Among its characteristics: I'tikaf: its definition and an explanation of the matters that are not permissible for the one observing i'tikaf to do.
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The Shaykh : Among the characteristics of these ten days, what is it?
The student: The i'tikaf of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : I'tikaf, and i'tikaf is derived from standing firm and adhering, and from this is the saying of Ibrahim to his people:[Al-Anbya 21:52]. Those who remain are those who adhere to it.
And in the Shari'ah, it is adhering to the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah (Mighty and Majestic) — pay attention — adhering to the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So what are the acts of obedience? Obedience is everything that brings one closer to Allah the Exalted, such as reciting the Qur'an, dhikr, prayer, and religious knowledge, and everything that brings one closer to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) falls under our statement that a person adheres to the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah (Mighty and Majestic). As for what some people do of gathering during i'tikaf and engaging in idle talk, as if it were gatherings for chatting and amusement, this is contrary to the purpose of i'tikaf. Rather, the purpose of i'tikaf is to devote oneself to the obedience of Allah the Exalted and to maintaining a connection with Him. For this reason, it is not permissible for a person to have sexual intercourse with his wife during i'tikaf:[Al-Baqarah 2:187], and it is not permissible to leave the mosque except for something that is absolutely necessary, such as food and drink if it is not possible to bring them to the mosque, or relieving oneself, and the like.
The student: The i'tikaf of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
The Shaykh : I'tikaf, and i'tikaf is derived from standing firm and adhering, and from this is the saying of Ibrahim to his people:
What are these statues to which you are devoted?"
ما هذه التماثيل التي أنتم لها عاكفونAnd in the Shari'ah, it is adhering to the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah (Mighty and Majestic) — pay attention — adhering to the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He). So what are the acts of obedience? Obedience is everything that brings one closer to Allah the Exalted, such as reciting the Qur'an, dhikr, prayer, and religious knowledge, and everything that brings one closer to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) falls under our statement that a person adheres to the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah (Mighty and Majestic). As for what some people do of gathering during i'tikaf and engaging in idle talk, as if it were gatherings for chatting and amusement, this is contrary to the purpose of i'tikaf. Rather, the purpose of i'tikaf is to devote oneself to the obedience of Allah the Exalted and to maintaining a connection with Him. For this reason, it is not permissible for a person to have sexual intercourse with his wife during i'tikaf: