasy or leaving Islam. One of the conditions of I’tikaaf is Islam, so the I’tikaaf of an apostate (a person who has left Islam) does not count.
Source: Islam basics
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