13. FASTING IN RAMADAN (6)

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 27^th 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

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[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.