Itikaaf - An introduction

Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran: 

 

…And refrain from having sexual contact with your wives, whilst you are in ‘Itikaaf in the mosques...  Surah Baqarah (2:187)

 

‘Itikaaf literally means committing oneself to stay put in a place.  In the terminology of the Shariah, it means to stay day and night in a mosque while fasting with the intention of worship.  There are 3 types of ‘Itikaaf, Compulsory (Wajib), Sunnah and Nafl (supererogatory). 

 

Compulsory ‘Itikaaf is when someone takes an oath to perform ‘Itikaaf for a set number of days, etc. and thus makes it Compulsory upon himself (or herself).

 

Sunnah ‘Itikaaf is to perform ‘Itikaaf for the last 10 days of Ramadhan.  This is Sunnah Moukkada Kifayah.  If no one from the locality performs ‘Itikaaf in the local mosque, then everybody will be held accountable for it.

 

Apart from the aforementioned two situations, any time someone stays in a mosque, it is Commendable (Mustahab) ‘Itikaaf.  The minimum time period for this is a moment (1 Sa’aah).  Even in this, it is better that one fasts and if one is performing Supererogatory ‘Itikaaf for one day and one night, then it is highly reasonable that one should fast as well.

 

‘Itikaaf is permissible only in a mosque where all the 5 daily Salaat are offered.  The most excellence place for ‘Itikaaf is in Masjid Haraam i.e. the Ka’aba, then Masjid Nabawi, the Prophet’s mosque.

 

Fasting is a necessary condition even for the Compulsory ‘Itikaaf that is performed in months other than Ramadhan.  It is not permissible for the person performing the ‘Itikaaf to leave the mosque except for those things that are unavoidable like for relieving oneself or to get food from the house when one is forced to or to go to the grand mosque for Friday Salaat.  However, it is not permissible to stay/wait one the road or in the house.

 

If a woman wants to perform ‘Itikaaf, it is permissible for her to do so at that place in the house which is reserved for offering Salaat.  If the menses start while in ‘Itikaaf, she should abandon her ‘Itikaaf.

 

Having sex or kissing one’s spouse while performing ‘Itikaaf is not permissible.  (Hidayah, Fatawa A’alamgiri, Radd Ul Muhtaar, Bayaan Ul Qaraain)

 

‘Itikaaf is valid in a mosque in which congregational Salaat is offered

 

It is narrated on the authority of Ameer Ul Momineen Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says:  ‘Itikaaf is permissible only in the mosque which has the 5 daily Salaat performed congregationally.  Ibn Abi Shaiba and ‘Abdur Razzaq have related this is their respective Musannaf and Tabarani related a similar Hadith on the authority of Hadhrat Hudhaifa (May Allah be well pleased with him).

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Hudhaifa (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says:  I heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say:  ‘Itikaaf is permissible in every mosque which has an appointed Imam and Muezzin.  Daraqutni has related this.

 

‘Itikaaf in the last 10 days of Ramadhan is a Compulsory Sunnah

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) would perform ‘Itikaaf for the last 10 days of Ramadhan until He passed away into the presence of Allah.  Then after Him, His wives performed ‘Itikaaf in their respective homes.  Bukhari and Muslim have both related this Hadith.

 

Women should perform ‘Itikaaf in the mosques of their houses

 

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) that if the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had seen the women of the later era with their new antics, which they took up after the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), He would have stopped them from entering the mosques the way the women of the Nation of Israel were stopped.

 

Ibn Abdul Rab has related with his chain of narration on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  People!  Stop your women from beautifying themselves and coming to the mosque and also stop them from walking coquettishly therein because the Nation of Israel was cursed when their women started beautifying themselves and coming to the mosque and when they started walking around coquettishly in the mosque.  (Unrelated (non-Mahram) Men and women coming together leads to many evils, thus, women should perform ‘Itikaaf in their own houses)

 

 
[Excerpted from Noor Ul Masabeeh, Vol. 1, Part V]