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

The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, used to enter his place of I’tikaf before the sun set. If he wanted, for example, to spend the middle ten days of the month in I’tikaf, he would enter his place of I’tikaf before the sun set on the eleventh day. If he wanted to spend the last ten days in I’tikaf, he would enter his place of I’tikaf before the sun set on the twenty-first day.

Concerning  the  report  in al-Saheeh  that he, Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be upon  him,  prayed Fajr and then entered his place of I’tikaf (Narrated by  al-Bukhari, 1928;  Muslim, 1173; al-Tirmidhi, 791),  what is meant here is that he entered the special place in the mosque  after Fajr prayer. He used to do I’tikaf in a place reserved especially for that, as it was reported in Saheeh Muslim, that he used to do I’tikaf in a Turkish tent. (Narrated by Muslim, 1167)

The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon  him,   used to put his head into ‘Aa’ishah’s apartment whilst  he  was  in  I’tikaf  in  the  mosque, and she should  wash his  hair  and  comb it,  and she was menstruating, as was reported in al-Saheehayn (Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1924, 1926; Muslim, 297)

In Musnad Ahmad it was reported that he would lean in the doorway of her room, then he would put his head out, and she would comb his hair. (Ahmad, 6/272)

This indicates that if a person  in I’tikaf puts part of  his body – such as his foot or his head – outside  of the  place  where  he  is  doing  I’tikaf,  there  is  nothing  wrong  with  that,  and if  a  woman who is menstruating  puts her hand or foot into  the mosque, there is  nothing  wrong with  it,  there is  nothing wrong with that because this is not counted as entering the mosque.

Another thing that we learn from this hadeeth is that there is nothing wrong with the person in I’tikaf keeping clean and perfuming himself, and washing and combing his hair. None of these things affect his I’tikaf.

Another  of  the things  that happened to the Prophet, Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him,  in his I’tikaf was narrated by  the two shaykhs (Narrated by al-Bukhari  and Muslim)  from ‘Aa’ishah, May Allah be pleased with her, who said: “When the Messenger of Allah, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon  him,   wanted to go  into  I’rikaaf,  he would pray Fajr,  then go  into  the place  where he did  I’tikaf.  He commanded that a tent be put up, and it was done. Some of the other wives of the Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded that tents be put up, and this was done. When he, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, had prayed Fajr he looked and saw the tents, and said: “Are you seeking to do a righteous deed?”  Then he commanded that his tent should be dismantled, and he did not do I’tikaf in that month, delaying it until the first ten days of Shawwaal. (Reported by al-Bukhari, 1928; Muslim, 1173)

The phrase  “Are you seeking  to do  a righteous deed?” means, Is your motive for doing this the desire to do  good, or is  it  jealousy  and the desire  to be close  to the Messenger  of  Allah,  Peace and Blessings  of Allah be upon  him, It is most likely – and Allah knows best – that his I’tkaaf in Shawwaal of that year was after the Eid, i.e., the second of Shawwaal.

It may be that it started on the day of Eid.  If this is true, then it is an indication that fasting is not a condition of I’tikaf, because there is no fasting on the day of Eid.

Something  else  that happened to the Prophet, Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him,  in his  I’tikaf and was narrated  by   the  two shaykhs (al-Bukhari  and Muslim)  was that  Safiyyah  the  wife of  the Prophet, Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him, came and visited  him  during  his  I’tikaf  in the mosque during  the last  ten days of  Ramadhan. She spoke with him for a while, then she stood up to go home. The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon  him,   stood up with her to take her back, then when she reached the door of the mosque, by  the door of Umm Salamah, two men of the Ansaar passed by and  greeted  the  Prophet, Peace and  Blessings  of   Allah  be  upon   him.  The  Prophet,  Peace  and Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him,  said  to them, “Wait,  this  is  Safiyyah  bint  Huyay.” They said, “Subhaan Allah, O Messenger of Allah!” They felt distressed (that he thought they might think something bad). The Prophet, Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “The Shaytaan is as close to a man as his blood.”

According to another report: “(Shaytaan) flows through the veins of a man like blood.” “I was afraid that the Shaytaan might cast some evil ideas into your hearts.”

He, Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be upon  him,   was keen that the two Ansaaris  should  remain  steadfast in  their  faith,  and he was afraid  that the Shaytaan might  plant  some  evil thoughts in  their  hearts, making  them doubt the Messenger  of  Allah,  Peace and Blessings  of  Allah be  upon  him,  , which would have led them to kufr, or that they might be distracted by  trying to rid themselves of these insinuations, so he, Peace and Blessings of  Allah be  upon  him,   explained the matter to them so as to remove any possible  doubts or insinuating  whispers.  So he told them that was Safiyyah bint Huyay (may Allah be pleased with her), and she was his wife.