What Is the Ruling on Iʿtikāf?
Source: Fatāwā Amanpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amanpuri
Question:
What is the ruling on iʿtikāf?
Answer:
Iʿtikāf is a legislated and recommended Sunnah; it is not obligatory.
❀ ʿAllāmah Abū ʿAbdillāh al-Qurṭubī رحمه الله (d. 671H) said:
أجمع العلماء على أنه ليس بواجب، وهو قربة من القرب ونافلة من النوافل عمل بها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأصحابه وأزواجه.
"The scholars are unanimous that iʿtikāf is not obligatory. It is an act of closeness to Allah and a nafl act of worship, practiced by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, his Companions رضي الله عنهم, and his wives رضي الله عنهن."
(Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī: 2/333)
He further said:
أجمع العلماء على أن الاعتكاف ليس بواجب وأنه سنة.
"The scholars are unanimous that iʿtikāf is not obligatory; rather, it is Sunnah."
(Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī: 2/335)
