Itikaf in Last Ashra

Retreat in the Mosque

Al Itikaf it is staying in the mosque with the intention of worship, but if there is no intention we cannot consider it as a Itikaf and the person who has done this will have no reward, unless it remains in the mosque waiting for Salaat because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ”One of you is Salaat as it still awaits (Salaat) and it is what prevents him from returning home.”

How the Prophet (peace be upon him) was performing Itikaf (retreat in the mosque), It is the most perfect and easier. In his desire to reach the night of Merit (Lailatul Qadr), He (peace be upon him) was removed in the first place in the mosque (Masjid) during the first ten days of the month of Ramadhan, then in a second step it is removed during the second decade. When He knew that blessed night is in the last ten nights (Last Ashra), he continued to place his retreat (Itikaf ) in this period until He met his Master and exalted, and it is this last phase than restraint Aisha (R.A) when it stated in a hadith narrated by Bukhari: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) was retired (Itikaf ) during the last ten days of Ramadan until his death. After his death his wives continued to do.”

Once He has not made retirement during the last ten nights (Last Ashra) and caught up in the first ten days of Shawwal. (Bukhari – Muslim). During the year of his death, he made Itikaf 20 days. (Bukhari)

The Ulema in explanation of this data (exceptional) suggested the following assumptions:

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) knew that his life was about to reach its end, and for that, he wanted to multiply good work to show members of the community what to do at the end of their lives to meet Allah (Subhana Watala) in best conditions.

• He did this because Jibril (A.S.) listened to recite the Quran once each during Ramadan and during the year of his death, Jibril (A.S.) made him repeat the recitation twice. Whence came the idea would be to double the length of his retirement (Itikaf ).

• A more plausible explanation is that doubled the length of his retirement (Itikaf ) that year because he was on a trip last year. This is indicated by the report narrated by al-Nasaai (author of this version) and Abu Dawood and declared authentic by Ibn Hibban from Oubey Ibn Kab (R.A)) who said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to make a spiritual retreat (Itikaf ) during the last ten nights of Ramadan … One year, he traveled during the month of Ramadhan and has observed retired as usual. During the following year, he made ​​retire than 20 nights.” Extract from Fath al-Bari.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) is made ​​up a small tent in the grounds of the mosque (Masjid), he isolated himself there was oriented exclusively towards his Master blessed and exalted, and so remained until the end of his retirement (Itikaf ). Once he made ​​the retreat in a Turkish tent (small) and installed a mat at the door to use the curtain.” (Muslim)

Ibn Al-Qayam mentioned in book Zad al-Maad (2/90): “All this is designed to make full retirement (Itikaf ), unlike the ignorant who turn their retreat in a meeting visitors where we argue speech. This has nothing to do with pious retirement as practiced by the Prophet (peace be upon him).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) remained in the mosque (Masjid) and never left that to go meet their natural needs. In this regard Aisha (peace be upon him) said: “When He was on the retirement, he returned home to satisfy its natural needs.” (Bukhari – Muslim)

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The Prophet (peace be upon him) saw to stay clean. That’s why he left his head to the room of Aisha that the lava and comb her hair. Aisha (R.A.) Said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) stretched his head towards me while being removed in the mosque (Masjid). I painted it and her hair, although my rules. “In another version of this hadith: “I washed it.” (Bukhari – Muslim)

The term “al-Shaar Tardjil” means combing. Al-Hafedh said: “The Hadith indicates that it is permissible to clean, wear perfume, wash, shave and to maintain the body. The majority of Scholars think that only acts outcasts remain in a mosque (Masjid) during the retreat (Itikaf ).”

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) practiced spiritual retreat, he went over to the bedside and not attending funerals. It was because he needed to focus his attention on his acts of worship and ensure the achievement of the goal of retirement is to isolate people to resolutely towards Allah (Subhana Watala). Aisha said: “The Sunnah is that making the retreat (Itikaf ) does not render to the bedside of a sick, do not participate in a funeral, do not caress a woman, do not sleep with her ​​and leaves his place as for an absolute necessity.” (Abu Dawood)

In Nayl al-awtar Shawkaani said: “The term does not caress a woman means: do not sleep with her.”

Some of his wives visited him during his retirement (Itikaf ). When one of them left him, he was driving. This happened in the night. In this regard, Safiya (R.A.), one of his wives told that she had gone to visit him while he was on the retreat in the mosque (Masjid) during the last ten nights of Ramadan (Last Ashra). And she stayed with him for some time. And when she wanted to go home, the Prophet (peace be upon him) accompanied her”(Bukhari – Muslim)

In short, the Prophet (peace be upon him) practiced spiritual retreat (Itikaf ) with ease and without any excessive rigor. All his time was devoted to the remembrance of Allah (Subhana Watala) and the acts of obedience in the context of the search for the night of Merit (Lailatul Qadr).

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