Source: Ahkam wa Masail in the Light of Qur’an and Hadith, Volume 02❖ Question
A person chooses to perform Iʿtikāf in a small local mosque despite the presence of a larger mosque in the village. After Maghrib, he smokes hookah. Furthermore, for Jumuʿah prayer, he goes to another village about half a mile away, instead of the main mosque in his own village. Is his Iʿtikāf valid?❖ Answer
According to the majority of scholars, Iʿtikāf is valid in any mosque. Therefore, the individual’s Iʿtikāf is considered valid. However, smoking hookah is prohibited, as the Prophet (ﷺ) forbade harmful substances.Additionally, according to Hadith, it is impermissible to leave the place of Iʿtikāf except for genuine needs. Exiting the mosque for a harmful and unnecessary reason such as hookah use invalidates the Iʿtikāf.
❖ Clarification (Sharḥiyyah)
This is accurate, but it must also be noted that Jumuʿah is obligatory while Iʿtikāf is Sunnah. Abandoning Jumuʿah is impermissible. Since there is no evidence of permission to exit the mosque for Jumuʿah during Iʿtikāf, one must perform Iʿtikāf in a mosque where Jumuʿah is established.Hadith Reference:
"It is Sunnah for the Muʿtakif not to visit the sick, not to attend funerals, not to touch or have relations with women, and not to go out except for unavoidable needs."
(Narrated by Abu Dawood)
Moreover, hookah use is not permissible at all.
(Abu Saeed Sharafuddin Dehlavi, Fatawa Thana’iyyah, Vol. 1, p. 432)
