The Ruling on Making Up Missed I'tikaf

Question : Honorable Shaykh, you mentioned during your discussion of i'tikaf that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) left off i'tikaf for a year and made it up in Shawwal. Is it recommended to make up i'tikaf in all cases, or is it obligatory to make it up? I ask for a detailed explanation of this.

Answer : It is not obligatory to make up i'tikaf, because it is a sunnah (recommended practice). A sunnah is something a person may do if he wishes, or leave off if he wishes. As for making up what was missed, the original principle regarding the actions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is to follow his example.
So, if it is a person's custom to perform i'tikaf, and he left it off in Ramadan due to an excuse and made it up in Shawwal, he has a precedent and an example in the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). One might say that the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) making up the i'tikaf in Shawwal was so that the Ummah would not think that its recommendation had been abrogated.
This was for the sake of the actions of the women of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), just as the knowledge of Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) was abrogated because of a quarrel between two of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went out one day to inform his Companions that Laylat al-Qadr in that year was on a specific night, but two men quarreled, so it was raised up. One might say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed i'tikaf in the first ten days of Shawwal because he did not perform it in the last ten days of Ramadan, so that the Ummah would not think that i'tikaf had been abrogated. This was not for the sake of legislation, but the original principle is its permissibility. Yes.