Does i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) end if a person sees the signs of Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree); for example, if he sees them on the twenty-fifth night, does he end his i'tikaf?
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The questioner : He says: May the Shaykh (a scholar or teacher) please tell us, does i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) end if a person sees the signs of Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree), for example, if he sees them on the twenty-fifth night? Does he end his i'tikaf?
The Shaykh : What Allah willed! A question that is not bad. I'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) does not end. I'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is a recommended practice (sunnah) for all of the last ten nights, even if one sees Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree). Did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) know that Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) was the twenty-first night and yet continue in his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque)?
The student : Yes
The Shaykh : Yes. And he knew it, and that it had already passed. And yet he performed i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) for the last ten nights. So we say: perhaps your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) after you have seen it is like the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) attached to the obligatory ones, meaning that it completes the reward, it completes the reward of the night. Is there anyone among us who is certain that he has given Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) its due? Never. We are all shortcoming. We ask Allah to treat us with His forgiveness. Who can do this? If your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in the remaining time after you see Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree)—if it is true that you really saw it, and that it is truly that night—is like the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) for the prayer, completing the reward with them. So even if you saw it, you continue your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque). But when do you leave? You leave when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan. If it sets on the thirtieth day, meaning if the month completes thirty days, when do you leave? After sunset on the night of the thirty-first. And if it is established that the month is twenty-nine days, then when it is established, you leave. So suppose a man is in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), and after 'Isha' (the night prayer) on the night of the thirtieth, the establishment of the month is announced. And he says, "How I long for my family." We tell him, "Be patient until you pray the 'Id (festival) prayer, and do not go?" Huh? He goes? Yes, he goes. It is over, the time for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is over. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) only for the last ten nights. And the last ten nights have ended. Rely on Allah. Is it clear, everyone? And this is asked about frequently in al-Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque). You find a man, for example, from the people of Jeddah, from the people of Ta'if. And he wants to stay on the night of the 'Id (festival) with his family. Some people tell him, "Be patient until it comes out for us, you pray the 'Id (festival) prayer." Where did this idea of theirs come from? When does i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) end? When the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) ends. Leave, and success is from Allah. Yes.
The Shaykh : What Allah willed! A question that is not bad. I'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) does not end. I'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is a recommended practice (sunnah) for all of the last ten nights, even if one sees Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree). Did not the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) know that Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) was the twenty-first night and yet continue in his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque)?
The student : Yes
The Shaykh : Yes. And he knew it, and that it had already passed. And yet he performed i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) for the last ten nights. So we say: perhaps your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) after you have seen it is like the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) attached to the obligatory ones, meaning that it completes the reward, it completes the reward of the night. Is there anyone among us who is certain that he has given Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) its due? Never. We are all shortcoming. We ask Allah to treat us with His forgiveness. Who can do this? If your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in the remaining time after you see Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree)—if it is true that you really saw it, and that it is truly that night—is like the regular voluntary prayers (rawatib) for the prayer, completing the reward with them. So even if you saw it, you continue your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque). But when do you leave? You leave when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan. If it sets on the thirtieth day, meaning if the month completes thirty days, when do you leave? After sunset on the night of the thirty-first. And if it is established that the month is twenty-nine days, then when it is established, you leave. So suppose a man is in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), and after 'Isha' (the night prayer) on the night of the thirtieth, the establishment of the month is announced. And he says, "How I long for my family." We tell him, "Be patient until you pray the 'Id (festival) prayer, and do not go?" Huh? He goes? Yes, he goes. It is over, the time for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is over. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) only for the last ten nights. And the last ten nights have ended. Rely on Allah. Is it clear, everyone? And this is asked about frequently in al-Masjid al-Haram (the Sacred Mosque). You find a man, for example, from the people of Jeddah, from the people of Ta'if. And he wants to stay on the night of the 'Id (festival) with his family. Some people tell him, "Be patient until it comes out for us, you pray the 'Id (festival) prayer." Where did this idea of theirs come from? When does i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) end? When the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) ends. Leave, and success is from Allah. Yes.