Is it true that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is not valid except in three mosques (the Sacred Mosque, the Prophet's Mosque, and Al-Aqsa Mosque)?
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The questioner : I heard one of the students of knowledge say: that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is not valid except in three mosques: the Sacred Mosque, the Prophet's Mosque, and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Is this correct? And if it is correct, is i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) permissible in other mosques, knowing that some people cannot perform i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in these mosques due to their financial situation? May you be rewarded, and may Allah reward you with good?
The Shaykh : I say, and upon you be peace, the mercy of Allah, and His blessings, and I ask Allah, whom He has made us love, to love Him. As for what he asked about i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in other than the three mosques, the correct opinion, which is the view of the majority of the scholars, is that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in other than the three mosques is permissible. The hadith of Hudhayfah, in which it is stated that there is no i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) except in these three mosques, if it is authentic, is understood to mean that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in these mosques is better than i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in others, just as prayer in these mosques is better than prayer in others. This does not mean that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is not valid in other mosques. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:187] This is a general wording. If we said that it is specific to the three mosques, then Allah the Exalted would be addressing people, whereas only a small number of them are able to perform this act.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the proportion of those in the Sacred Mosque, the Prophet's Mosque, and Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Muslim world is negligible. How can this general ruling be given in a narrow area that cannot accommodate but a very small number of Muslims? The correct opinion, of which there is no doubt, is what the majority of the scholars hold: that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in every mosque is permissible and valid, and a person is rewarded for it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.
The Shaykh : I say, and upon you be peace, the mercy of Allah, and His blessings, and I ask Allah, whom He has made us love, to love Him. As for what he asked about i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in other than the three mosques, the correct opinion, which is the view of the majority of the scholars, is that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in other than the three mosques is permissible. The hadith of Hudhayfah, in which it is stated that there is no i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) except in these three mosques, if it is authentic, is understood to mean that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in these mosques is better than i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in others, just as prayer in these mosques is better than prayer in others. This does not mean that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is not valid in other mosques. Allah the Exalted said:
And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the mosques
وَلا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because the proportion of those in the Sacred Mosque, the Prophet's Mosque, and Al-Aqsa Mosque to the Muslim world is negligible. How can this general ruling be given in a narrow area that cannot accommodate but a very small number of Muslims? The correct opinion, of which there is no doubt, is what the majority of the scholars hold: that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) in every mosque is permissible and valid, and a person is rewarded for it. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah bless you.