The Lawfulness of I'tikaf in Ramadan
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As for i'tikaf, it is a recommended practice (sunnah), but not for the entire month of Ramadan; rather, it is only for the last ten days of it.Because the intended purpose of i'tikaf is: Worshipping by staying in the mosque for the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is the intended purpose in seeking the Night of Decree. The evidence that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is for seeking the Night of Decree is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed i'tikaf in the first ten days seeking the Night of Decree; because the Night of Decree is in Ramadan, then in the middle ten, and when he completed the middle ten, it was said to him: it is in the last ten. So he performed i'tikaf for the entire last ten days and left off i'tikaf in the middle ten and the first ten. He never performed i'tikaf outside of Ramadan except for one year, when he was delayed in performing i'tikaf in Ramadan due to a reason, and he made it up in Shawwal.
So we now understand: when is i'tikaf prescribed? Only in the last ten days of Ramadan, and it is not prescribed at all times. And by this, we know the error of the statement of some jurists who say: that it is incumbent (wajib) for a person, when he comes to the mosque, to intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay in the mosque. This statement has no basis in truth; rather, if we wished, we would say it is a religious innovation (bid'ah). The evidence is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) never performed i'tikaf except in the last ten days of Ramadan. (And when some of the Companions committed themselves to not marrying, and the second said: I will stand in prayer and not sleep,And the third said: I will fast and not break my fast, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed them that he fasts and breaks his fast, stands in prayer and sleeps, and marries women, and that whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me) So whoever turns away from the Sunnah of the Messenger and performs i'tikaf outside of Ramadan, we say: you are an innovator. Adhere to the Sunnah of the Messenger; if it had been good, the Messenger would have been the first to do it.
Then, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of Jumu'ah encouraged advancing (to the mosque early),He said: (Whoever goes in the first hour, it is as if he offered a camel, and whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he offered a cow, and whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he offered a ram with two horns, and whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he offered a chicken, and whoever goes in the fifth hour, it is as if he offered an egg) and he mentioned the rest of the hadith,Did he say to the one who advanced on the day of Jumu'ah: Intend i'tikaf to obtain two benefits: advancing to the mosque, and i'tikaf? He never said that. And do you think that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) knew that the intention of i'tikaf is among what brings one closer to Allah in this situation and did not convey it? Far be it from Allah! And may He be far from that.
So if the intention of i'tikaf when staying in the mosque were prescribed and beloved to Allah, it would have been obligatory upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to convey it to the servants of Allah, by His saying: [Al-Ma'idah: 67] And for this reason, we say to the one who says: when you enter the mosque, intend i'tikaf,We say: Bring your proof. Where is the evidence for this? Rather, the evidence is for the opposite. This is a brief statement on fasting, standing in prayer, and i'tikaf.
We ask Allah the Exalted to make us and you among those who fast Ramadan and stand in prayer in it with faith and seeking reward, and to prepare for us guidance in our affairs. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
We ask Allah to guide us and you to what He loves and is pleased with.
So we now understand: when is i'tikaf prescribed? Only in the last ten days of Ramadan, and it is not prescribed at all times. And by this, we know the error of the statement of some jurists who say: that it is incumbent (wajib) for a person, when he comes to the mosque, to intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay in the mosque. This statement has no basis in truth; rather, if we wished, we would say it is a religious innovation (bid'ah). The evidence is that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) never performed i'tikaf except in the last ten days of Ramadan. (And when some of the Companions committed themselves to not marrying, and the second said: I will stand in prayer and not sleep,And the third said: I will fast and not break my fast, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed them that he fasts and breaks his fast, stands in prayer and sleeps, and marries women, and that whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me) So whoever turns away from the Sunnah of the Messenger and performs i'tikaf outside of Ramadan, we say: you are an innovator. Adhere to the Sunnah of the Messenger; if it had been good, the Messenger would have been the first to do it.
Then, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day of Jumu'ah encouraged advancing (to the mosque early),He said: (Whoever goes in the first hour, it is as if he offered a camel, and whoever goes in the second hour, it is as if he offered a cow, and whoever goes in the third hour, it is as if he offered a ram with two horns, and whoever goes in the fourth hour, it is as if he offered a chicken, and whoever goes in the fifth hour, it is as if he offered an egg) and he mentioned the rest of the hadith,Did he say to the one who advanced on the day of Jumu'ah: Intend i'tikaf to obtain two benefits: advancing to the mosque, and i'tikaf? He never said that. And do you think that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) knew that the intention of i'tikaf is among what brings one closer to Allah in this situation and did not convey it? Far be it from Allah! And may He be far from that.
So if the intention of i'tikaf when staying in the mosque were prescribed and beloved to Allah, it would have been obligatory upon the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to convey it to the servants of Allah, by His saying:
O Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord
يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَبِّكَWe ask Allah the Exalted to make us and you among those who fast Ramadan and stand in prayer in it with faith and seeking reward, and to prepare for us guidance in our affairs. Indeed, He is capable of all things.
We ask Allah to guide us and you to what He loves and is pleased with.