From Allah, and praise be to Allah for the many who engage in i'tikaf, except that they are at two extremes: some cut off their brothers and abandon smiling in their faces so that it does not lead them to speak with them, thinking that this is not part of obedience, while others are excessive in speech and joking without regard for the limits of that. We ask for a word of guidance for our brothers regarding this.

The questioner : The honorable Shaykh, this questioner says: From Allah, and praise be to Allah for the many who engage in i'tikaf, except that they are at two extremes: some cut off their brothers and abandon smiling in their faces so that it does not lead them to speak with them, thinking that this is not part of obedience, while others are excessive in speech and joking without regard for the limits of that. We ask for a word of guidance for our brothers regarding this?

The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. There is no doubt that i'tikaf is for a person to remain in the mosque exclusively for the worship of Allah, seeking reward and anticipating the Night of Decree, just as the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform i'tikaf, seeking out the Night of Decree. However, this does not mean that a person should be frowning and scowling, not speaking to anyone and not opening his heart to them. For this is contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was performing i'tikaf, and some of his family would visit him and speak with him, as happened with Safiyyah bint Huyayy (may Allah be pleased with her) when she came to him and spoke with him for an hour of the night. So the result is that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) spoke to his family and enjoyed their company. Thus, the person performing i'tikaf should not be excessive in one direction or the other; he should not spend his time in i'tikaf visiting his brothers and wasting time in useless talk. For this reason, the scholars said: It is recommended for the person performing i'tikaf to occupy himself with acts of nearness to Allah and to avoid what does not concern him.