The Prophet's Guidance in I'tikaf (Spiritual Retreat)

Ibn al-Qayyim dedicates this chapter to explaining the Prophet's ﷺ practice of i'tikaf — the act of secluding oneself in the mosque for worship — which represents one of the most intensive forms of drawing near to Allah. The Prophet ﷺ performed i'tikaf consistently throughout his life, and it is among the confirmed Sunnahs that he never abandoned after it was legislated for him.

The Prophet ﷺ would perform i'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. The wisdom behind specifying this period is that Laylat al-Qadr — the Night of Decree, better than a thousand months — falls within these nights. By retreating to the mosque, the worshipper removes himself from worldly distractions and devotes himself entirely to seeking that blessed night with prayer, remembrance, and supplication.

Ibn al-Qayyim explains that once the Prophet ﷺ missed i'tikaf in Ramadan due to traveling, he made it up in Shawwal — performing i'tikaf for ten days in the following month. This indicates the importance he attached to this practice. In the year before his death, he performed i'tikaf for twenty days, which scholars interpret as an indication of his approaching departure from this world and his desire to increase in worship.

Regarding the conditions of i'tikaf, the Prophet's practice establishes that it is performed in the mosque, and his wives would erect tents or shelters within the mosque during i'tikaf. He would not leave the mosque except for a human necessity, and when he needed to speak with his wife, he would do so at the door of his tent while still inside the mosque. He did not visit the sick during i'tikaf, nor attend funerals, as he was not commanded to do so in such cases.

The i'tikaf is a complete immersion in the relationship between the servant and his Lord. Ibn al-Qayyim draws on this chapter to reflect on the deeper wisdom of i'tikaf: it disciplines the heart, breaks its attachment to the material world, and creates an environment in which the servant can taste the sweetness of private devotion (khalwah) with Allah. The heart that is constantly scattered among the affairs of the world rarely experiences the profound tranquility that comes with i'tikaf.

He also addresses the ruling on i'tikaf: it is a confirmed Sunnah (sunnah mu'akkadah) in the last ten days of Ramadan, not obligatory except upon the one who vows it. One may perform voluntary i'tikaf at any time of the year, even for a brief period, though scholars differ on the minimum duration. The conditions scholars have discussed include being Muslim, sane, and in a state of major ritual purity — though women in their menstrual period may not perform i'tikaf.