13. FASTING IN RAMADAN (6)
J. I‘tikāf (الإعْتِكَاف). The term
is derived from the verb ‘akafa (عَكَفَ), meaning: “to adhere, to stick, to, keep to; to give oneself over, to devote oneself over; to be
busily engaged (in); to remain uninterruptedly (in); to isolate oneself (in, at
a place); to withdraw, to retire”. Technically, it means “isolating oneself in
the mosque with the intention of drawing himself closer to Allah.”[1]
It is an Islamic practice consisting of a period of staying in a mosque for a
certain number of days, devoting oneself to worshiping Allah during these days
and staying away from worldly affairs.
The necessary conditions for doing i‘tikāf are: that the person should be
Muslim, having reached the age of discernment, purified for janabah,
menses, and post-partum bleeding. The mu‘takif (the person performing i‘tikāf)
is not allowed to leave the mosque and return home, unless in absolute
necessity, such as to answer the call of nature. Scholars have different views
whether he is also allowed to eat or drink outside the mosque.
The length of time
for performing i'tikāf is either (a) ten full days, (often being the
last of the month of Ramadan or any ten consecutive days). ‘Ā’shah r.a.
reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to
perform i‘tikāf in the last ten days of Ramadan until he died and then
his wives used to perform i‘tikāf after him. (Reported by al-Bukhārī); or (b) three full days, (often
the 13th through the 15th of Ramadan), or (c) a full day from sunset to sunset;
or (d) the duration of time between two daily prayers (such as from ‘Aṣr to
Maghrib) , in each case it is supererogatory.
Among the sunnah (recommended
deeds) of i‘tikāf, are:
-
Spending most of the mu‘takif’s
time in praying, reading the Qur’an, doing dhikr, namely, remembering
Allah by citing repeatedly, such as ) لاَ إِله
إِلاَّ اللّهlā ilāha ilallāh, “there is no god but Allah”), citing repeatedly ṣalawāt
(asking Allah’s blessing) upon the Prophet (ﷺ), such as
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ وَعَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّد )allāhumma ṣalli
‘alā Muḥammad wa ‘alā āli Muḥammad, “O Allah, bestow blessings
upon Muhammad and the household of Muhammad”).
-
Fasting, according to the jumhūr
(vast majority of) ‘ulamā’, whereas according to Māikī school
fasting is one of the conditions of i‘tikāf.
-
It is performed in الْمَسْجِدُ الْجَامِع (jāmi‘ mosque, cathedral mosque, mosque
where Friday prayers are performed), although it can be performed in any
mosque, according to Mālikī and Shāfi‘ī schools, whereas according to Ḥanafī
and Ḥanbalī schools, performing it in
the jāmi ‘ mosque is one of the
conditions for the validity of i‘tikāf. The best place for performing ‘tikaf
is al-Masjid al-Ḥarām (Sanctuary) in Makkah, then al-Masjid
al-Nabawī (Prophet Mosque) in Madinah, then al-Masjid al-Aqṣa in
Jerusalem.
-
It is performed in the month
of Ramadan, as it is the best month, especially at the last ten days of
Ramadan, wherein Laylat al-Qadr will take place, which is better than
one thousand months, i.e., about 84 years. Abū Ḥurayrah r.a.
narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to
perform ten day every year in Ramadan, except in the year of his death, he
stayed in i‘tikāf for twenty
days. ‘Ā’ishah r.a. narrated, “With the last ten days of Ramadan, the
Prophet (ﷺ) used to
tighten his waist-belt (i.e., work hard) and used to offer prayers all the
night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī
and Muslim).
-
The mu‘takif should
avoid dealing with anything which does not concern
him, either talking or doing. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: إنَّ مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلَامِ
الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ (رواه الترمذى)
“Verily, from the
perfection of Islam is that a person leaves what does not concern him”
(Reported by al-Tirmidhī)
Things
which nullify i‘tikāf are:
- Leaving the mosque
intentionally except for very important or unavoidable reasons (such as buying
food or attending a funeral, or answering the call of nature (urinating and
defecating), or the mosque is collapsing, going to take bath for janabāh (major
impurity), and going to attend Friday prayer, these do not nullify the
i‘tikāf as long as it is not done beyond the necessity. According to Mālikī
school going out with a specified reason, such as to be arrested for unpaid
debt, or to fight for jihad, this nullifies i‘tikāf.
- Losing one’s rationality, through insanity, or
drunkenness.
- Menstruation and post-partum bleeding for
women
- Eating
intentionally (namely, breaking fasting) according to Ḥanafī and Mālikī schools
which make fasting as the condition of doing i‘tikāf.
- Having sexual relation, either because of forgetting, or being forced,
either in the day time or at night. Allah said:
... وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ
فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ... (البقرة:187)
… And do not have
sexual relations with them (your
wives) while you are in i‘tikāf (i.e. confining oneself
in a mosque for prayers and invocations
leaving the
worldly activities) in
the mosques… (Q. 2:187)
However, according to Shāfi’ī school the unintentional one, such as
forgetting or being forced, this does not nullify the i‘tikāf as it
belongs to the category mentioned by the Prophet (ﷺ), as follows:
رُفِعَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي الخَطَاُ وَالنِّسْيَانُ وَمَا اسْتُكْرِهُوا عَلَيهِ
(رواه ابن ماجة والبيهقي وغيرهما)
My nation is relieved from mistakes,
forgetfulness,
and what they are compelled to do (Reported by
Ibn Mājah.
Al-Bayhaqī, and others)
إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي الْخَطَأَ وَالنِّسْيَانَ وَمَا اسْتُكْرِهُوا
عَلَيْهِ
(رواه ابن ماجة و البيهقي و غ يرهما)
Verily, Allah has pardoned my nation for their
mistakes,
their forgetfulness, and what they are forced to
do.
(Reported by Ibn Mājah, Al-Bayhaqī, and others)
K. Laylat
al-Qadr (لَيْلَةُ
الْقَدْر) the “Night of Power”. There is one night
among the nights of Ramadan. Allah mentions it in the Qur’an (Q. 97) that it is
better than one thousand months, about 84 years. In other words, it is better
than our life time, since it is not easy to reach that old age of 84, and if we
do, that night is still better.
The approximate occurrence of the
Laylat al-Qadr are: (a) The last seven nights of Ramadan. Ibn ‘Umar
narrated that some of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) were shown in their dreams that it was in its last seven
nights, and the Prophet (ﷺ) confirmed
it, saying, “It seems that all your dreams agree that it is in the last seven
nights, and whoever wants to search for it (Laylat al-Qadr) should
search it in the last seven (nights of Ramadan).” (Reported by al-Bukhārī). (b)
The odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan. Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbas that
the Prophet (ﷺ) said, Look
for Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan, on the night when
nine or seven or five nights remain out of the last ten nights of Ramadan
(Reported by al-Bukhārī)
L. Tarāwīḥ Prayers
(صَلاةُ التَّرَاوِيْح) are performed in the nights
of Ramadan. In the beginning people prayed this recommended prayers behind the Prophet
(ﷺ). ‘Ā’ishah r.a. narrated
that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to pray in his room at night. As the
wall of the room was low, the people saw him in his prayer. In the morning they
spread the news. The following night the Prophet (ﷺ) stood for prayer and people
followed him. This went on for two or three nights. Thereupon the Prophet (ﷺ) did not stand for the prayer
the following night, and did not come out. In the morning, the people asked him
about it. He replied that he was afraid that the night prayer might become
compulsory. (Reported by al-Bukhārī). Zayd ibn Thābit narrated that the Prophet
(ﷺ) said to them, “I have
seen and understood what you did. O people, you should offer prayer in your
houses, for the best prayer of a person is that which he prays in his house except
the compulsory congregational prayers.” (Reported by al-Bukhārī). However,
it is also reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) also prayed tarāwīḥ in
congregation, besides on the third, also on the fifth and the 27th
of the nights of Ramadan.
Tarāwīḥ prayer is sunnah mu’akkadah (سُنَّة مُؤَكَّدَة, confirmed recommend). It is performed
after performing ‘ishā’ prayer and before fajr prayer, after
performing witr prayer. It would be better to perform it at one-third of
the night or half of it (midnight) in the mosque, although it can be done
individually at home. It is also recommended to read the whole Qur’an in the tarāwīḥ
prayer, although it is also alright to read short surahs or verses
of the Qur’an, but to be read with tartīl, slowly and clearly, followed
by with calm bowing and prostration reading tasbīḥ.
The number of the raka‘āt
(units) of the tarāwīḥ prayer is twenty units, performed in two
units with tashahhud and taslīm, have some rest between the two
units, ending with ten taslīms. After performing the tarāwīḥ
prayer, then witr prayer is performed in congregation—only in Ramadan. Ibn
‘Abbās said that the Prophet (ﷺ) prayed
twenty units in the month of Ramadan. When ‘Umar gathered people in the mosque to
pray behind Ubayy ibn Ka‘b he prayed twenty rak’ahs, followed with three
units of witr prayer, and none of the ṣaḥābah disagreed
with him; moreover, the Prophet (ﷺ) said: عَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي
وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ بَعْدِي (رواه أبو داءود و الترمذي) “Follow my Sunnah,
and the Sunnah of the guided caliphs after me (Reported by Abū Dā’ūd and
al-Tirmidhī).
There is no doubt
that ‘Umar was one of the rightly guided caliphs, besides Abū Bakr, ‘Uthmān and
‘Alī. But some scholars of ḥadīths say that the fixed number of units of
the tarāwīḥ is eight units, as ‘Āishah r.a. said: “The Messenger
of Allah has not added, neither in Ramadan, nor in any other more than eleven
units of prayer [i.e., 8 units of tarāwīḥ and 3 units of witr prayers].”
(Reported by al-Bukhārī and others). Also Jābir r.a. narrated that the Prophet
(ﷺ) prayed with people eight units, then performed witr prayers
(Reported by Abū Dā’ūd and al-Tirmidhī).[2]
There are three views concerning the number of units of the tarāwīḥ prayer: (a) twenty units according to
majority of scholars, as practice by the muhājrīn and anṣār; (b) thirty-six
units other than the shaf‘ (even units, e.g., 2 units) and watr (odd units, e.g. 1 unit) = 3 unit witr prayers, practiced in the time
of the caliph ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz and the early practice of the people of
Madinah; (c) ten units, as reported by ‘Ā’ishah that the Prophet (ﷺ) did not add the eleven units
– 8 units of tarāwīḥ and 3 units of witr. According to Imām Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal and Ibn
Taymiyyah, all are correct and good, and there is no fixed number of its units.
(Civic, 23 June, 2017)
المراجع:
المكتبة الشاملة
الزحيلى, أ.د. وهبة. الفقة الإسلامي
وأدلته. ج 3. دمشق: دار الفكر المعاصر, 1427\2006
Khan, Dr. Muhammad Muhsin (transl).
Summarized Sahih al-Bukhāri.
Riyadh: Darussalam, 14171996
Bin Jamil Zeno, Shaykh Muhammad. The Pillars of Islam & Iman Riyadh: Dār al-Salām, 1416/1996
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I‘tikaf
[1] Al-Rāghib al-Aṣfahānī gives the definition of the
term as follows: الْعُكُوْفُ: الإِقْبَالُ عَلَى الشَّيْءِ , وَ مُلاَزَمَتُهُ عَلىَ
سَبِيْلِ التَّعْظِيْمِ لَهُ , وَ الإِعْتِكَافُ فِي الشَّرْعِ: هُوَ
الإِحْتِبَاسُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ عَلىَ سَبِيْلِ الْقُرْبَة.
[2] According to Shāfi‘ī school praying tarāwīḥ with four units with one taslīm
practised by Muhammadiyah organization in Indonesia is not valid, as it has
to be with two units with one taslīm, see Dr. Wahbah al-Zuhaylī, al-Fiqh
al-Islāmī wa Adillatuhu, vol. 2, p. 1076.
