By Yasir Qadhi:
I’tikāf comes from the verb ‘akafa, which means ‘to associate with something constantly’.
So I’tikāf is meant to indicate a state in which a person has a constant association with the masjid and with the worship of Allah.
While there is no specific blessing or reward mentioned for the one who does it, the Quran & Sunnah cleary indicate that it is an act of worship. In fact, Allah commands the Prophet Ibrahīm (as) to purify the Ka’ba ‘…for those who do ṭawāf, and those who do i’tikāf (2: 125).
And our Prophet ﷺ would regularly perform i’tikāf during his Madinan years – sometimes in the early part of Ramaḍān, and sometimes in its middle, then, during the last years of his life, during the final ten days, and that is what he advised us to do.
The fact that he ﷺ linked i’tikāf to the last ten days with the presence of Lalyat al-Qadr allows us to derive that a primary wisdom of i’tikāf is to guarantee that one shall maximize the worship of Allah during these nights and hence guarantee praying on The Night of Power.
Some important rulings to be aware of:
- I’tikāf can only be done in a masjid where the regular prayers are done. The Prophet ﷺ encouraged his wives to perform i’tikfāf as well, and a tent would be set up at the back of the masjid for them. Note: Ḥanafīs have a unique position that allows a woman to perform i’tikāf in her house by demarcating an area as her personal prayer space – the other schools do not allow this.
- There is no set time for i’tikāf, and while it is Sunnah to do a full i’tikāf the last ten days of Ramadan, one can also do just a few days, or even a night, or even (according to the Ḥanbalīs) a few hours.
- During the i’tikāf, one must minimize all non-necessary actions and talk, and concentrate on the worship of Allah, and what is required to take care of one’s body (eating, drinking, restroom, hygiene, etc.).
- If the masjid has restroom facilities, those should be availed; if not, one may go to the nearest reasonable location and return without breaking i’tikāf. The same applies for food – whatever minimum needs to be done to acquire it is allowed.
- One cannot leave the masjid except for a valid need. To leave the masjid premises without such a need invalidates the i’tikāf. A ‘valid’ reason is not another act of worship, so one is not allowed to leave to attend a burial, or visit the sick, or delivering food to others.
- Intimacy with one’s spouse and all that leads to it is not allowed during i’tikāf.
- Talking with others should not be a primary objective nor should it take up too much time. Scholars have allowed some general talk and brotherly interactions…
- But one of the major problems that occurs during i’tikāf is that people spend more time socializing with one another rather than worshiping, and there is no question that such a culture contradicts the entire purpose of i’tikāf.
- I’tikāf is not inherently obligatory, nor is there a penalty for ‘breaking’ it. Hence if for some reason a person changes his mind and decides to go home, there is no sin on him, but of course he has lost the reward of the i’tikāf. As well, if a person does ‘break’ i’tikāf for a reason, he may resume another i’tikāf as soon as possible. There is no sin on someone doing this. So, for example, it is allowed for a person to make an intention every night from qiyām for as long as he is sitting in the masjid to do i’tikāf, and he may do so every night he is in the masjid.
And Allah knows best.