Is i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) specific to the month of Ramadan? What are its conditions? And does i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Haram have a greater reward than in other mosques?
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The questioner : Is i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) specific to Ramadan? What are the conditions of i'tikaf? And does i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Haram have a greater reward than in other mosques? Please give us a ruling, may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
I'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is staying in the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is the legislated i'tikaf: a person commits himself to remaining in one of the mosques of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to devote himself to worship, such as prayer, dhikr (the remembrance of Allah), reciting the Qur'an, and other acts that bring one closer to Allah the Exalted. This is i'tikaf. The legislated i'tikaf that is required of a person to perform is i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan to seek Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree). Before that, he had performed i'tikaf in the first ten days, then the middle ten days, and then it was told to him that Laylat al-Qadr is in the last ten days of Ramadan, so he performed i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan until Allah (Mighty and Majestic) took his soul.
It is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he legislated i'tikaf for his Ummah (the Muslim community) in any month other than Ramadan, nor that he performed i'tikaf in any month other than Ramadan, except for the year he left off i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan and then made it up in Shawwal. This is the legislated i'tikaf: that it be in the last ten days of Ramadan to seek Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) and to devote oneself to worship therein.
However, despite this, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in months other than Ramadan is valid. The evidence for this is the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he consulted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I vowed to perform i'tikaf for a night or a day in al-Masjid al-Haram." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This indicates the permissibility of i'tikaf in months other than Ramadan.
But we do not ask a person to do that, nor do we tell him: "Perform i'tikaf in months other than the last ten days of Ramadan," because that is not mentioned in the Sunnah.
As for what some jurists mentioned, that a person should intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay when he enters the mosque, this is a statement with no basis in the Sunnah. In fact, the apparent meaning of the Sunnah is the opposite. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged going early to the Friday prayer and said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not indicate in this that the person who goes early should intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay while waiting for the Friday prayer. If this had been one of the legislated matters, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would not have concealed it from his Ummah (the Muslim community), because we know that he (peace and blessings be upon him) was the most eager of people to convey knowledge and the most eager of people to benefit creation. It is not possible that he would leave something that benefits them without informing them of it.
I do not know, up to this moment, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided the Ummah (the Muslim community) to intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay when a man enters the mosque. Therefore, it is not recommended (sunnah) for one who intends the mosque for prayer, or for reading knowledge, or for study, or the like, to intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay therein.
Then, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is performed in al-Masjid al-Haram, in al-Masjid al-Nabawi, in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, and in other mosques. As for what is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Hudhayfah: If this is authentic, the intended meaning is that the most complete and best i'tikaf is what is performed in these three mosques, because these three mosques are the best mosques on the face of the earth, and they are the ones in which prayer is multiplied and to which journeys are made, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Bulugh al-Maram 5:58.
And the statementThe questioner : Is i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Haram better than in other mosques?
The answer is: Yes, i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Haram is better than i'tikaf in other mosques. Next is i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Nabawi, then i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, then the other mosques, the best of them being the best.
But here is a matter that one should be aware of: attending to the essence of the worship is more important than attending to its time and place. That is, the virtues that pertain to the essence of the worship are more deserving of attention than those that pertain to its place or time. This means that if a person's i'tikaf in a mosque other than the three mosques was more complete, with more humility before Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and more devotion to worship, then his i'tikaf in these [three] mosques would be better, because this virtue pertains to the essence of the worship.
The evidence for this from the Sunnah and the words of the scholars is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Riyad as-Salihin 1753 The implication of this hadith is that a person should delay the prayer from the beginning of its time until he satisfies his need for food or relieving himself. This necessitates delaying the prayer from the beginning of its time, even though prayer at the beginning of its time is better. But the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) disregarded attending to the time here in order to perfect the worship itself.
The scholars mentioned that the sand of Ta'if in the arrival tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah) is more desirable than being close to the Ka'bah. They explained this by saying that the sand is a virtue pertaining to the essence of the worship, while being close to the House is a virtue pertaining to its place. Attending to what pertains to the essence of the worship is more important than attending to what pertains to its place. This is a point that a person, especially a student of knowledge, should note: preserving the virtue of the essence of the worship is more important than preserving its place and time.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment:
I'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is staying in the mosque for the sake of obeying Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is the legislated i'tikaf: a person commits himself to remaining in one of the mosques of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to devote himself to worship, such as prayer, dhikr (the remembrance of Allah), reciting the Qur'an, and other acts that bring one closer to Allah the Exalted. This is i'tikaf. The legislated i'tikaf that is required of a person to perform is i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to perform i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan to seek Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree). Before that, he had performed i'tikaf in the first ten days, then the middle ten days, and then it was told to him that Laylat al-Qadr is in the last ten days of Ramadan, so he performed i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan until Allah (Mighty and Majestic) took his soul.
It is not reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he legislated i'tikaf for his Ummah (the Muslim community) in any month other than Ramadan, nor that he performed i'tikaf in any month other than Ramadan, except for the year he left off i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan and then made it up in Shawwal. This is the legislated i'tikaf: that it be in the last ten days of Ramadan to seek Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) and to devote oneself to worship therein.
However, despite this, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in months other than Ramadan is valid. The evidence for this is the hadith of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), in which he consulted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I vowed to perform i'tikaf for a night or a day in al-Masjid al-Haram." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Fulfill your vow
أوف بنذركBut we do not ask a person to do that, nor do we tell him: "Perform i'tikaf in months other than the last ten days of Ramadan," because that is not mentioned in the Sunnah.
As for what some jurists mentioned, that a person should intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay when he enters the mosque, this is a statement with no basis in the Sunnah. In fact, the apparent meaning of the Sunnah is the opposite. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged going early to the Friday prayer and said:
Whoever takes a bath and then goes in the first hour, it is as if he offered a camel; in the second hour, it is as if he offered a cow; in the third hour, it is as if he offered a horned ram; in the fourth hour, it is as if he offered a chicken; and in the fifth hour, it is as if he offered an egg.
من اغتسل ثم راح في الساعة الأولى فكأنما قرب بدنة، وفي الثانية كأنما قرب بقرة، وفي الثالثة كأنما قرب كبشاً أقرن، وفي الرابعة فكأنما قرب دجاجة، وفي الخامسة كأنما قرب بيضةI do not know, up to this moment, that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) guided the Ummah (the Muslim community) to intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay when a man enters the mosque. Therefore, it is not recommended (sunnah) for one who intends the mosque for prayer, or for reading knowledge, or for study, or the like, to intend i'tikaf for the duration of his stay therein.
Then, i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is performed in al-Masjid al-Haram, in al-Masjid al-Nabawi, in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, and in other mosques. As for what is narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the hadith of Hudhayfah:
There is no i'tikaf except in the three mosques.
أنه لا اعتكاف إلا في المساجد الثلاثةOne should not undertake journeys except to three mosques: al-Masque al-Haram (in Makkah ), the Aqsa mosque, or this mosque (in Madinah).
لا تشد الرحال إلا إلى ثلاثة مساجد : المسجد الحرام، ومسجدي هذا، والمسجد الأقصىAnd the statementThe questioner : Is i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Haram better than in other mosques?
The answer is: Yes, i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Haram is better than i'tikaf in other mosques. Next is i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Nabawi, then i'tikaf in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, then the other mosques, the best of them being the best.
But here is a matter that one should be aware of: attending to the essence of the worship is more important than attending to its time and place. That is, the virtues that pertain to the essence of the worship are more deserving of attention than those that pertain to its place or time. This means that if a person's i'tikaf in a mosque other than the three mosques was more complete, with more humility before Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and more devotion to worship, then his i'tikaf in these [three] mosques would be better, because this virtue pertains to the essence of the worship.
The evidence for this from the Sunnah and the words of the scholars is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
No Salat (prayer) should be performed when the food has been served, nor should it be performed when a person is in need of relieving himself.
لا صلاة بحضرة طعام ولا وهو يدافعه الأخبثانThe scholars mentioned that the sand of Ta'if in the arrival tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah) is more desirable than being close to the Ka'bah. They explained this by saying that the sand is a virtue pertaining to the essence of the worship, while being close to the House is a virtue pertaining to its place. Attending to what pertains to the essence of the worship is more important than attending to what pertains to its place. This is a point that a person, especially a student of knowledge, should note: preserving the virtue of the essence of the worship is more important than preserving its place and time.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.