The Conditions of I'tikaf and Its Duration
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Question:
The questioner asks: What are the conditions of i'tikaf, when does it begin, when does it end, and what is its minimum duration?
Answer:
I'tikaf is an act of worship, and it is staying in the mosque for the obedience of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). It is a prescribed act of worship, and its duration is not fixed. Its duration is according to the will of the one performing i'tikaf; if he wishes, he lengthens the duration, and if he wishes, he shortens it. It has no limit, neither for its minimum nor its maximum. A condition for i'tikaf is that it be in a mosque where congregational prayer is established. Therefore, one does not perform i'tikaf in other than a mosque, nor in an abandoned mosque where the congregation is not established.
And among its conditions is that he remains in his place of i'tikaf and does not leave except for what is necessary for him, such as relieving himself, or bringing his food and drink if he has no one to bring it to him. He remains in his place of i'tikaf night and day until the duration of his i'tikaf ends. And among its conditions is that he does not approach his wife with intercourse or intimacy. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:187] in the mosques.
The questioner asks: What are the conditions of i'tikaf, when does it begin, when does it end, and what is its minimum duration?
Answer:
I'tikaf is an act of worship, and it is staying in the mosque for the obedience of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). It is a prescribed act of worship, and its duration is not fixed. Its duration is according to the will of the one performing i'tikaf; if he wishes, he lengthens the duration, and if he wishes, he shortens it. It has no limit, neither for its minimum nor its maximum. A condition for i'tikaf is that it be in a mosque where congregational prayer is established. Therefore, one does not perform i'tikaf in other than a mosque, nor in an abandoned mosque where the congregation is not established.
And among its conditions is that he remains in his place of i'tikaf and does not leave except for what is necessary for him, such as relieving himself, or bringing his food and drink if he has no one to bring it to him. He remains in his place of i'tikaf night and day until the duration of his i'tikaf ends. And among its conditions is that he does not approach his wife with intercourse or intimacy. Allah the Exalted said:
And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the
وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما هي شروط الاعتكاف؟ ومتى يبدأ؟ ومتى ينتهي؟ وما هي أقل مدة له؟ للشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.