Is it permissible for the one in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) to leave his place of retreat to clean himself?

Question : What do you say about a person in i'tikaf who wants to go to the house because of the need to wash, to remove the dirt on his body and change his undergarments?

Answer : We say that a person does not go to the house for the purpose of taking a ghusl (full ritual bath) to remove dirt, except if the dirt has accumulated on him to the point where he cannot bear its smell, and it is harming others with that smell. In that case, his going out is necessary; it is necessary. This is because the one in i'tikaf does not go out except for what is absolutely necessary for him. He is not free to do as he pleases. So if someone asks, "How can you say that the one in i'tikaf does not go out except for what is absolutely necessary, when i'tikaf is a sunnah (recommended practice)?"
The answer is that I say this because if he goes out for something for which he has an alternative, his i'tikaf becomes invalid. His i'tikaf becomes invalid. This is what we mean when we say he does not go out except for what is absolutely necessary. If his i'tikaf becomes invalid, it is not true that he has performed i'tikaf for the last ten days of Ramadan. Yes. Friday prayer is not something he can avoid; that is, if he has been in i'tikaf in a mosque that is not a congregational mosque, he must attend Friday prayer.