126.

١٢٦. عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ شَدَّ مِئْزَرَهُ وَأَحْيَا لَيْلَهُ وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ».

126. Aisha (r.anha) said:

“When the last ten days of Ramadan came, the Prophet (pbuh) kept vigil and prayed during the whole night, and awakened his family (to pray during the night).” (Bukhari, Laylat al-Qadr, 5; Muslim, I’tikaf, 7. Also see Abu Dawud, Ramadan, 1; Nasai, Qiyam al-Layl, 17; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 57)

Explanations:

The term i’tikaf literally means to imprison, to detain, to settle down in a place and to put down roots there, and to prevent oneself from doing regular and mundane activities. In technical terms, it means to retreat in a mosque for a certain period time to improve spiritually and to get closer to Allah through acts of worship. Those who are in i’tikaf are called “mu’takif” or “akif.”

Keeping oneself away from all kinds of the human acts and desires, even if they are permissible, and keeping oneself busy with acts of worship is one of the most important means of spiritual development. For this reason, I’tikaf used as an important acts of worship performed with some variations by the previous prophets as well. As a matter of fact, the following verse of the Qur’an refers to this matter:

“… We covenanted with Abraham and Isma’il, that they should sanctify My House for those who compass it round, or use it as a retreat, or bow, or prostrate themselves (therein in prayer).” (Al-Baqarah; 2:125)

Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) used to retreat in the Cave of Hira even before he had chosen as a prophet and keep himself busy with meditation. When it got closer to the times of his prophethood, he increased his meditations. On the first days of his prophethood, Allah commanded him to perform night prayers (tahajjud.)  Since he was going to be busy with delivering his message of calling people to the right path during the day, he needed to gain spiritual power by being with his Lord during the quiet early hours of dawn. When the message of Islam reached to a certain point and fasting was declared to be obligatory in Medina, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) increased his acts of worship and good deeds during the month of Ramadan which is the most virtuous of all months and is like the early hours of dawn compared to the rest of the day. He even started to spend the second ten days of Ramadan only with acts of worshipping. When the possibility of the Night of Qadr being in the last ten nights of the month Ramadan increased, the Messenger of Allah started to perform his i’tikaf on these days. (Bukhari, I’tikaf, 1)

He used to perform i’tikaf in a small in a Turkish tent with a mat hanging at its door. (Muslim, Siyam, 215; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 62)

Aisha (r.anha) said:

“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) used to practice i’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. I used to pitch a tent for him, and after offering the dawn prayer he used to enter the tent for i’tikaf.”

Once, some of the wives of the Prophet pitched tents for themselves in the mosque. When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saw the tents, he asked:

“What are those?”

When he was told of the whole situation, he said:

“Do you think that they intended to do righteousness by doing this?” and he therefore abandoned the i’tikaf in that month and practiced i’tikaf for the first ten days in the month of Shawwal. (Bukhari, I’tikaf, 6, 7, 14; Muslim, I’tikaf, 6; Abu Dawud, Sawm, 77; Tirmidhi, Siyam, 71)

Based on this hadith, it is seen more appropriate for women to retire for i’tikaf in a part of their house instead of going to mosques.

When the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) intended for i’tikaf, his bed was placed in Masjid al-Nabawi next to the Column of Penitence towards the direction of Mecca. The Prophet (pbuh) used to lean on that column. (Ibn Majah, Siyam, 61; Tabarani, Kabir, XII, 385/13424; Baihaqi, Kubra, V, 247)

As expressed in our first hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) increased the days of his i’tikaf to twenty in his year of passing. By this, he indicated that one must increase worship and obedience even more towards the end of his life. As a matter of fact, in his last year, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) recited the entire Qur’an to Gabriel twice as he used to do once in the previous Ramadans.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) could not observe i’tikaf in the year when he was in the military expedition for the conquest of Mecca. He observed i’tikaf for twenty days in the following year in order not to be devoid of the virtue of this worship. (Abu Dawud, Sawm, 77/2463; Ibn Majah, Siyam, 58)

Then, no matter how much a person worships, he cannot reach the perfection in faith if he doesn’t retire into seclusion at least once in a while and think about his actions and deeply contemplate about the divine signs of the Creator in this universe. For, retreating in a mosque is a good opportunity for someone to collect his thoughts, to keep the heart away from the daily life, to concentrate on obedience, and to get closer to Allah.

The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said about the virtue of those who perform i’tikaf:

“He stays away from the sinful acts and evils. Divine rewards are given to him as he has performed all kinds of good deeds.” (Ibn Majah, Siyam, 67)

In another noble hadith:

“Whoever performs i’tikaf for ten days in Ramadan, he is like he has performed two major pilgrimages and two lesser pilgrimages to Mecca as well.” (Tabarani, Kabir, III, 128/2888; Baihaqi, Shuab, III, 425)

A believer who goes to a mosque and starts i’tikaf is like a person who is in prayer at all times. In this state, he is like a person who takes refuge into the protection of a strong castle. Ata, one of the prominent fıgures of Islam, said:

“The similitude of a person who in i’tikaf is a person who knocks the door of an important person and says “I will not leave without getting what I need.” That is because he is the one who entered one of the houses of Allah and says “I will not leave before You forgive me.”

As expressed in our second hadith, just like the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) himself concentrated on worshipping in the last ten days and nights of Noble Ramadan, he encouraged his family to do so as well, and they together reduced their sleep times. The mothers of the believers who used to practice i’tikaf continued to perform it even after the death of the Prophet. (Bukhari, I’tikaf, 1; Muslim, I’tikaf, 5. Also see Abu Dawud, Sawm, 77)

Those who are in i’tikaf spend their time by performing prayers as much as they can, by reciting the Noble Qur’an, pledging, praying and supplicating, reciting the Kalimah Al-Tawheed and Taqbir, and sending invovations for the Messenger of Allah, thinking about the existence of Allah, His Oneness and His signs of power in this universe, reading books about the life of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and other Islamic books. At this time, he stays away from all kinds of unnecessary things.

The Hanafi scholars examine i’tikaf under three categories and state that each of them has different rulings. According to this:

1. Performing i’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan is considered Sunnah al-Muakkadah (regular tradition of the Prophet) by comparing to similar cases.

2. It is necessary (wajib) to perform i’tikaf if it is vowed. All the schools of Islamic law agree in this ruling. If a person feels that he will die before he get the chance to perform his vowed i’tikaf, he should make a will for a certain amount of monetary compensation (fidyah) given to the poor for each day of the vowed i’tikaf.

3. Other types of i’tikaf are Mustahab (i.e. liked and recommended).

Scholars had differing views on the minimum duration of i’tikaf as well. According to the Shafi school, even a moment as short as one can say “Subhanallah” (Glory be to God) is enough for i’tikaf. This is also the well-known view of Ahmad bin Hanbel. However, it is the appropriate way of acting to stay in i’tikaf at least one day just to be on the safe side.

Ata b. Abi Rabah said:

“If a person goes and sits in a mosque with some good intentions, he will be in i’tikaf during the time that he spends in the mosque.”

For this reason, our forefathers used to hang a sign reading “I intend to perform i’tikaf” on the entrance of the mosques so that people remember to intend for i’tikaf and gain its rewards even if they stay for fifteen minutes or so.

According to the Hanafis, one must fast during the necessary (wajib) i’tikafs. In mustahab (liked, recommended) i’tikafs, since there is no classified time period, fasting is not required.

One who is in i’tikaf should not passionately touch his wife, or have sexual intercourse or go out for anything but necessary purposes. (Abu Dawud, Sawm, 80/2473)

This is because Allah the Almighty says:

“…but do not associate with your wives while you are in retreat in the mosques.” (Al-Baqarah; 2:187)

While i’tikaf is one of the most virtuous worships, it should not hinder more important social acts of worship. A Muslim should use his time wisely by spending time on both performing good deeds for the benefit of the society and performing personal worships. When one has to make a decision between the two, the most beneficial one should be chosen. One of the exemplary hadith on this subject is as follows:

One day, when Abdullah b. Abbas (r.a.) was in i’tikaf in the masjid of the Messenger Allah, someone approached him and sat after saluting him.

Ibn Abbas (r.a.) said:

“My friend, I see you worried and sad” and their conversation continued as:

“Yes, O the son of the Prophet’s uncle! I borrowed some money from so and so, but I swear to the owner of this tomb (the Messenger of Allah), I cannot repay my debt.”

“Should I talk to him for you?”

“If you don’t mind.”

Ibn Abbas (r.a.) put his shoes on and go out of the mosque.

The man called:

“Did you forget that you were in i’tikaf, why did you go out of the masjid?”

Ibn Abbas (r.a.) said:

“No, I didn’t. I have heard from the noble person in this tomb who recently left us, (with tears in his eyes while speaking):

“Whoever tries to help his brother in Islam and acts on it, this is better for him than staying in i’tikaf for ten years. As a matter of fact, if a person stays in i’tikaf for three days, Allah creates three trenches between that person and the Hell, and the distance within each trench is as much as the distance between the east and west.”^[1] (Baihaqi, Shuab, III, 424-425. Also see Haythami, VIII, 192)