33. Retiring to a Mosque for Remembrance of Allah (I'tikaf)
The I'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to practice I`tikaf in the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. Narrated `Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) The Prophet (ﷺ) used to practice I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan till he died and then his wives used to practice I`tikaf after him. Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to practice I`tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan and once he stayed in I`tikaf till the night of the twenty-first and it was the night in the morning of which he used to come out of his I`tikaf. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Whoever was in I`tikaf with me should stay in I`tikaf for the last ten days, for I was informed (of the date) of the Night (of Qadr) but I have been caused to forget it. (In the dream) I saw myself prostrating in mud and water in the morning of that night. So, look for it in the last ten nights and in the odd ones of them." It rained that night and the roof of the mosque dribbled as it was made of leaf stalks of date-palms. I saw with my own eyes the mark of mud and water on the forehead of the Prophet (i.e. in the morning of the twenty-first).
A menstruating woman is permitted to comb the hair of a man in I'tikaf.
Narrated `Aisha: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to (put) bend his head (out) to me while he was in I`tikaf in the mosque during my monthly periods and I would comb and oil his hair.
Mu'takif not to enter the house except for a need.
Narrated `Aisha: (the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to let his head in (the house) while he was in the mosque and I would comb and oil his hair. When in I`tikaf he used not to enter the house except for a need.
The taking of a bath by a Mu'takif.
Narrated `Aisha: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to embrace me during my menses. He also used to put his head out of the mosque while he was in I`tikaf, and I would wash it during my menses.
The I'tikaf at night.
Narrated Ibn `Umar: `Umar asked the Prophet (ﷺ) "I vowed in the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance to stay in I`tikaf for one night in Al-Masjid al-Haram." The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him, "Fulfill your vow."
Women's I'tikaf.
Narrated `Amra: Aisha said, "the Prophet (ﷺ) used to practice I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan and I used to pitch a tent for him, and after offering the morning prayer, he used to enter the tent." Hafsa asked the permission of `Aisha to pitch a tent for her and she allowed her and she pitched her tent. When Zainab bint Jahsh saw it, she pitched another tent. In the morning the Prophet (ﷺ) noticed the tents. He said, 'What is this?" He was told of the whole situation. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do you think that they intended to do righteousness by doing this?" He therefore abandoned the I`tikaf in that month and practiced I`tikaf for ten days in the month of Shawwal."
Tents in mosque.
Narrated `Aisha: The Prophet (ﷺ) intended to practice I`tikaf and when he reached the place where he intended to perform I`tikaf, he saw some tents, the tents of `Aisha, Hafsa and Zainab. So, he said, "Do you consider that they intended to do righteousness by doing this?" And then he went away and did not perform I`tikaf (in Ramadan) but performed it in the month of Shawwal for ten days.
Mu'takif going to the gate of the mosque.
Narrated `Ali bin Al-Husain: Safiya, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) told me that she went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) to visit him in the mosque while he was in I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. She had a talk with him for a while, then she got up in order to return home. The Prophet (ﷺ) accompanied her. When they reached the gate of the mosque, opposite the door of Um-Salama, two Ansari men were passing by and they greeted Allah's Apostle . He told them: Do not run away! And said, "She is (my wife) Safiya bint Huyai." Both of them said, "Subhan Allah, (How dare we think of any evil) O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" And they felt it. The Prophet said (to them), "Satan reaches everywhere in the human body as blood reaches in it, (everywhere in one's body). I was afraid lest Satan might insert an evil thought in your minds."
Coming out of I'tikaf in the morning of the twentieth (of Ramadan)
Narrated Abu Salama bin `Abdur-Rahman: I asked Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri, "Did you hear Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) talking about the Night of Qadr?" He replied in the affirmative and said, "Once we were in I`tikaf with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the middle ten days of (Ramadan) and we came out of it in the morning of the twentieth, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)delivered a sermon on the 20th (of Ramadan) and said, 'I was informed (of the date) of the Night of Qadr (in my dream) but had forgotten it. So, look for it in the odd nights of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. I saw myself prostrating in mud and water on that night (as a sign of the Night of Qadr). So, whoever had been in I`tikaf with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) should return for it.' The people returned to the mosque (for I`tikaf). There was no trace of clouds in the sky. But all of a sudden a cloud came and it rained. Then the prayer was established (they stood for the prayer) and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prostrated in mud and water and I saw mud over the forehead and the nose of the Prophet.
I'tikaf of a woman who has bleeding in between her periods
Narrated `Aisha: One of the wives of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) practiced I`tikaf with him while she ad bleeding in between her periods and she would see red (blood) or yellowish traces, and sometimes we put a tray beneath her when she offered the prayer.
The visit of the wife to her husband in I'tikaf
Narrated `Ali bin Al-Husain (from Safiya the Prophet's wife): The wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) were with him in the mosque (while he was in I`tikaf) and then they departed and the Prophet (ﷺ) said to Safiya bint Huyai, "Don't hurry up, for I shall accompany you," (and her dwelling was in the house of Usama). The Prophet (ﷺ) went out and in the meantime two Ansari men met him and they looked at the Prophet (ﷺ) and passed by. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to them, "Come here. She is (my wife) Safiya bint Huyai." They replied, "Subhan Allah, (How dare we think of evil) O Allah's Apostle! (we never expect anything bad from you)." The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Satan circulates in the human being as blood circulates in the body, and I was afraid lest Satan might insert an evil thought in your minds."
Is it permissible for the Mu'takif to defend himself.
Narrated `Ali bin Al-Husain from Safiya: Safiya went to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was in I`tikaf. When she returned, the Prophet (ﷺ) accompanied her walking. An Ansari man saw him. When the Prophet (ﷺ) noticed him, he called him and said, "Come here. She is Safiya. (Sufyan a sub-narrator perhaps said that the Prophet (ﷺ) had said, "This is Safiya"). And Satan circulates in the body of Adam's offspring as his blood circulates in it." (A sub-narrator asked Sufyan, "Did Safiya visit him at night?" He said, "Of course, at night.")
Whoever went out of his I'tikaf in the morning
Narrated Abu Sa`id: We practiced I`tikaf with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the middle ten days (of Ramadan). In the morning of the twentieth (of Ramadan) we shifted our baggage, but Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to us and said, "Whoever was m I`tikaf should return to his place of I`tikaf, for I saw (i.e. was informed about the date of) this Night (of Qadr) and saw myself prostrating in mud and water." When I returned to my place the sky was overcast with clouds and it rained. By Him Who sent Muhammad with the Truth, the sky was covered with clouds from the end of that day, and the mosque which was roofed with leafstalks of date palm trees (leaked with rain) and I saw the trace of mud and water over the nose of the Prophet (ﷺ) and its tip.
I'tikaf in the month of Shawwal
Narrated `Amra bint `Abdur-Rahman from `Aisha: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to practice I`tikaf every year in the month of Ramadan. And after offering the morning prayer, he used to enter the place of his I`tikaf. `Aisha asked his permission to let her practice I`tikaf and he allowed her, and so she pitched a tent in the mosque. When Hafsa heard of that, she also pitched a tent (for herself), and when Zainab heard of that, she too pitched another tent. When, in the morning, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had finished the morning prayer, he saw four tents and asked, "What is this?" He was informed about it. He then said, "What made them do this? Is it righteousness? Remove the tents, for I do not want to see them." So, the tents were removed. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not perform I`tikaf that year in the month of Ramadan, but did it in the last ten days of Shawwal.
I'tikaf without fasting
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: `Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I vowed in the Pre-Islamic period to perform I`tikaf in Al-Masjid-al-Haram for one night." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Fulfill your vow." So, he performed I`tikaf for one night.
Vow in the pre-Islamic period to perform I'tikaf
Narrated Ibn `Umar: that `Umar had vowed in the Pre-Islamic period to perform I`tikaf in Al-Masjid-al-Haram. (A subnarrator thinks that `Umar vowed to perform I`tikaf for one night.) Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to `Umar, "Fulfill your vow."
I'tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan
Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) used to perform I`tikaf every year in the month of Ramadan for ten days, and when it was the year of his death, he stayed in I`tikaf for twenty days.
Whoever intended I'tikaf and then changed his mind
Narrated `Amra bint `Abdur-Rahman from `Aisha: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) mentioned that he would practice I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. `Aisha asked his permission to perform I`tikaf and he permitted her. Hafsa asked `Aisha to take his permission for her, and she did so. When Zainab bint Jahsh saw that, she ordered a tent to be pitched for her and it was pitched for her. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to proceed to his tent after the prayer. So, he saw the tents ans asked, "What is this?" He was told that those were the tents of Aisha, Hafsa, and Zainab. Allah's Apostle said, "Is it righteousness which they intended by doing so? I am not going to perform I`tikaf." So he returned home. When the fasting month was over, he performed Itikar for ten days in the month of Shawwal.
A Mu'takif can let his head in the house for washing
Narrated `Urwa: Aisha during her menses used to comb and oil the hair of the Prophet (ﷺ) while he used to be in I`tikaf in the mosque. He would stretch out his head towards her while she was in her chamber.