What is i'tikaf, what are its conditions, how is it performed, and is it permissible for the one observing i'tikaf to go out for food and drink?
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The questioner : The questioner asks: What is i'tikaf? What are its conditions? How is it performed? And is it permissible for the one observing i'tikaf to go out for food and drink?
The Shaykh : This was discussed by us yesterday. What did he say?
The questioner : The one observing i'tikaf did not say anything.
The Shaykh : I'tikaf is staying in the mosque for the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), meaning that a person remains in the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah and dedicating himself to it. Its ruling is that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) in the last ten days of Ramadan only. It is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he observed i'tikaf in any month other than Ramadan except once, when he observed it in Shawwal. This was because when he intended to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days,. Then he ordered the removal of the tents. Then he left off i'tikaf for that year. And he observed i'tikaf in Shawwal because it was his custom (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he did a deed, he would continue it, so he completed that in Shawwal.
As for in months other than Ramadan, i'tikaf is not a recommended practice. Therefore, we know the weakness of the opinion held by some scholars that a person should, if he intends to go to the mosque, intend to observe i'tikaf for the duration of his stay there—pay attention, my brother—meaning some scholars say: If you come to the mosque, intend i'tikaf for every time, whatever day you come or whatever night, when you enter the mosque, intend that you are observing i'tikaf. But this opinion is very weak because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not intend that.
And he did not guide the Ummah to that. Rather, he encouraged people to come early for the Friday prayer and said:Muwatta Malik 5:1. And he did not say, "Intend i'tikaf when you come early to the mosque." And it is known to us all that acts of worship are based on what? On being prescribed by the Law. If the Shari'ah brings them, otherwise they are rejected and not accepted. And we say that the Shari'ah did not come with the permissibility of i'tikaf for one who intends to go to the mosque. Rather, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) observed i'tikaf in Ramadan seeking the Night of Decree. For this reason, he observed i'tikaf in the first ten days, then he observed i'tikaf in the middle ten days, then it was told him that the Night of Decree is in the last ten days. So he observed i'tikaf in the last ten days and continued with that until he passed away (peace and blessings be upon him).
So i'tikaf, then, is a recommended practice when? In the last ten days of Ramadan, anticipating the Night of Decree. And i'tikaf is in the night and in the day as well.
As for the one who observes i'tikaf at night and goes out during the day to his house, enjoys his wife, and sells and buys in his shop, this person has not truly observed i'tikaf. I'tikaf is at night and in the day. And a person must avoid in it what Allah has ordered to be avoided in His saying, the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:187] meaning that a man does not have intercourse with his wife while he is observing i'tikaf, even if he goes out to the house for a need, he does not have intercourse with his wife. For this reason, the scholars said that if the one observing i'tikaf has intercourse with his wife, his i'tikaf is invalid because he committed what Allah has forbidden.
And i'tikaf has etiquettes, among them:
That a person, that the one observing i'tikaf, should increase in acts of worship such as prayer, reading the Qur'an, dhikr, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the like of what brings one closer to Allah.
And among them: That he should avoid wasting time, contrary to some of those observing i'tikaf who make the time of i'tikaf wasted, some of them sitting with others talking about matters of no benefit. Rather, they may talk about harmful matters, backbiting people and eating their flesh.
And among the etiquettes of i'tikaf also: That a person should have dignity in his state of i'tikaf, meaning that he should not increase in idle talk and joking, because this, and I mean joking, is sometimes good and among the noble of character, but in this station or in this place—and I mean in the time of i'tikaf—it is not befitting, because the station is a station of seriousness.
As for the things that invalidate i'tikaf, they are going out for other than a need. If a person goes out for other than a need, then his i'tikaf is invalid. And if he goes out for a necessary need, such as if he goes out for food because he does not have someone to bring his food, or bringing food into the mosque is prohibited, or he goes out to relieve himself of urine or feces, or he goes out for medical treatment, such as if he is afflicted with an illness and goes out for treatment, then there is no harm in that.
As for if he goes out in order to speak to his family by phone, what do you say?
This is not permissible; if he goes out, his i'tikaf is invalid, because speaking to the family by phone is not a necessity.
Yes, if it were assumed that among his family there is someone who is sick, and he stipulated when entering i'tikaf that he would go out to call this sick person by phone, or that he would go out to visit him if he is in the town to visit him if he is in the town, then there is no harm in that. Yes.
If the one observing i'tikaf goes out to take a bath for Friday, then there is no harm in that, because this is going out for what is necessary, since if a person leaves the Friday bath without an excuse and he is one who attends Friday prayer, then he would be sinful, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Riyad as-Salihin 1152.
And the meaning of his saying "mukhtalim" is: an adult. And it is not meant to be the nocturnal emission, which is the emission of the sleeper, because the emission of the sleeper is not the Friday bath, but rather the bath for major ritual impurity. But the Friday bath, which is for the sake of attending Friday prayer, is obligatory on every mukhtalim, and the word "obligatory" is explicit in obligation. So the stronger opinion in this issue is that the Friday bath is obligatory on every one who attends it, and the bath is between the rising of the sun and the iqamah of the Friday prayer. Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : This was discussed by us yesterday. What did he say?
The questioner : The one observing i'tikaf did not say anything.
The Shaykh : I'tikaf is staying in the mosque for the obedience of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), meaning that a person remains in the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah and dedicating himself to it. Its ruling is that it is a recommended practice (sunnah) in the last ten days of Ramadan only. It is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he observed i'tikaf in any month other than Ramadan except once, when he observed it in Shawwal. This was because when he intended to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days,
He went out and found that in the mosque there were several tents for his wives. So he said, (peace and blessings be upon him): Do the women want to return?
خرج وجد أن في المسجد عدة أخبئة لنسائه. فقال عليه الصلاة والسلام : آالبر يردن ؟As for in months other than Ramadan, i'tikaf is not a recommended practice. Therefore, we know the weakness of the opinion held by some scholars that a person should, if he intends to go to the mosque, intend to observe i'tikaf for the duration of his stay there—pay attention, my brother—meaning some scholars say: If you come to the mosque, intend i'tikaf for every time, whatever day you come or whatever night, when you enter the mosque, intend that you are observing i'tikaf. But this opinion is very weak because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not intend that.
And he did not guide the Ummah to that. Rather, he encouraged people to come early for the Friday prayer and said:
Yahya related to me from Malik from Sumayy, the mawla of Abu Bakr ibn Abd ar-Rahman, from Abu Salih as-Sammani from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "If someone does ghusl for major ritual impurity on the day of jumua and then goes in the first part of the time, it is as if he had offered up a camel. If he goes in the second part of the time, it is as if he had offered up a cow. If he goes in the third part of the time, it is as if he had offered up a horned ram. If he goes in the fourth part of the time, it is as if he had offered up a hen. If he goes in the fifth part of the time, it is as if he had offered up an egg. And when the imam comes out, the angels settle down listening to the dhikr (remembrance of Allah)."
من راح في الساعة الأولى فكأنما قرب بدنةSo i'tikaf, then, is a recommended practice when? In the last ten days of Ramadan, anticipating the Night of Decree. And i'tikaf is in the night and in the day as well.
As for the one who observes i'tikaf at night and goes out during the day to his house, enjoys his wife, and sells and buys in his shop, this person has not truly observed i'tikaf. I'tikaf is at night and in the day. And a person must avoid in it what Allah has ordered to be avoided in His saying, the Exalted:
And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques
ولا تباشروهن وأنتم عاكفون في المساجدAnd i'tikaf has etiquettes, among them:
That a person, that the one observing i'tikaf, should increase in acts of worship such as prayer, reading the Qur'an, dhikr, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and the like of what brings one closer to Allah.
And among them: That he should avoid wasting time, contrary to some of those observing i'tikaf who make the time of i'tikaf wasted, some of them sitting with others talking about matters of no benefit. Rather, they may talk about harmful matters, backbiting people and eating their flesh.
And among the etiquettes of i'tikaf also: That a person should have dignity in his state of i'tikaf, meaning that he should not increase in idle talk and joking, because this, and I mean joking, is sometimes good and among the noble of character, but in this station or in this place—and I mean in the time of i'tikaf—it is not befitting, because the station is a station of seriousness.
As for the things that invalidate i'tikaf, they are going out for other than a need. If a person goes out for other than a need, then his i'tikaf is invalid. And if he goes out for a necessary need, such as if he goes out for food because he does not have someone to bring his food, or bringing food into the mosque is prohibited, or he goes out to relieve himself of urine or feces, or he goes out for medical treatment, such as if he is afflicted with an illness and goes out for treatment, then there is no harm in that.
As for if he goes out in order to speak to his family by phone, what do you say?
This is not permissible; if he goes out, his i'tikaf is invalid, because speaking to the family by phone is not a necessity.
Yes, if it were assumed that among his family there is someone who is sick, and he stipulated when entering i'tikaf that he would go out to call this sick person by phone, or that he would go out to visit him if he is in the town to visit him if he is in the town, then there is no harm in that. Yes.
If the one observing i'tikaf goes out to take a bath for Friday, then there is no harm in that, because this is going out for what is necessary, since if a person leaves the Friday bath without an excuse and he is one who attends Friday prayer, then he would be sinful, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Taking a bath (before coming to Friday prayers) is obligatory on every adult.
غسل الجمعة واجب على كل محتلمAnd the meaning of his saying "mukhtalim" is: an adult. And it is not meant to be the nocturnal emission, which is the emission of the sleeper, because the emission of the sleeper is not the Friday bath, but rather the bath for major ritual impurity. But the Friday bath, which is for the sake of attending Friday prayer, is obligatory on every mukhtalim, and the word "obligatory" is explicit in obligation. So the stronger opinion in this issue is that the Friday bath is obligatory on every one who attends it, and the bath is between the rising of the sun and the iqamah of the Friday prayer. Yes, yes.