The Ruling on I'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in Other Than the Three Mosques
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Question:
May Allah reward you. The questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, is i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) permissible in other than the three mosques? And is it permissible in homes as well, if staying in the mosque is prohibited? And may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
As for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in homes, it is not permissible; it is not prescribed. Because i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is to be in the mosques. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:187] I'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is not to be in any mosque other than one in which the congregational prayer is established, so that one does not have to go out to another mosque for the congregational prayer. Frequent going out is incompatible with i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque). So one performs i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in a mosque where the congregational prayer is established; this is what is prescribed.
There is no harm in performing i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in all mosques where the congregational prayer is established, whether the three mosques or other mosques. Because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says:[Al-Baqarah 2:187] And He did not restrict this to the three mosques, but He made it general, saying "in the mosques." So this encompasses all the mosques of the Muslims on the face of the earth. Yes, and it is not easy for everyone to go to the three mosques. So the Muslim performs i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in any mosque that is easy for him, in any country. And this is from the facilitation of Allah, Exalted is He, for the people. As for restricting them by saying that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is not valid except in the three mosques, there is no evidence for this. And this is restricting what is broad, and closing the door of good upon the Muslims. And Allah the Exalted knows best, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
May Allah reward you. The questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, is i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) permissible in other than the three mosques? And is it permissible in homes as well, if staying in the mosque is prohibited? And may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
As for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in homes, it is not permissible; it is not prescribed. Because i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is to be in the mosques. Allah the Exalted said:
And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques
وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِThere is no harm in performing i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in all mosques where the congregational prayer is established, whether the three mosques or other mosques. Because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, says:
And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques
وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم الاعتكاف في غير المساجد الثلاثة؟ وهل يجزئ الاعتكاف في البيوت؟ للشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.