Observing Aitikaaf

[Blessed Muslim]

Assalamualaikum WRWB Sheikh,
Jazak Allah khair!

May Allah reward you for your efforts!

Sheikh, can you please brief us all on the etiquettes of Aitikaaf? Like dos and donts.
And also, what is best to do?

Jazak Allah khair!

[Aslam AbuIsmaeel]

Wa alaikumusalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barkatuh

I had a section on Itikaf in the Ramadan Knights Course notes, so I wont go into detail now here, just refer people to that.

Briefly, Itikaf is a sunnah of the Prophet.  It means to stay in masjid day and night during the last ten days of Ramadan.  Even if one cannot do all, at least some days is fine.  You begin Itikaf at maghrib prayer time by entering masjid and leave at maghrib time of the day you're leaving Itikaf.

The purpose of Itikaf is to ensure that you pray during laylatul qadr and do worship therein and not miss out on doing that.

Things that break Itikaf include leaving the masjid for a reason that is not valid during itikaf; sexual relations with wife/husband.

Reasons valid to leave masjid in itikaf: to go out for needs such as toilet, showering (atleast the shower from janabah), to get food to eat if none can bring it there, and other such needs.

While in Itikaf, we spend the nights in prayer as long as possible and do dua in prostration (sujud) while in prayer.  Also, do dua especially in last third of night.  Besides the night, during the day, recite Quran, do dhikr of Allah, dua.

Itikaf is a sunnah of the Prophet (s) and the fruits that one harvests from it is to ensure he wroships the laylatul qadr - a night that the worship therein is better than a thousand months!  Even if one cannot do it for ten days, at least a few days is still good!

These are some quick reminders.

Wassalamu alaikum

[Sumayyah]

assalamualaikum WBK shaikh!
i just want to ask, can a woman who is in haidh observe aitikaaf?

[Aslam AbuIsmaeel]

Wa alaikumusalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Since an Itikaf must be done in a masjid, and since women in haid (menstruation) cannot stay in masjid, therefore, women during the menses bleeding should not do Itikaf.

However, the istihadah i.e. bleeding after menstruation which is not part of menstrual bleeding, they may do Itikaf as long as they prevent blook falling in masjid - this is not menstruation.

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The Prophet's wives used to Itikaf and it is a sunnah for women to do Itikaf as well, so its good for our sisters these days to try to do itikaf which is extremely beneficial for Iman and rewards with Allah!

Wassalamua alikum