In the Arabic language, “i’tikaf” means seclusion or confinement to something. It refers to dedicating oneself exclusively to something or sitting and remaining focused on it. Allah Almighty says: “while the offering was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice” (Al-Fath, 48:25), which means that the sacrificial animals are detained and confined until they reach their designated place.
In Islamic terminology, i’tikaf refers to staying in the mosque for a specific period of time with a specific intention.
Types of i’tikaf:
The types of i’tikaf vary according to the scholars, and they can be categorized into two:
According to the majority opinion:
• Obligatory (wajib): This refers to a vowed i’tikaf, where a person makes a vow to observe i’tikaf in the mosque for a specific period. In this case, it becomes obligatory for them to fulfill their vow. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in a narration reported by Aisha and found in Sahih Bukhari and other collections: “Whoever vows to obey Allah, then let them obey Him.”
• Recommended (mandub) or voluntary: This refers to any form of i’tikaf that is not obligatory, whether it is performed during Ramadan or at any other time.
There may be differences among scholars regarding the rulings and specific details of these types of i’tikaf:
The Shafi’i school of law made it a confirmed Sunnah at all times, while the Hanbali School made it a recommended act at all times and confirmed during Ramadan, and more emphasized in the last ten days.
Secondly, the opinion of the Hanafi scholars is that they divide i’tikaf into three types:
• Obligatory: which is considered obligatory according to the majority of scholars.
• Confirmed Kifaya Sunnah: which is i’tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan.
• Recommended: which is i’tikaf during the rest of the times.
The type that the Hanafi scholars added here is similar to what is in the Shafi’i and Hanbali schools, except that they said:
It is necessary for some Muslims to perform it, because if some do it, the burden will be lifted from everyone, and if some do not perform it, everyone will be blamed.
Its condition is to perform it during the last ten days of Ramadan and to have the seclusion uninterrupted. If it is interrupted, it becomes a recommended i’tikaf.
The evidence for the Hanafi scholars is the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) regular practice of i’tikaf, among these evidence is:
The Hadith of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) states: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to observe i’tikaf every Ramadan for ten days, and in the year he passed away, he observed i’tikaf for twenty days.”
Therefore, observing i’tikaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan is a confirmed Sunnah according to the majority of scholars, and a confirmed kifaya Sunnah according to our school of law.
Regarding the second part of the question about the minimum duration of i’tikaf and performing i’tikaf without sleep, I say: Scholars have differed regarding the minimum duration of i’tikaf, with various opinions:
The first opinion is held by the Hanafi school of law, some Maliki scholars, and some narrations from the Shafi’i school of law. They believe that the minimum duration for i’tikaf is one day, and their evidence is that there is no narration indicating that the Prophet observed i’tikaf for less than this duration.
The second opinion is that the minimum duration is one day and one night, and their evidence is similar to the previous evidence, except they include the night with the day. This is the opinion of the Maliki school in one narration, although they have another narration as well.
The third opinion is that the minimum duration for i’tikaf is ten days, which is the third opinion in the Maliki school.
The fourth opinion is that the minimum duration for i’tikaf is a significant moment, which is the opinion of the majority of scholars.
Muhammad bin Al-Hasan said: “Whoever enters the mosque can intend to observe i’tikaf for the duration of their stay, even if it is for prayer.”
Regarding the issue of sleep, it is a branch of the previous difference of opinion. If someone stipulates a specific duration, then staying for that duration becomes a necessary condition. However, if someone does not stipulate a duration, their i’tikaf is valid without sleep. For example, if someone enters i’tikaf before Maghrib and leaves after Fajr, it will be considered as if they observed i’tikaf for one night.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr