Itikaf meaning in Islam. Itikaf rules in English
What is Itikaf?
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim; itikaf meaning: Itikaf literally means to cling to something and to be bound by it (to be engaged, to be engrossed, to be engaged); So whether that thing is good or bad.
Allah the Almighty said,
(Ibrahim said to his father and his people,) What are the idols that you are worshiping (or those whom you are worshiping)? Quran 21/52
To confine oneself to the mosques of a particular person in the hope of gaining nearness to God in the terms of the Shari’ah; That is, to stay away from all the work of all people and worlds and the work of thawab; Itikaf is the act of uniting for prayers, remembrance, and recitation of the Qur’an.
The importance and virtue of Itikaf
Itikaf is one of the most rewarding deeds to be done in the month of Ramadan. Itikaf is one of the Sunnahs that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) performed every year during this month of Ramadaan – especially in the last decade. The evidence of all these words is as follows:
1. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): And I swore to Ibraaheem and Ishmael that you should both sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it, those who perform i’tikaf, those who bow, and those who prostrate.
Quran 2/125
He said elsewhere, you do not have intercourse in the mosque Itikaf while engaged.
Quran 2/18
2. Abu Hurairah said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to perform i’tikaf for 10 days in every Ramadaan. But in the year of his death, he performed i’tikaf for 20 days.
Bukhari 2044
3. Ayesha (R) said that the Messenger of Allah (saw) used to perform Itikaf every Ramadan. He used to enter his Itikafgah after Fajr prayers.
Bukhari 2041, Muslim 1163
4. Ayesha said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) performed i’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadaan until his death. After that, his wives also performed i’tikaf.
Bukhari 2026, Muslim 1172
5. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed i’tikaf and so did his Companions.
Bukhari 2018, Muslim 116
Types of Itikaf
There are two types of i’tikaf; Obligatory and circumcised.
Sunnat is that i’tikaf which the servant voluntarily imitates the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) for the sake of gaining nearness and reward. And i’tikaf is to be done in the last decade of the month of Ramadan; As has been said before.
Wajib is the itikaf which Banda Khaed has made wajib for himself. Whether it is in accordance with the general view or the conditional delayed view. For example, if someone says, “I have done i’tikaf for the sake of Allah, or if Allah heals my patient, I will do i’tikaf for him – then it is obligatory to perform i’tikaf.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever observes the gaze of obedience (worship) of Allaah, let him observe it. Bukhari 696
Once Umar said, O Messenger of Allah! I have observed the night of Itikaf in the Masjidul Haram in the age of ignorance. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Fulfill your eyes.’
Bukhari 2032
Itikaf time
It is necessary to perform wajib i’tikaf just like the time mentioned by the narrator. If he intends to perform i’tikaf for one day or more, then it is obligatory for him to observe it as mentioned in his view.
And there is no fixed time for Sunnat Itikaf. Such i’tikaf is implemented only if one stays in the mosque with intention; Whether the time is long hake or short. You will get thawab till you stay in the mosque. If you want to go out of the mosque and come back again and do i’tikaf, you have to renew your intention.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) performed Itikaaf for 10 days; And in his last life, he did Itikaf for 20 days. Similarly, he performed i’tikaf in the first decade of Ramadan, then in the middle decade, and then in the last decade.
Bukhari 2018 Muslim 116
Terms of Itikaf
There are some conditions for Itikaf to be pure.
1. Itikaf must be in the mosque.
As Allah the Almighty says,
that is, you do not have intercourse in the mosque Itikaf while engaged.
Quran 2/18
Needless to say, he mentioned the mosque as the place of Itikaf. Therefore, if i’tikaf was purified in a place other than the mosque, it would not be mentioned in the verse.
Then it should be known that i’tikaf can be done in any mosque. But there is no doubt that 3 majestic mosques; That is, it is best to perform i’tikaf in Masjidul Haram, Masjid Nawabi, and Masjidul Aqsa. For example, praying in these 3 mosques is much better than in other mosques.
The condition of the mosque is that it should be a mosque.
Ayesha (R) said that circumcision is for the one who does Itikaf, he will not go to see any patient. And there is no Itikaf in any mosque except Jame Mosque.
Sahih Adabul Mufrad 2160
It is to be noted that i’tikaf is not pure for a woman in the mosque of her house (where she prays 5 times). Because it is not a mosque in any sense.
2. The one who performs i’tikaf (caused by ejaculation, menstruation, or nephrosis) must be free from major impurity.
On the other hand, it is best to perform i’tikaf in the last decade of Ramadan; As has been discussed before.
When entering the Itikaf-gah
As mentioned earlier, there is no fixed time for mustahabb i’tikaf. Therefore, whenever the Itikaf performer enters the mosque and intends to attain nearness to Allah by staying there, he will be considered as the Itikaf performer until he leaves it. But if he wants to perform i’tikaf in the last decade of Ramadan, he will enter the mosque before the night of the 21st (sunset of the 20th).
Because, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Whoever wants to do i’tikaf with me, let him do i’tikaf in the last decade.
Bukhari 2026
Here the last decade means the last ten nights. And the first night of the last ten nights is the 21st night.
On the other hand, it is proved in Sahih Hain that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) offered the Fajr prayers and entered his Itikaf. Bukhari 2041, Muslim 1163
This means that at that time he entered a specific place inside the mosque for i’tikaf. Since he used to perform i’tikaf in a special place inside the mosque. As narrated in Sahih Muslim, he performed i’tikaf inside a Turkish tent made of fur.
Muslim 116
But it was early in the night when he entered the mosque for Itikaf.
The person who performs i’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan will leave the mosque after sunset on the last day of the month.
On the other hand, a person who observes i’tikaf for one night or for a certain number of nights will fully enter the place of i’tikaf before the setting of the sun, and will clearly leave it after dawn.
It is mustahab for the itikaf performer
1. It is mustahabb for the i’tikaf performer to perform more and more supererogatory acts of worship, to keep oneself engaged in prayers, recitation of the Qur’an, remembrance, istigfar, Darood and salam, dua, etc. By that worship, the servant can attain nearness to Allah and the Muslim can establish a relationship with his great Creator.
2. There will be a place inside the mosque. Nafe ‘said,’ Abdullah bin Umar has shown the place of the mosque where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to perform i’tikaf.
Muslim 1161
It is lawful to do what is right
1. Itikaf performers can come out of the mosque in a very necessary matter. For example, it is legal to go out to eat and drink for personal needs, to bring clothes or winter cover and to urinate. Accordingly Shariah requirements; For example, it is not illegal to go outside the mosque to bathe or perform ablutions.
Mother Ayesha (R) said, (during Itikaf) the Prophet (PBUH) would not come home without personal need.
He added that it is sunnat for the one who performs itikaf, that he should not go to see any patient, should not participate in any janaza, should not touch his wife, should not hug or have intercourse, and should not leave the mosque unless absolutely necessary.
Sahih Adabul Mufrad 2160
2. Inside the mosque, the Itikaf can eat, drink and sleep. However, the sanctity and cleanliness of the mosque must be taken care of. It can speak for itself or for the needs of others.
3. Combing the head, cutting long nails, taking care of physical hygiene, wearing nice clothes, using perfume, etc. are valid for The person performing i’tikaf.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to take his head out of the mosque in the state of i’tikaf and bow it in front of Ayesha in the hujra, and he used to wash and scratch her head during menstruation.
Bukhari 2026, 2030, Muslim 298
4. If a family member comes to the mosque to perform i’tikaf, it is permissible to leave the mosque in advance to bid him farewell. Hazrat Safiyyah did so when he came to meet the Holy Prophet.
Bukhari 2035, Muslim 2175
Itikaf so that it is canceled
1. Itikaf is wasted if one intentionally leaves the mosque even for a short time without much need; Since staying in the mosque is one of the conditions or rukan for itikaf.
2. Itikaf is canceled if he has intercourse with his wife. Because Allah Almighty says,
and you do not have intercourse in the mosque while performing i’tikaf. This is the limit set by Allah. So do not approach him.
Quran 2/18
3. Itikaf is canceled when one becomes ignorant. Because it does not distinguish between good and evil.
4. Itikaf is canceled when a woman starts menstruating or breathing. Because holiness is a condition.
5. Itikaf is nullified if one commits shirk, kufr, or apostasy through any word or deed.
Allah the Almighty said, “If you do shirk, your deeds will be in vain.
Quran 39/75
Breaking Itikaf and making up for it
The i’tikaf performer can break it for as long as he intends to do i’tikaf. Once the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw his wives making the Itikaf tent and ordered them to tear it down. Then he made up that Itikaf in the first ten months of the month of Shawwal.
Bukhari 2033, Muslim 1163
According to the hadith, it is mustahabb for a person who breaks the nafl after starting i’tikaf to make up for it. On the other hand, it is obligatory for a person who breaks the Itikaf of Najr due to any difficulty, if he has the opportunity and ability, to make it up. But if he dies before he has made up for it, his nearest heir will make up for it.
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the Tawfiq to understand and act properly. Allahumma Amin.
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What to Do During Itikaf: Rules, Virtues, and Nullifications