The basic goal of i'tikaaf – why have  Muslims forsaken this Sunnah?
Why have the Muslims forsaken i'tikaaf, even though it is the Sunnah of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)? What is the purpose of
i'tikaaf?.

Praise be to Allaah.
I'tikaaf may be defined as secluding oneself to the Mosque during the Last
Ten Days of Ramadan in order to get closer to Allah,and seeking  Lay latul
al- Qadr.

Firstly:

I'tikaaf is one of the confirmed Sunnahs which the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did regularly.

This Sunnah has disappeared from the lives of Muslims apart from those on
whom Allaah has mercy. It is like many Sunnahs which the Muslims have
virtually forsaken.

There are several reasons for this, including the following:

1-Weakness of faith in many hearts

2-Increased focus on worldly pleasures and desires, which leads to an
inability to keep away from them even for a short time.

3-Lack on interest in Paradise on the part of many, and their inclination
towards leisure and relaxation, so that they do not want to put up with the
hardship of i'tikaaf even for the sake of earning Allaah's pleasure.

Whoever understands the significance of Paradise and the greatness of its
delights will sacrifice his life and that which is most precious to him in
order to attain it. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "The reward of Allaah is precious, the reward of Allaah is Paradise."
Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, 2450.

4-Many people pay lip-service to the love of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), without acting upon it and implementing
various aspects of the Sunnah, including i'tikaaf. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

"Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah (Muhammad) you have a good example to
follow for him who hopes for (the Meeting with) Allaah and the Last Day, and
remembers Allaah much"

[al-Ahzaab 33:21]

Ibn Katheer said (3/756):

This verse represents a major principle: that we should follow the example
of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in
word and deed in all situations.

Some of the salaf (early generations of Islam) found it odd that people did
not observe i'tikaaf even the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) persisted in doing so. Ibn Shihaab al-Zuhri said: It is strange that
the Muslims have given up i'tikaaf when the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) did not give it up from the time he entered Madeenah
until Allaah took him (in death).

Secondly:

The i'tikaaf which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
always observed at the end of his life is i'tikaaf during the last ten days
of Ramadaan. These few days may indeed be regarded as an intensive course of
spiritual education which brings immediate positive results in a person's
life during the days and nights of Ramadaan and in the coming days, until
the next Ramadaan comes.

How great is the Muslims' need to revive this Sunnah and establish it in the
proper manner, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) and his companions used to observe it.

How great will be the success of those who adhere to the Sunnah after the
ummah has neglected it and become corrupt.

Thirdly:

The basic goal of the Prophet's i'tikaaf was to seek Laylat al-Qadr.

Muslim (1167) narrated that Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with
him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) observed i'tikaaf during the first ten days of Ramadaan, then he
observed i'tikaaf during the middle ten days in a small tent at the door of
which was a reed mat. He took the mat in his hand and lifted it. Then he put
his head out and spoke to the people, and they came close to him. He said:
"I observed i'tikaaf during the first ten days seeking this night, then I
observed i'tikaaf during the middle ten days. Then someone came and said to
me that it is in the last ten days, so whoever among you wishes to observe
i'tikaaf let him do so." So the people observed i'tikaaf with him.

This hadeeth teaches us a number of things:

1-That the basic goal of the i'tikaaf of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was to seek Laylat al-Qadr and to prepare to spend that
night in worship. That is because of the great virtue of that night of which
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "The Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree)
is better than a thousand months (i.e. worshipping Allaah in that night is
better than worshipping Him a thousand months, i.e. 83 years and 4 months)"
[al-Qadr 97:3].

2-The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) strove to seek
that night before he was told when it is. So he started with the first ten
days, then he observed it during the middle ten, then he continued to
observe i'tikaaf during the last ten days, when he was told that it is in
the last ten days. This is the utmost effort to seek Laylat al-Qadr.

3-The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) followed the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because they started
i'tikaaf and continued with him until the end of the month, because they
were so keen to follow his example.

4-The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was
compassionate towards his companions and showed mercy to them, because he
knew that i'tikaaf was difficult for them. So he gave them the choice
between staying with him or of leaving, and said: "…so whoever among you
wishes to observe i'tikaaf let him do so."

There are other aims of i'tikaaf as well, including the following:

1-Being alone with Allaah and cutting oneself off from people if possible,
so that one may focus completely on Allaah.

2-Renewing oneself spiritual by focusing totally on Allaah.

3-Cutting oneself off completely in order to worship Allaah with prayer,
du'aa', dhikr and reading Qur'aan.

4-Protecting one's fast from everything that may affect it of whims and
desires.

5-Reducing permissible worldly pleasures and refraining from many of them
even though one is able to enjoy them.

See al-I'tikaaf Nazrah Tarbawiyyah by Dr. 'Abd al-Lateef Balto.


What is the ruling on i'tikaaf?.

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:

I'tikaaf is prescribed according to the Qur'aan and Sunnah and scholarly
consensus.

In the Qur'aan, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"and We commanded Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ismaa'eel (Ishmael) that they
should purify My House (the Ka'bah at Makkah) for those who are
circumambulating it, or staying (I'tikaaf), or bowing or prostrating
themselves (there, in prayer)"

[al-Baqarah 2:125]

"And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in
I'tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations
leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques"

[al-Baqarah 2:187]

With regard to the Sunnah, there are many ahaadeeth, such as the hadeeth of
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i'tikaaf during the
last ten days of Ramadaan until Allaah took his soul, then his wives
observed i'tikaaf after he was gone. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2026; Muslim,
1172.

With regard to scholarly consensus, more than one of the scholars narrated
that there was scholarly consensus that i'tikaaf is prescribed in sharee'ah,
such as al-Nawawi, Ibn Qudaamah, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, and others.

See al-Majmoo', 6/404; al-Mughni, 4/456; Sharh al-'Umdah, 2/711.

Shaykh Ibn Baaz said in Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 15/437:

Undoubtedly i'tikaaf in the mosque is an act of worship, and (observing it)
in Ramadaan is better than at other times. It is prescribed in Ramadaan and
at other times.

Secondly:

The ruling on i'tikaaf.

The basic principle is that i'tikaaf is Sunnah, not obligatory, unless one
made a vow to do it, in which case it becomes obligatory, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever vows to
obey Allaah, let him obey Him, and whoever vows to disobey Him, let him not
disobey Him." Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6696.

And 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allaah,
during the Jaahiliyyah I vowed to observe i'tikaaf for one night in
al-Masjid al-Haraam." He said: "Fulfil your vow." (6697).

Ibn al-Mundhir said in his book al-Ijmaa' (p. 53):

They were unanimously agreed that i'tikaaf is Sunnah and is not obligatory
unless a man obliges himself to do that by making a vow, in which case it
becomes obligatory for him.

See Fiqh al-I'tikaaf by Dr Khaalid al-Mushayqih, p. 31.

Courtesy of Sheikh Muhammad S.Munajjid