The Connection between Fasting and I’tikaf (1/2)

No  doubt  when a person  has  all the means of  purifying  his  heart by  keeping  away from all the  things that can distract him from worship, this will be more effective in helping him to turn towards Allah with devotion  and humility.  Hence the Salaf regarded it as mustahabb to combine fasting and I’tikaf.  Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It was not reported that the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, ever did I’tikaf when he was not fasting.  Indeed, ‘Aa’ishah said:  ‘There is no I’tikaf except with fasting.’” (Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2473)

Allah did  not mention  I’tikaf  except  in conjunction  with  fasting,  and the Messenger  of  Allah,  Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon  him, did  not do  I’tikaf except  in conjunction with fasting.

The most correct opinion concerning the evidence which the majority of the Salaf agreed upon is: “that fasting is a condition of I’tikaf. This is the view that was regarded as most correct by Shaykh al-Islam Abu’l-‘Abbaas Ibn Taymiyah.” (Zaad al-Ma’aad, 2/87, 88)

The view that fasting is a condition of I’tikaf was narrated from Ibn ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbaas.  It was also the view of Maalik, al-Oozaa’i and Abu Haneefah, and different  opinions  were narrated from Ahmad  and al-Shaafa’i.

With regard  to the  words of  Ibn al-Qayyim  (may  Allah have  mercy  on  him),  “It was not reported  that the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon  him, ever did  I’tikaf when he was not fasting”, there is  some room for debate. It was reported that the Prophet, Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him, did   I’tikaf  in Shawwaal  (narrated by   al-Bukhari,  1928, and Muslim,  1173), but it  was not proven whether he was fasting or not on these days when he did  I’tikaf.

The most correct view is that fasting is mustahabb for the one who does I’tikaf, but it is not a condition of his I’tikaf being valid.

With the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, in his I’tikaf

The Prophet,  Peace  and  Blessings  of   Allah  be  upon   him,    did   I’tikaf  during  the first  ten  days of Ramadhan, then  in the middle ten days, seeking  Laylat  al-Qadr,  then it  became clear  to him  that it  was in the last ten days, after which he always spent them (the last ten days)  in I’tikaf.

Abu  Sa’eed  al-Khudri  (may   Allah  be  pleased  with  him)  said:  “The  Messenger  of   Allah,  Peace  and Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him,  used to do  I’tikaf  during  the middle  ten days of  the month, and when the night  of  the twentieth  had passed and the twenty-first  had  begun,  he would go  back to his  home, and those who were doing  I’tikaf  with  him  also  went home. Then one month he made I’tikaf on that night when he used to go home. Then he addressed the people, commanding  them as Allah willed, then he said:  ‘I  used to spend these ten days in I’tikaf,  but now I  want to spend these last  ten days in I’tikaf,  so whoever used to do  I’tikaf  with  me, let  him  stay  in his  place  of  I’tikaf.  I  was shown that night  (Laylat al-Qadr)  then I  was made  to  forget it,  so seek  it   during   the last   ten nights,  in  the odd-numbered nights. And I saw myself prostrating in water and mud.’

Abu Sa’eed  said: “ it  rained  on the night  of  the twenty-first,  and the roof of  the mosque leaked  in the place  where the Messenger  of  Allah,  Peace and Blessings of  Allah be upon  him,  was praying. I looked  at him  when he had finished  praying  Subh (Fajr),  and his  face was wet with water and mud, so what he, Peace and Blessings of  Allah be upon  him,   had seen came to pass. And this was one of the signs of his Prophethood.”

The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon  him, continued  to do  I’tikaf  during  the last  ten days of  Ramadhan,  as it  was reported in al-Saheehayn  from ‘Aa’ishah  (may  Allah be  pleased  with  her), who said that the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of  Allah be  upon  him, used to spend the last ten days of Ramadhan  in I’tikaf  until  he died,  then his  wives  continued  to do  I’tikaf  after  he died.  (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1921; Muslim, 1171)

During the  year  in which he,  Peace  and  Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him,  died,  he spent twenty days in I’tikaf (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1939), i.e., the middle ten days and the last ten days.  This was for a number of reasons:

In that year, Jibreel reviewed the Qur'an with him twice (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 4712). It was appropriate for him to spend twenty days in I’tikaf, so that he could review the entire Qur'an twice.

He, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon  him,   wanted to increase his righteous deeds and do  more acts of  worship,  because he, Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him,    felt  that his  time  (of death)  was near, as we may understand from the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning):

“When there comes the Help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the Conquest (of Makkah).

*And you see that the people enter Allah’s religion (Islam) in crowds.

*So glorify the Praises of your Lord, and ask His forgiveness.  Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives.” [Surah al-Nasr, 110:1-3]

So  Allah commanded His Prophet,  Peace  and  Blessings of  Allah be  upon  him,   to increase his Tasbeeh (“Subhaan  Allah – Glory be  to Allah”) and  his Istighfaar (“Astaghfir-Allah  – I  seek the forgiveness of Allah”) towards the end of  his  life, and this  is  what he, Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be upon  him,   did. Often when he did Rukoo’ and Sujood, he would say, “Subhaanak Allahumma wa bi hamdik, Allahumma ighfir li (Glory and praise be to You, O Allah.  O Allah, forgive me)” – in obedience to the commands of the Qur'an. (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 487, and Muslim, 484)

He, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon  him, did  that  in gratitude to Allah for the blessings that He had bestowed upon him  of  righteous  deeds such as jihaad,  teaching,  fasting  and qiyaam  (praying  at night), and for the blessings  of  the revelation  of  the Qur'an to him,  raising  high  his  fame,  and other favours that Allah had bestowed upon him.

(Continued)