The ruling on the condition of leaving for study and travel during i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque)

The questioner : He says: Honorable Shaykh, I am a student studying here, and I am not from the people of this country.

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : He says: I am a student studying here and I am not from the people of this country. I wanted to perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) and I made the condition that I would leave for study. I also made the condition that I would travel to my family after the end of the study to complete the i'tikaf there. I ask for a detailed explanation with evidence regarding the permissibility or impermissibility of this. May Allah preserve him.

The Shaykh : It appears that this man has torn his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) apart, once by study and again by travel. I say that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is among the recommended matters, and seeking knowledge is better than i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque). So if the matter were between performing i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) or seeking knowledge, we would say: seek knowledge. This is because i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is among the recommended matters, not among the obligatory ones. In fact, some scholars denied that it is recommended and said that the time for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) has passed. But this is undoubtedly a weak opinion. Rather, some scholars have reported scholarly consensus (ijma') that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is recommended. However, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is not obligatory except by vow. If one vows to perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), it becomes obligatory for him. And since it is among the recommended matters, a person performing an obligatory duty is better off than if he were performing i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), and seeking knowledge is better than his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque). Accordingly, we say to this brother who is studying: Do not perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque); your study is better than your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque). And when the study is finished, travel to your family, and praise be to Allah. If Allah knows from your intention that it was only because you prioritized what is better over what is less preferred, perhaps Allah the Exalted will reward you for what you intended. Yes.