Question
I would like to enquire about the rulings regarding itikaf for women. Apologies if some of the questions may seem silly, I just want to clear any doubts:
1. Is the area for itikaf the entire room in which she usually prays her Salaah? If not how much of the room?
2.Are we allowed to have a bath during Itikaf? I have heard that we aren’t and would just like to clarify
3.Are we allowed to go to the bathroom to brush our teeth?
4. Are we allowed to apply medicine/ use face cream, perfume etc?
5.Are we allowed to read islamic books/ do islamic study during this time?
6.To what extent are we permitted to use our phone? (I.e can it be used to listen to Quraan recitation/islamic lectures)
7. What is the ruling if we need to stop Itikaf due to menses? Will we need to do kazah for all missed days or only the incomplete day?
8. Does Itikaf start on evening of 20th day of ramadhaan?
9. Can you put dirty clothes into a laundry basket if it is outside the itikaaf room?
Answer
1. A woman will perform i’tikaf in the area designated as a place for prayer within her home. She can designate a room as a place for prayer or a specific area of a room.
2. A woman in i’tikaf is only permitted to leave her designated i’tikaf area for necessities such as using the toilet or having an obligatory bath. If it is not an obligatory bath you may quickly take a bath when going to perform wudu or using the toilet. However, you must not leave the place of i’tikaf with the primary intention of this bath.
3. Going specifically to brush your teeth is not considered a necessity, therefore you should brush your teeth when going to perform wudu or to use the bathroom.
4. You may apply medicine, perfume and face creams in i’tikaf.
5. It is permitted to read and study Islamic books during this time.
6. Using your phone will not invalidate your i’tikaf, however you should not unnecessarily use your phone as this can lead to wasting valuable time and many times even lead to sin. Using your phone to listen to Islamic lectures or to read Islamic texts is permitted.
7. If menstruation occurs during the i’tikaf then only one day’s qada is necessary. The qada would start from maghrib prayer to the following day’s maghrib. Bearing in mind that whilst doing qada, fasting (whether qada or nafl) the day is necessary.
8. A woman should enter her designated i’tikaf area before maghrib salat on the 20th day of Ramadan so that as soon as the 21st starts she is in her place of i’tikaf.
9. She may open the door and place dirty clothes into a laundry basket if this can be done without leaving the designated i’tikaf area otherwise she will delay this to when she leaves the room for another valid reason.
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 114) أَمَّا الْمَرْأَةُ إذَا اعْتَكَفَتْ فِي مَسْجِدِ بَيْتِهَا لَا تَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ إلَى مَنْزِلِهَا إلَّا لِحَاجَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ؛ لِأَنَّ ذَلِكَ فِي حُكْمِ الْمَسْجِدِ لَهَا عَلَى مَا بَيَّنَّا
البناية شرح الهداية (4/ 126) م: (أما المرأة فتعتكف في مسجد بيتها) ش: المراد من مسجد بيتها هو المكان المتعين للصلاة م: (لأنه هو الموضع لصلاتها فيتحقق انتظارها فيه) ش: أي انتظارها للصلاة، أي في الموضع الذي تصلي فيه، وبه قال النخعي والثوري وابن علية
فتح القدير للكمال ابن الهمام (2/ 394) (قَوْلُهُ أَمَّا الْمَرْأَةُ فَتَعْتَكِفُ فِي مَسْجِدِ بَيْتِهَا) أَيْ الْأَفْضَلُ ذَلِكَ، وَلَوْ اعْتَكَفَتْ فِي الْجَامِعِ أَوْ فِي مَسْجِدِ حَيِّهَا وَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ الْجَامِعِ فِي حَقِّهَا جَازَ، وَهُوَ مَكْرُوهٌ ذَكَرَ الْكَرَاهَةَ قَاضِي خَانْ. وَلَا يَجُوزُ أَنْ تَخْرُجَ مِنْ بَيْتِهَا وَلَا إلَى نَفْسِ الْبَيْتِ مِنْ مَسْجِدِ بَيْتِهَا إذَا اعْتَكَفَتْ وَاجِبًا أَوْ نَفْلًا عَلَى رِوَايَةِ الْحَسَنِ
بدائع الصنائع في ترتيب الشرائع (2/ 114) لَا يَخْرُجُ الْمُعْتَكِفُ مِنْ مُعْتَكَفِهِ فِي الِاعْتِكَافِ الْوَاجِبِ لَيْلًا وَلَا وَنَهَارًا إلَّا لِمَا لَا بُدَّ لَهُ مِنْهُ مِنْ الْغَائِطِ وَالْبَوْلِ وَحُضُورِ الْجُمُعَةِ؛ لِأَنَّ الِاعْتِكَافَ لَمَّا كَانَ لُبْثًا وَإِقَامَةً؛ فَالْخُرُوجُ يُضَادُّهُ وَلَا بَقَاءَ لِلشَّيْءِ مَعَ مَا يُضَادُّهُ فَكَانَ إبْطَالًا لَهُ وَإِبْطَالُ الْعِبَادَةِ حَرَامٌ؛ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {وَلا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ} [محمد: 33] إلَّا أَنَّا جَوَّزْنَا لَهُ الْخُرُوجَ لِحَاجَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ إذْ لَا بُدَّ مِنْهَا وَتَعَذَّرَ قَضَاؤُهَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَدَعَتْ الضَّرُورَةُ إلَى الْخُرُوجِ وَلِأَنَّ فِي الْخُرُوجِ لِهَذِهِ الْحَاجَةِ تَحْقِيقَ هَذِهِ الْقُرْبَةِ؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَتَمَكَّنُ الْمَرْءُ مِنْ أَدَاءِ هَذِهِ الْقُرْبَةِ إلَّا بِالْبَقَاءِ، وَلَا بَقَاءَ بِدُونِ الْقُوتِ عَادَةً وَلَا بُدَّ لِذَلِكَ مِنْ الِاسْتِفْرَاغِ عَلَى مَا عَلَيْهِ مَجْرَى الْعَادَةِ فَكَانَ الْخُرُوجُ لَهَا مِنْ ضَرُورَاتِ الِاعْتِكَافِ وَوَسَائِلِهِ وَمَا كَانَ مِنْ وَسَائِلِ الشَّيْءِ؛ كَانَ حُكْمُهُ حُكْمَ ذَلِكَ الشَّيْءِ فَكَانَ الْمُعْتَكِفُ فِي حَالِ خُرُوجِهِ عَنْ الْمَسْجِدِ لِهَذِهِ الْحَاجَةِ كَأَنَّهُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ – رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا – أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – «كَانَ لَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْ مُعْتَكَفِهِ لَيْلًا وَلَا نَهَارًا إلَّا لِحَاجَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ» وَكَذَا فِي الْخُرُوجِ فِي الْجُمُعَةِ ضَرُورَةٌ؛ لِأَنَّهَا فَرْضُ عَيْنٍ وَلَا يُمْكِنُ إقَامَتُهَا فِي كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ فَيُحْتَاجُ إلَى الْخُرُوجِ إلَيْهَا كَمَا يُحْتَاجُ إلَى الْخُرُوجِ لِحَاجَةِ الْإِنْسَانِ؛ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ الْخُرُوجُ إلَيْهَا مُبْطِلًا لِاعْتِكَافِهِ وَهَذَا عِنْدَنَا.
الاختيار لتعليل المختار (1/ 138) وَالْحَاجَةُ: بَوْلٌ أَوْ غَائِطٌ أَوْ غُسْلُ جَنَابَةٍ، وَلِأَنَّهُ لَا بُدَّ مِنْ وُقُوعِهَا وَلَا يُمْكِنُ قَضَاؤُهَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَكَانَ مُسْتَثْنًى ضَرُورَةً وَأَمَّا الْجُمُعَةُ فَلِأَنَّهَا مِنْ أَهَمِّ الْحَوَائِجِ وَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ وُقُوعِهَا.
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 445) وَلَيْسَ كَالْمُكْثِ بَعْدَهَا مَا لَوْ خَرَجَ لَهَا ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ لِعِيَادَةِ مَرِيضٍ أَوْ صَلَاةِ جِنَازَةٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَكُونَ خَرَجَ لِذَلِكَ قَصْدًا فَإِنَّهُ جَائِزٌ كَمَا فِي الْبَحْرِ عَنْ الْبَدَائِعِ
Fatawa Dar al ‘Ulum Zakariyya volume 3 page 330/331
Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow
Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel