Can women sit for I'tikaf in a mosque in the last ten days of Ramadan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadaan.
Indeed, i'tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women, and the Mothers of the Believers (may Allaah be pleased with them [i.e., the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] used to observe i’tikaaf with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) during his lifetime, and after he passed away.
Al-Bukhaari (2026) and Muslim (1172) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to spend the last ten nights of Ramadaan in i'tikaaf until he passed away, then his wives observed i'tikaaf after he died.
It says in ‘Awn al-Ma’bood:
This indicates that women are the same as men when it comes to i'tikaaf.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
I’tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women, because it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i'tikaaf during Ramadaan, and finally he settled on i'tikaaf during the last ten days, and some of his wives used to observe i'tikaaf with him, then they observed i’tikaaf after he died. The place for i’tikaaf is the mosque in which prayers in congregation are performed.
From the internet website of Shaykh Ibn Baaz.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Can a woman observe itikaf at home , what if she has to cook.
Praise be to Allaah.
I’tikaaf is only valid if done in the mosque, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
Men and women are equal in this regard.
Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni:
A woman has the right to observe i‘tikaaf in any mosque, and that is not subject to the condition that it be a mosque where prayers are performed in congregation, because that is not obligatory upon her. This was the view of al-Shaafa’i.
She does not have the right to observe i'tikaaf in her house, because Allaah says “while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”, and because the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him for permission to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque, and he gave them permission.
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (6/480):
It is not correct for a man or a woman to observe i'tikaaf anywhere except in the mosque.
This is the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen in al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 6/513
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Can a woman observe i’tikaaf in her house?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars are agreed that a man’s i’tikaaf is only valid if observed in the mosque, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
So i’tikaaf is something that should be done specifically in the mosque.
See al-Mughni, 4/461
With regard to women, the majority of scholars are of the view that as in the case of men, their i’tikaaf is not valid unless it is observed in the mosque, because of the verse quoted above (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
The wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him for permission to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque and he gave them permission, and they used to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque after he died.
If it were permissible for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in her house, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have told them to do that, because it is better for a woman to remain concealed in her house than to go out to the mosque.
Some of the scholars were of the view that it is valid for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in the “mosque” of her house, which is the place that she allocates for prayer in her house.
But the majority of scholars said that this is not allowed and said that the place where she prays in her house is not called a masjid (mosque) except by way of metaphor, and it is not really a mosque, so it does not come under the rulings on mosques, hence it is permissible for people who are junub and menstruating women to enter it.
See al-Mughni, 4/464.
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ (6/505):
It is not valid for men or women to observe i’tikaaf anywhere but in the mosque; it is not valid in the mosque of a woman’s house or the mosque of a man’s house, which is a space that is set aside for prayer.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (20/264) about where a woman who wants to observe i’tikaaf should do so?
He replied:
If a woman wants to observe i’tikaaf, she should observe i’tikaaf in the mosque so long as that does not involve anything that is forbidden according to sharee’ah. If that does involve anything that is forbidden then she should not do i’tikaaf.
In al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (5/212) it says:
The scholars differed as to where women should observe i’tikaaf. The majority are of the view that woman are like men, and their i’tikaaf is not valid unless observed in the mosque. Based on this it is not valid for a woman to observe i'tikaaf in the mosque of her house, because of the report narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who asked about a woman who vowed to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque of her house. He said: “(This is) an innovation, and the most hateful of actions to Allaah are innovations (bid’ah).” So there can be no i’tikaaf except in a mosque in which prayers are established. And the mosque of a house is not a mosque in the real sense of the word and does not come under the same rulings; it is permissible to change it, and for a person who is junub to sleep in it. Moreover if it were permissible (to observe i’tikaaf at home), the Prophet’s wives (may Allaah be pleased with them) would have done that at least once to show that it is permissible.
Islam Q&A
I am a new muslim sister and I am quite confused in regards to I'tikaaf where women are concerned. Are women allow to perform I'tikaaf if there are seperate rooms for men and women at the local masjid? If women are allowed this, how many days should be performed (3 days, one week or all 10 days)?
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah Who has guided you to Islam. We ask Allaah to increase you in faith and guidance.
Yes, it is permissible for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque, indeed i'tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women.
See question no. 37698
It is better to oberseve i'tikaaf for the full ten days, because this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. Al-Bukhaari (2026) and Muslim (1172) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i’tikaaf for the last ten days of Ramadaan, until he passed away, then his wives observed i’tikaaf after he was gone.
If a Muslim cannot observe i'tikaaf for all of the last ten days, then he may observe i’tikaaf for as long as he can, two or three days or more or less, even if it is only one night.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
I'tikaaf means staying in the mosque to worship Allaah, whether that is for a longer or shorter period, because there is no report – as far as I know – to indicate a specific length of time, whether one day, two days or more.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 15/441.
Islam Q&A
I am a new muslim sister and I am quite confused in regards to I'tikaaf where women are concerned. Are women allow to perform I'tikaaf if there are seperate rooms for men and women at the local masjid? If women are allowed this, how many days should be performed (3 days, one week or all 10 days)?
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah Who has guided you to Islam. We ask Allaah to increase you in faith and guidance.
Yes, it is permissible for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque, indeed i'tikaaf is Sunnah for both men and women.
See question no. 37698
It is better to oberseve i'tikaaf for the full ten days, because this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to do. Al-Bukhaari (2026) and Muslim (1172) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i’tikaaf for the last ten days of Ramadaan, until he passed away, then his wives observed i’tikaaf after he was gone.
If a Muslim cannot observe i'tikaaf for all of the last ten days, then he may observe i’tikaaf for as long as he can, two or three days or more or less, even if it is only one night.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
I'tikaaf means staying in the mosque to worship Allaah, whether that is for a longer or shorter period, because there is no report – as far as I know – to indicate a specific length of time, whether one day, two days or more.
Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 15/441.
Islam Q&A
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