Hadith 573
اُردوEn
وعنها رضي الله عنها قالت : السنة على المعتكف أن لا يعود مريضا ولا يشهد جنازة ولا يمس امرأة ولا يباشرها ولا يخرج لحاجة إلا لما لا بد له منه . ولا اعتكاف إلا بصوم ولا اعتكاف إلا في مسجد جامع . رواه أبو داود ولا بأس برجاله إلا أن الراجح وقف آخره.
’A’isha (RAA) narrated, ‘It is Sunnah for the one performing I'tikaf not to visit the sick, attend a funeral, or touch his wife (with sexual desire), nor have sexual intercourse with her. He should also not go out (of the mosque) except for an extreme necessity, and no I’tikaf is accepted without fasting, or without being in a congregational mosque (where Friday prayer is performed).’ Related by Abu Dawud with an acceptable chain of narrators, but scholars say that the last part (starting: ‘no I'tikaf is accepted….) is most probably the saying of ’A’isha (RAA), i.e. Hadith Mauquf (i.e. that which the companion does not connect to the Prophet and it is not the Prophet (ﷺ) himself.
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Safi ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri
573 Lexical Explanation:
«اَنْ لَّا يَعُودَ» This is derived from ‘iyadah (visiting the sick), meaning that one should not leave the place of i‘tikaf (spiritual retreat) to visit the sick. However, if he inquires about the condition of a sick person while passing by, there is no harm in it.
«وَلَا يَمَسْ اِمْرَاَةٌ» Meaning, he should not touch a woman with desire.
«وَلَا يُبَاشِرُهَا» Nor should he have intercourse with her. It is also possible that “mas” (touch) refers to intercourse, and “mubasharah” (physical contact) refers to embracing, etc.
«وَلَا اِعْتِكَافَ اِلَّا بِصَوْمٍ» And he should not observe i‘tikaf without fasting.
«مَسْجِدٍ جَامِعٍ » That mosque in which congregational prayer is held.
«اِلَّا اَنَّ الرَّجِحَ وَقَفُ آخِرِهِ» Meaning, the last sentence «ولا اعتكاف الا بصوم» is mawquf (attributed to a Companion). The author of al-Fath al-Bari has said that Imam al-Daraqutni rahimahullah stated categorically: the only marfu‘ (Prophetic) hadith is «لَا يَخْرُجَ لِحَاجَتةٍ», and the rest are mawquf. [فتح الباري]
And here it is stated that only the last part is mawquf. [سبل السلام]
Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah has said that no one except ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq narrates the wording «اَلسُّنَّةُ», meaning that ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha said, “This is Sunnah.” And he has considered it to be the statement of ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha.
Benefits and Issues:
➊ The mentioned narration is weak in its chain, whereas Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has declared it hasan (sound) due to supporting narrations, and he has discussed this matter in detail. [ارواء الغليل ، رقم : 962 وصحيح سنن ابي داود مفصل للالباني رقم : 2135]
And this view appears to be the stronger one. «والله اعلم»
➋ I‘tikaf should, in every case, be performed in a mosque. According to Imam Ahmad and Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, a “congregational mosque” is one in which congregational prayer is held. The majority are of the view that whoever is not obligated to attend Jumu‘ah (Friday prayer) may perform i‘tikaf in any mosque where congregational prayer is held, but for one upon whom Jumu‘ah is obligatory, he should perform i‘tikaf in a mosque where Jumu‘ah is held.
➌ The scholars differ as to whether fasting is a condition for i‘tikaf or not. Those scholars who consider the wording «لَااعْتِكَافَ» in the mentioned narration to be interpolated and mawquf, in their view, fasting is not a condition for i‘tikaf. However, those scholars who consider it to be marfu‘ and hasan, in their view, fasting is a condition, and this opinion appears to be the stronger one. «والله اعلم» *
«اَنْ لَّا يَعُودَ» This is derived from ‘iyadah (visiting the sick), meaning that one should not leave the place of i‘tikaf (spiritual retreat) to visit the sick. However, if he inquires about the condition of a sick person while passing by, there is no harm in it.
«وَلَا يَمَسْ اِمْرَاَةٌ» Meaning, he should not touch a woman with desire.
«وَلَا يُبَاشِرُهَا» Nor should he have intercourse with her. It is also possible that “mas” (touch) refers to intercourse, and “mubasharah” (physical contact) refers to embracing, etc.
«وَلَا اِعْتِكَافَ اِلَّا بِصَوْمٍ» And he should not observe i‘tikaf without fasting.
«مَسْجِدٍ جَامِعٍ » That mosque in which congregational prayer is held.
«اِلَّا اَنَّ الرَّجِحَ وَقَفُ آخِرِهِ» Meaning, the last sentence «ولا اعتكاف الا بصوم» is mawquf (attributed to a Companion). The author of al-Fath al-Bari has said that Imam al-Daraqutni rahimahullah stated categorically: the only marfu‘ (Prophetic) hadith is «لَا يَخْرُجَ لِحَاجَتةٍ», and the rest are mawquf. [فتح الباري]
And here it is stated that only the last part is mawquf. [سبل السلام]
Imam Abu Dawud rahimahullah has said that no one except ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Ishaq narrates the wording «اَلسُّنَّةُ», meaning that ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha said, “This is Sunnah.” And he has considered it to be the statement of ‘A’ishah radi Allahu anha.
Benefits and Issues:
➊ The mentioned narration is weak in its chain, whereas Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has declared it hasan (sound) due to supporting narrations, and he has discussed this matter in detail. [ارواء الغليل ، رقم : 962 وصحيح سنن ابي داود مفصل للالباني رقم : 2135]
And this view appears to be the stronger one. «والله اعلم»
➋ I‘tikaf should, in every case, be performed in a mosque. According to Imam Ahmad and Imam Abu Hanifah rahimahullah, a “congregational mosque” is one in which congregational prayer is held. The majority are of the view that whoever is not obligated to attend Jumu‘ah (Friday prayer) may perform i‘tikaf in any mosque where congregational prayer is held, but for one upon whom Jumu‘ah is obligatory, he should perform i‘tikaf in a mosque where Jumu‘ah is held.
➌ The scholars differ as to whether fasting is a condition for i‘tikaf or not. Those scholars who consider the wording «لَااعْتِكَافَ» in the mentioned narration to be interpolated and mawquf, in their view, fasting is not a condition for i‘tikaf. However, those scholars who consider it to be marfu‘ and hasan, in their view, fasting is a condition, and this opinion appears to be the stronger one. «والله اعلم» *
Source: Bulugh al-Maram: Commentary by Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Page: 573
