Advice from the Shaykh to the youth to follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), including i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque).
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The Shaykh : The important thing, my brothers, is that I advise the youth who are eager for good to follow the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and not to go ahead of him, and not to legislate for themselves or for others a law based merely on emotion without authority from Allah. For this is harm, O Glorified is Allah. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) except in the last ten days, after he had performed it in the middle ten and the first ten. And you come and say, "We will perform i'tikaf in the middle ten." This is a bid'ah (religious innovation). If the person who does this intended to oppose the Sunnah, the matter would be serious. But what I mostly suspect is that they intended—what did they intend?—good. But not everyone who intends good is successful in it.
And to those who performed i'tikaf based on this, I say to them from this pulpit: Invalidate your i'tikaf.[Ali 'Imran 3:31] And by this report that we mentioned, it becomes clear that what some of the fuqaha (jurists) (may Allah have mercy on them) said, that if a person enters the mosque, he should intend to perform i'tikaf for the duration of his stay, is a statement with no basis and no truth. It has no evidence. It has no evidence. Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ever say, "Whoever among you comes to the mosque, let him intend i'tikaf in any case"? You may not know this, but I say: No, he did not say it on any day. And was it hidden from the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) that this is an act of worship of Allah? If it were an act of worship of Allah, it would not have been hidden from the Messenger. And if it were an act of worship of Allah, the Messenger would have conveyed it to the Ummah, for he is commanded to do so. [Al-Ma'idah 5:67] But he did not say on any day to whoever came to the mosque, "Intend i'tikaf." And i'tikaf is worship. Worship cannot be established except by evidence. I add to that: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, Sunan an-Nasa'i 1388Sahih (Darussalam) What? And in the second hour?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And in the third hour?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And in the fourth hour?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And in the fifth hour?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : An egg. Did he say to those who came in the first hour, "Intend i'tikaf in the mosque so that you obtain a sacrifice and i'tikaf"? He did not say that. For this reason, we say that the prescribed, legislated i'tikaf is what was done by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). If someone were to say, "Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) not know about 'Umar ibn al-Khattab when he vowed to perform i'tikaf for a night or a day in the Sacred Mosque?" We say: Yes, he knew, but he permitted him and did not legislate it for the Ummah. And there is a difference between the Messenger approving something and not legislating it. Did you not know that a man whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent on a military expedition—did he send him on a military expedition, meaning a military expedition, meaning?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Meaning a group of the army. So this man used to recite for his companions, lead them in prayer, and recite, and he would conclude with "Qul huwa Allahu ahad" (Say: He is Allah, the One) every time he recited. He would conclude with "Qul huwa Allahu ahad." Did he say to the Ummah, "Conclude your recitation in prayer with 'Qul huwa Allahu ahad'"? No. And did he (peace and blessings be upon him) conclude his prayer with "Qul huwa Allahu ahad"? Did he conclude the recitation of his prayer with "Qul huwa Allahu ahad"? No. So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) may permit an action without making it a law for the Ummah in general. And in that case, there is no proof in the Messenger's (peace and blessings be upon him) permission to 'Umar to say that everyone who comes to the mosque should intend i'tikaf in it. For 'Umar sought permission from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to fulfill his vow by performing i'tikaf in the Sacred Mosque.
I wanted to point out these two matters for the sake of the need for supplication.
And to those who performed i'tikaf based on this, I say to them from this pulpit: Invalidate your i'tikaf.
Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins
قل إن كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله ويغفر لكم ذنوبكمO Messenger, announce that which has been revealed to you from your Lord
يا أيها الرسول بلغ ما أنزل إليك من ربكWhoever performs Ghusl as from Janabah on Friday
من اغتسل يوم الجمعة غسل الجنابةthen goes to the mosque in the first hour, it is as if he offered
ثم غدا إلى المسجد في الساعة الأولى فكأنما قربa camel
بدنةThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : And in the third hour?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And in the fourth hour?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : And in the fifth hour?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : An egg. Did he say to those who came in the first hour, "Intend i'tikaf in the mosque so that you obtain a sacrifice and i'tikaf"? He did not say that. For this reason, we say that the prescribed, legislated i'tikaf is what was done by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). If someone were to say, "Did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) not know about 'Umar ibn al-Khattab when he vowed to perform i'tikaf for a night or a day in the Sacred Mosque?" We say: Yes, he knew, but he permitted him and did not legislate it for the Ummah. And there is a difference between the Messenger approving something and not legislating it. Did you not know that a man whom the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) sent on a military expedition—did he send him on a military expedition, meaning a military expedition, meaning?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Meaning a group of the army. So this man used to recite for his companions, lead them in prayer, and recite, and he would conclude with "Qul huwa Allahu ahad" (Say: He is Allah, the One) every time he recited. He would conclude with "Qul huwa Allahu ahad."
So when they returned to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), they informed him. He said, "Ask him why he does it." They said, "Because it is the way of the Rahman (the Most Merciful), and I love to recite it." He said, "Inform him that Allah loves him."
فلما رجعوا للرسول عليه الصلاة والسلام أخبروه فقال اسألوه لماذا يفعل قال لأنها صفة الرحن وأنا أحب أن أقرأها قال أخبروه أن الله يحبهI wanted to point out these two matters for the sake of the need for supplication.