We are young men in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), but we leave the Haram (sacred precinct) through the Ajyad Gate to go up to the third floor to pray Maghrib (the sunset prayer) until we perform the night prayer, and then
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The questioner : The questioner says: We are young men in i'tikaf, but we leave the Haram through the Ajyad Gate to go up to the third floor to pray Maghrib until we perform the night prayer, and then we go out to eat suhur because bringing food into the Haram is prohibited. Is there any issue with our first exit to go up to the third floor, given that there is no path from inside the Haram to go up to the third floor?
The Shaykh : Now, I object to the questioner’s question where he said: There is no exit to go up to the roof except via the electric stairs. He says it exists, and as long as it exists, let it be the door for the mu'takif (one in i'tikaf).
The questioner : It is not well-known, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The important thing is: if there is a door, listen, if there is a door by which the mu'takif can go up to the roof, he should not go out. If there is not, then I hold back on the permissibility of him going out; I hold back on saying it is permissible for him to go out to go up to the roof, because there is an alternative to this. Sometimes I say this exit is not intended as an actual exit, but it is an exit for the purpose of entering; he went out in order to enter the mosque, he did not go out to flee from it. Also, it is only a few steps, not many, and this also mitigates the matter. However, if he can go up to the roof from the other door inside the mosque, that is better. As for his eating suhur outside the mosque because the Haram does not allow food to be brought in, there is nothing wrong with that if dates and water are not sufficient for him. But if dates and water are sufficient for him, there is good and blessing in them. And let him know that preventing food and drink from entering the Haram is a repelling of a great harm, and the fact that it is done is something to be praised for the responsible authorities, because we used to see, before, things to be pitied in the Haram: everyone would bring crates and food leftovers and throw them, and they would be trampled underfoot. But now, the cleanliness of the Haram is clear to everyone, and praise be to Allah.
The Shaykh : Now, I object to the questioner’s question where he said: There is no exit to go up to the roof except via the electric stairs. He says it exists, and as long as it exists, let it be the door for the mu'takif (one in i'tikaf).
The questioner : It is not well-known, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : The important thing is: if there is a door, listen, if there is a door by which the mu'takif can go up to the roof, he should not go out. If there is not, then I hold back on the permissibility of him going out; I hold back on saying it is permissible for him to go out to go up to the roof, because there is an alternative to this. Sometimes I say this exit is not intended as an actual exit, but it is an exit for the purpose of entering; he went out in order to enter the mosque, he did not go out to flee from it. Also, it is only a few steps, not many, and this also mitigates the matter. However, if he can go up to the roof from the other door inside the mosque, that is better. As for his eating suhur outside the mosque because the Haram does not allow food to be brought in, there is nothing wrong with that if dates and water are not sufficient for him. But if dates and water are sufficient for him, there is good and blessing in them. And let him know that preventing food and drink from entering the Haram is a repelling of a great harm, and the fact that it is done is something to be praised for the responsible authorities, because we used to see, before, things to be pitied in the Haram: everyone would bring crates and food leftovers and throw them, and they would be trampled underfoot. But now, the cleanliness of the Haram is clear to everyone, and praise be to Allah.