Tell me a clear answer regarding the beginning and end of i'tikaf: when does one enter the place of i'tikaf and when does one leave it, and preferably without mentioning scholarly disagreement?
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The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : Tell me a clear answer regarding the beginning and end of i'tikaf: when does one enter the place of i'tikaf and when does one leave it, and preferably without mentioning scholarly disagreement?
The Shaykh : Yes, the person performing i'tikaf enters his place of i'tikaf when the sun sets on the night of the twentieth day, meaning the night of the twenty-first, and he leaves it when Ramadan ends, whether it ends on the twenty-ninth or the thirtieth. This is because the original prescription of i'tikaf is for the purpose of seeking the Night of Decree. It is established in the authentic hadith of Abu Sa'id, and it is known that the last ten days of Ramadan end with the setting of the sun on the last day of Ramadan. However, some scholars said that if one remains in the mosque until he goes out to the prayer ground for the festival, that is good, but it does not fall under the category of i'tikaf. So, to summarize the answer: when does he enter his place of i'tikaf? When the sun sets on the twentieth day, and he leaves when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan, whether it is the twenty-ninth or the thirtieth. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : We have a mosque with a room at the back of it. It has a door opening onto the street and another door leading to the restroom, which in turn has a door open to the mosque. Is my i'tikaf in this room valid or not? Which is better, i'tikaf in the main mosque or in a regular mosque? And if I want to perform i'tikaf and memorize some texts of Islamic jurisprudence and other subjects, is that better, or should I limit myself to reading the Qur'an?
The Shaykh : Yes, the person performing i'tikaf enters his place of i'tikaf when the sun sets on the night of the twentieth day, meaning the night of the twenty-first, and he leaves it when Ramadan ends, whether it ends on the twenty-ninth or the thirtieth. This is because the original prescription of i'tikaf is for the purpose of seeking the Night of Decree. It is established in the authentic hadith of Abu Sa'id
That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed i'tikaf for the first ten days, then performed i'tikaf for the middle ten days seeking the Night of Decree, then he was told that it is in the last ten days, so he performed i'tikaf in the last ten days and said to his companions, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them): "Whoever is seeking it, let him seek it in the last ten days."
أن النبي صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم اعتكف العشر الأول ثم اعتكف العشر الأوسط يتحرى ليلة القدر ثم قيل له إنها في العشر الأواخر فاعتكف في العشر الأواخر وقال لأصحابه للصحابة رضي الله عنهم :من كان متحريها فليتحرها في العشر الأواخرThe questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : We have a mosque with a room at the back of it. It has a door opening onto the street and another door leading to the restroom, which in turn has a door open to the mosque. Is my i'tikaf in this room valid or not? Which is better, i'tikaf in the main mosque or in a regular mosque? And if I want to perform i'tikaf and memorize some texts of Islamic jurisprudence and other subjects, is that better, or should I limit myself to reading the Qur'an?