A vow to fast the month of Ramadan in Makkah and perform i'tikaf: what is obligatory, and what is i'tikaf?

The questioner : The questioner, 'A'id 'A'id, says: I vowed to fast the month of Ramadan in Makkah while performing i'tikaf. What is obligatory for me to do, and what are the conditions for i'tikaf?

The Shaykh : He vowed to fast Ramadan in Makkah.

The questioner : Yes, performing i'tikaf. He asks: What must I do, and what are the conditions for i'tikaf?

The Shaykh : Fasting Ramadan in Makkah is better than fasting it elsewhere. Therefore, specifying Makkah is an act of drawing near to Allah the Exalted, and he must fulfill his vow, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) He must also perform i'tikaf, because he vowed to fast while in i'tikaf. I'tikaf is staying in the mosque in obedience to Allah the Exalted. It begins before the sunset of the night of the twentieth of Ramadan, meaning in anticipation of the twenty-first night, until the sun sets.