Bismihi Ta`ala
*I`TIKAAF RULES.*It is sunnah Muakkadah for at least 1 man to sit for I`tikaaf as from sunset of the starting of 21st Ramadhaan until Eid moon sighting in any given town or city whereby there are Shar`ee masjids. Shar`ee Masjid means that the committee of the Masjid has delimited an area of the Masjid for Salaah, Ibaadahs and I`tikaaf. No construction is allowed above the Shar`ee Masjid except Masjid itself. Once delimited, the Shar`ee Masjid, it becomes a property to Allah Ta`ala and hence it will stay Masjid forever and cannot be altered for any other purpose. No business or dunya activities allowed in masjids. It should be kept clean and its cleaners have a special honour in front of Allah and his Rasoul Swalallahou Alaihi Wasallam.Allah Ta`ala says in the noble Qur-aan:وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا [الجن : 18]
And know that the Masjids are in the sole property of Allah Ta`ala. So invoke no one besides Allah Ta`ala(in there).Masjids are made mainly for Ibaadahs, Salaahs, Zikrullah, I`tikaaf and reading of Qur-aan.صحيح مسلم – ()حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَقُ بْنُ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ حَدَّثَنِي أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ وَهُوَ عَمُّ إِسْحَقَ قَالَبَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذْ جَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَقَامَ يَبُولُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَهْ مَهْ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا تُزْرِمُوهُ دَعُوهُ فَتَرَكُوهُ حَتَّى بَالَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَعَاهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ هَذِهِ الْمَسَاجِدَ لَا تَصْلُحُ لِشَيْءٍ مِنْ هَذَا الْبَوْلِ وَلَا الْقَذَرِ إِنَّمَا هِيَ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَقِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ Allah Ta`ala prescribed the cleaning of Masjidul Haraam in Makkah by the two prophets who rebuild the Ka`bah:وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ [البقرة : 125]
‘’And we have prescribed to Ibrahim as and Ismaeel as: ‘’Purify My house for those who are to circumambulate(make tawaaf), for those who stay in I`tikaaf and for those who bow(make ruku`) and for those who prostrate(make sajdah in salaah).’’(Baqarah:125)The duty of cleaning was for two great prophets who repioneered Islam, Ka`bah and Hajj: Ibrahim as and Ismaeel as. Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam reprimanded those who took the cleaner of the Masjid for a mere work. In fact, he honoured the African lady who used to clean the Masjid with his special salaah although after burial.
سنن ابن ماجه – ()حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدَةَ أَنْبَأَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ عَنْ أَبِي رَافِعٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَأَنَّ امْرَأَةً سَوْدَاءَ كَانَتْ تَقُمُّ الْمَسْجِدَ فَفَقَدَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَسَأَلَ عَنْهَا بَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّهَا مَاتَتْ قَالَ فَهَلَّا آذَنْتُمُونِي فَأَتَى قَبْرَهَا فَصَلَّى عَلَيْهَا
Reported in Musannaf ibn Shaibah and Ibn Majah that Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam found absent a black lady who used to clean the Masjid. So Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam asked about her after some days and they told him that she passed away. So Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam told them that they should have informed him and then he went to read salatul janaazah over the qabr/grave.Rasouloullah Swalallahou `Alaihi Wasallam was the waliy or the closest person to all muslims(Surah 33:6).
النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ [الأحزاب : 6]
The only circumstance to redo salaatul janaazah is when salaatul janaazah was done without the waliy`s consent and when he was absent, then the waliy may step forward to redo the salaatul janaazah. According to hanafis, if salaatul janaazah has not been performed on a mayit, for instance during a pandemic, then the waliy or a muslim may perform salaatul janaazah by the qabr/grave in 1 or 2 days. Else, know that there is no repetition of salaatul janaazah once it is done with the waliy`s consent.I wish to bring attention of the administration of Masjidul Haraam that I`tikaaf is an integral prescription of the Qur-aan to Masjidul Haraam in Makkah. Travellers coming from abroad should be allowed to do I`tikaaf in the haram because the Qur-aan says that cleaning should be done for those doing tawaaf, in I`tikaaf and also for those doing salaahs in Masjidul Haraam. I`tikaaf is eating, drinking and sleeping in Masjid with niyah of sawaab.Solution should be seen how to apply cleanliness and Masjid discipline in Masjidul Haraam without rebelling towards the following ayah:
وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَنْ طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعَاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ [البقرة : 125]
‘’And we have prescribed to Ibrahim as and Ismaeel as: ‘’Purify My house for those who are to circumambulate(make tawaaf), for those who stay in I`tikaaf and for those who bow(make ruku`) and for those who prostrate(make sajdah in salaah).’’(Baqarah:125)We already sent on who to sit I`tikaaf during lock down. Today, I will try to elaborate upon the conditions of I`tikaaf. Know that I`tikaaf is done with niyah sunnah muakkadah for the last 10 days of Ramadhaan. For those started taraweeh on Friday night of 24th April 2020, then your i`tikaaf is starting tomorrow Thursday 14th May 2020 at sunset. It will end at maghrib on eid night. A lady will take the room of salaah/masjidul bait or a room in her house for i`tikaaf. A man should take the Masjid. He cannot do itikaaf in the house. Allah Ta`ala says:
ِ ثُمَّ أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنْتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدِ تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا كَذَلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ لِلنَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ [البقرة : 187]‘’And do not intimate with your wives DURING YOUR I`TIKAAF IN MASJIDS…’’(2:187)One may talk, converse lightly with the spouse/husband during I`tikaaf, but cannot approach the wife, cannot kiss or cannot intimate. I`tikaaf is cut oneself from all dunya activities and daily routine to concentrate fully upon `ibaadahs, salaahs, Qur-aan reading, ahadiths reading and zikrullah. That is why a lady`s I`tikaaf will break when haiz come. She will have to replace one night, one day of i`tikaaf with fasting later on.So during I`tikaaf, it is not permissible to come out of the Masjid for men or for ladies from the room of I`tikaaf at home except for: 1. wouzu2. toilet3. and farz ghusl.حاشية رد المحتار على الدر المختار (حاشية ابن عابدين) وتكملته – (8 / 78)وَالْحَاصِلُ : أَنَّ مَذْهَبَ الْإِمَامِ الْفَسَادُ بِالْخُرُوجِ إلَّا لِبَوْلٍ أَوْ غَائِطٍ أَوْ جُمُعَةٍ كَمَا مَرَّ التَّصْرِيحُ بِهِ عَنْ كَافِي الْحَاكِمِ وَعَلَيْهِ مَا مَرَّ عَنْ الْخَانِيَّةِ وَالْخُلَاصَةِ وَالْفَتْحِ It is not permissible for a mu`takif to talk of dunya or futile talks. He or she may ask for his/her needs, buy food, talk of deen and may teach deen also. According to hanafis, if one minute also outside without mentioned valid reason, then I`tikaaf is null and void.So ladies should know that they cannot go out for household chores during I`tikaaf. They should sit, eat, sleep, read salaah, etc inside that very room until Eid night. We are severe to this because many areas in the world will rely upon ladies` I`tikaaf this year. Due to the fact that men cannot sit in Masjids due to curfew/lockdown.Those who have addiction of smoking, well it is great occasion to leave this filthy addiction during i`tikaaf. Else when working on that, one may smoke/wash his dish/take a quick bath right after toilets.Masjids where the imaam/muazzin stay inside the Masjid yard, then at least 1 imaam/muezzin should sit in Masjid in I`tikaaf for every town/city. Provided that the law officers don`t harass them under legal provision of lockdown/curfew severity. I understand that 1 person in a Masjid is not an assembly nor it is endangering anyone`s health.Else if this is not possible for 1 man also in Masjid, then women should sit in I`tikaaf in their homes during this last 10 days of Ramadhaan.
Mufti Mackoojee