What is the ruling on a person in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) leaving the mosque to take a shower to cool off, especially when the weather is hot?
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The questioner : Your Eminence, what is the ruling on a person in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) leaving the mosque to take a shower to cool off, especially when the weather is hot?
The Shaykh : The weather is cold this year, praise be to Allah, yes, so there is no need for a shower. However, if the weather were hot, it is not permissible for the person in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) to leave in order to take a shower, except if he has a foul odor that is difficult for him to remain with. In that case, there is no blame on him if he leaves to clean his body. He leaves if he is in a state of major ritual impurity and wants to leave to perform the full ritual bath. He leaves if he wants to perform the ablution for prayer and there is no place in the mosque to perform the ablution. He leaves if he wants to relieve himself and there is nothing in the mosque with which he can relieve himself. The point is that the person in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) leaves only for what is necessary for him, either religiously or naturally. An example of what is necessary religiously is the full ritual bath for major ritual impurity. An example of what is necessary naturally is eating, relieving oneself, and the like. As for anything other than this, he does not leave. But some people ask: if a relative dies, does he leave to attend the funeral? We say: he does not leave. If he leaves to attend the funeral, his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is invalidated. In that case, we ask: is it better to invalidate his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) and leave to attend his relative's funeral, or is it better to remain in his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) and not attend the relative's funeral? It appears that it is better for him to leave and attend the relative's funeral, because if he left off attending the funeral, people would consider that severing family ties. And severing family ties is greater than breaking the i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), because i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is a recommended practice and maintaining family ties is obligatory. So if a relative of yours dies and you are in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), we say: leave the i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), even if your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is invalidated, because maintaining family ties is more important. If you did not leave, people would consider you one who severs family ties.
The Shaykh : The weather is cold this year, praise be to Allah, yes, so there is no need for a shower. However, if the weather were hot, it is not permissible for the person in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) to leave in order to take a shower, except if he has a foul odor that is difficult for him to remain with. In that case, there is no blame on him if he leaves to clean his body. He leaves if he is in a state of major ritual impurity and wants to leave to perform the full ritual bath. He leaves if he wants to perform the ablution for prayer and there is no place in the mosque to perform the ablution. He leaves if he wants to relieve himself and there is nothing in the mosque with which he can relieve himself. The point is that the person in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) leaves only for what is necessary for him, either religiously or naturally. An example of what is necessary religiously is the full ritual bath for major ritual impurity. An example of what is necessary naturally is eating, relieving oneself, and the like. As for anything other than this, he does not leave. But some people ask: if a relative dies, does he leave to attend the funeral? We say: he does not leave. If he leaves to attend the funeral, his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is invalidated. In that case, we ask: is it better to invalidate his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) and leave to attend his relative's funeral, or is it better to remain in his i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) and not attend the relative's funeral? It appears that it is better for him to leave and attend the relative's funeral, because if he left off attending the funeral, people would consider that severing family ties. And severing family ties is greater than breaking the i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), because i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is a recommended practice and maintaining family ties is obligatory. So if a relative of yours dies and you are in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), we say: leave the i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), even if your i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is invalidated, because maintaining family ties is more important. If you did not leave, people would consider you one who severs family ties.