Spiritual Retreat (I'tikaf)

I'tikaf is the act of secluding oneself in a mosque for the purpose of worshipping Allah. It is an emphasized sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who performed i'tikaf in the last ten days of every Ramadan until his death. His wives continued this practice after him, as reported in Bukhari and Muslim. I'tikaf represents a full spiritual retreat — a withdrawal from the world's distractions to focus entirely on Allah.

Ruling: I'tikaf is a confirmed sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah), particularly in the last ten days of Ramadan. It may become obligatory if a person vows to perform it (nadhr). There is scholarly difference on whether it is communally obligatory (fard kifayah) for a community to have someone performing i'tikaf at all times in the mosque, but the dominant view is that it is a sunnah at all times.

Conditions of I'tikaf: For i'tikaf to be valid: (1) The person must be Muslim; (2) The person must be sane and of sufficient maturity; (3) The i'tikaf must be performed in a mosque — for a man, any mosque where congregational prayer is held; for a woman, the Hanbali school holds it must be performed in the mosque (not at home as some other schools permit, though this view is also held by some Hanbali scholars); (4) Intention must be present; (5) A person in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah) or a woman in menstruation or nifas may not perform i'tikaf.

Minimum Duration: The Hanbali school holds there is no minimum duration — even a brief period with intention counts as i'tikaf. The most common duration is the last ten days of Ramadan. One may also perform i'tikaf for a day, a night, or any portion thereof. The person in i'tikaf should occupy himself with prayer, Quran recitation, dhikr, du'a, and learning.

What Nullifies I'tikaf: I'tikaf is broken by: (1) Leaving the mosque for a reason other than necessity or a need that cannot be met within the mosque — such as relieving oneself, eating when no one can bring food, or a medical emergency; (2) Sexual intercourse; (3) Menstruation or nifas in a woman; (4) Intoxication or apostasy (which also invalidates worship generally). Leaving the mosque to attend a funeral or visit the sick is not permitted in the Hanbali school unless one has stipulated this condition at the beginning of the i'tikaf.

What is Permitted During I'tikaf: The person in i'tikaf may: eat and drink in the mosque; speak with visitors; comb and wash the hair; perform ritual bathing for cleanliness without leaving; and handle necessary personal affairs through communication without departing. The Prophet used to put his head out through the mosque door to have his hair washed by Aisha (Bukhari and Muslim).