Discussion of i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in the last ten days of Ramadan: its definition, its time from beginning to end, and its location. The conditions of i'tikaf
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The Shaykh : And among the characteristics of these ten days of Ramadan is that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is prescribed in them. Listen to its definition: "Worshipping Allah the Exalted by staying in the mosques to draw near to Allah and to devote oneself to His obedience". This is i'tikaf: a person staying in the mosques, drawing near to Allah the Exalted through prayer, dhikr (the remembrance of Allah), the Qur'an, tasbih (glorification of Allah), and reflecting on the verses of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. For this reason, the scholars said: It is not befitting for the one in i'tikaf to mix with people much, because not mixing with people necessitates what? Being occupied with them in conversation that has no benefit. But there is nothing wrong with his companions and brothers visiting him and talking to him, just as Safiyyah bint Huyay (may Allah be pleased with her), the mother of the believers, visited the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).
Good. This is i'tikaf: a person staying in a mosque for the entire ten days to draw near to Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
And i'tikaf is in every mosque now. Clarify the time: when is the time of i'tikaf? The last ten days of Ramadan.
As for its location, it is the mosques, by the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Baqarah 2:187] That is, any mosque in which the congregation is held is a place for i'tikaf, whether it is al-Masjid al-Haram, al-Masjid al-Nabawi, al-Masjid al-Aqsa, or a mosque in any country, due to the generality of the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted: [Al-Baqarah 2:187]. As for what Hudhayfah narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: Sunan Abi Dawud 2473. If this is authentic, the intended meaning is complete i'tikaf, not i'tikaf in general. The evidence for this is that Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud and said: إن قوما عكوف بين دارك ودار أبي موسى يعني وقد قال النبي عليه الصلاة والسلام : لا اعتكاف إلا في المساجد الثلاثة قال له عبد الله بن مسعود : لعلهم ذكروا ونسيت أو أصابوا وأخطأت . فعلل روايته عللها بأمرين : خطأ في الرواية أو خطأ في الفهم. الخطأ في الرواية في قوله لعلهم ذكروا ونسيت. والخطأ في الفهم أصابوا وأخطأت. ولا شك أن عبد الله بن مسعود أفقه من حذيفة وأعلم بسنة الرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام ولا يصح أن نقول إنه لا يعتكف إلا في المسجد الثلاثة مع قول الله تعالى : ولا تباشروهن وأنتم عاكفون في المساجد المساجد عامة فكيف نحمل هذا العموم الشامل لمساجد الدنيا كلها على ثلاثة من المساجد. هذا بعيد جدا. فأل هنا للعموم وليست للعهد حتى يقال إن المراد بها المساجد الثلاثة. فالاعتكاف يصح في كل مسجد تقام فيه الجماعة. طيب.
خروج المعتكف من معتكفنه ودخوله متى يكون؟ نقول يدخل إذا غابت الشمس ليلة عشرين من رمضان متى؟ يدخل إذا غابت الشمس ليلة عشرين من رمضان ويخرج إذا غابت الشمس آخر يوم من رمضان لأن العشر الأواخر تنتهي بغروب الشمس آخر يوم من رمضان. Indeed, a group of people are in i'tikaf between your house and the house of Abu Musa. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There is no i'tikaf except in the three mosques. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said to him: Perhaps they mentioned it and you forgot, or they were correct and you made a mistake. He attributed a defect to his narration based on two things: an error in the narration or an error in understanding. The error in the narration is in his saying, "Perhaps they mentioned it and you forgot." The error in understanding is in "they were correct and you made a mistake." There is no doubt that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was more knowledgeable in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) than Hudhayfah and more aware of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). It is not correct to say that there is no i'tikaf except in the three mosques, given the saying of Allah the Exalted: "And do not have relations with them while you are in i'tikaf in the mosques." The mosques are general. How can we restrict this generality, which includes all the mosques of the world, to three of the mosques? This is very far-fetched. The "al" here is for generality, not for definiteness, so that it cannot be said that the intended meaning is the three mosques. Therefore, i'tikaf is valid in every mosque in which the congregation is held. Good. When does the one in i'tikaf leave his place of i'tikaf and enter it? We say he enters when the sun sets on the night of the twentieth of Ramadan. When? He enters when the sun sets on the night of the twentieth of Ramadan, and he leaves when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan, because the last ten days end with the setting of the sun on the last day of Ramadan.
Good. This is i'tikaf: a person staying in a mosque for the entire ten days to draw near to Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
And i'tikaf is in every mosque now. Clarify the time: when is the time of i'tikaf? The last ten days of Ramadan.
As for its location, it is the mosques, by the saying of Allah 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 do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques
ولا تباشروهن وأنتم عاكفون في المساجدthere is no i'tikaf except in a congregational mosque.
لا اعتكاف إلا في المساجد الثلاثةخروج المعتكف من معتكفنه ودخوله متى يكون؟ نقول يدخل إذا غابت الشمس ليلة عشرين من رمضان متى؟ يدخل إذا غابت الشمس ليلة عشرين من رمضان ويخرج إذا غابت الشمس آخر يوم من رمضان لأن العشر الأواخر تنتهي بغروب الشمس آخر يوم من رمضان. Indeed, a group of people are in i'tikaf between your house and the house of Abu Musa. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: There is no i'tikaf except in the three mosques. Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said to him: Perhaps they mentioned it and you forgot, or they were correct and you made a mistake. He attributed a defect to his narration based on two things: an error in the narration or an error in understanding. The error in the narration is in his saying, "Perhaps they mentioned it and you forgot." The error in understanding is in "they were correct and you made a mistake." There is no doubt that Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was more knowledgeable in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) than Hudhayfah and more aware of the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). It is not correct to say that there is no i'tikaf except in the three mosques, given the saying of Allah the Exalted: "And do not have relations with them while you are in i'tikaf in the mosques." The mosques are general. How can we restrict this generality, which includes all the mosques of the world, to three of the mosques? This is very far-fetched. The "al" here is for generality, not for definiteness, so that it cannot be said that the intended meaning is the three mosques. Therefore, i'tikaf is valid in every mosque in which the congregation is held. Good. When does the one in i'tikaf leave his place of i'tikaf and enter it? We say he enters when the sun sets on the night of the twentieth of Ramadan. When? He enters when the sun sets on the night of the twentieth of Ramadan, and he leaves when the sun sets on the last day of Ramadan, because the last ten days end with the setting of the sun on the last day of Ramadan.