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Learn MoreMuslims all over the world continuously seek ways to strengthen their spirituality and deepen their connection to Allah (SWT). Throughout the Islamic year, there are many opportunities for believers to fulfil acts of worship to please Allah (SWT) and earn reward from Him. One of the most significant times to work very hard spiritually is during the last ten days of Ramadan. These are known as the Nights of Power and hold multiplied reward for Muslims who seek the closeness of God (SWT).
However, this is not the only time when Muslims can connect to Allah (SWT) and deepen their faith. There is a practice known as Itikaf that brings believers much closer to Him. It is a time that is spent in deep reflection while being secluded from others and is focused on performing worship. Itikaf isn’t as widely known as the last ten days of Ramadan, but it can be just as spiritually significant as this time. To help you understand more about Itikaf and know exactly what to do if you’re undertaking this practice for the first time, Charity Meals has answered some common Itikaf FAQs to help you be fully prepared for this spiritual journey.
Itikaf is a very powerful and meaningful form of worship in Islam. It comes from the Arabic word akafa, which means devotion, focus or isolation. This spiritual practice is a time where Muslims will isolate themselves, typically in a mosque, for a period of time to spend in devotion to Allah (SWT) through worship and spiritual reflection. When performing Itikaf, there are many rules to abide by to ensure that a believer carries out the practice properly and avoids breaking the time of reflection. If a believer breaks Itikaf, it is no longer valid. The time should only be spent dedicated to prayer, ref lection and recitation as much as possible to gain the growth in spirituality and reward.
There are various types of Itikaf that a Muslim can do. Nafl, known as voluntary Itikaf, is a choice a believer makes. There is also Wajib, which means obligatory Itikaf. This type is entered voluntarily but is carried out to meet a vow a Muslim has made. They will pray to Allah (SWT) to grant them a success or a desire and vow to perform Itikaf for a certain number of days in return. Due to the vow being made to Allah (SWT), this type of Itikaf turns into an obligatory act, so they must perform it to gain what they’ve prayed for. The last type of Itikaf is Sunnah Mu’akkadah. This is the most popular and most spiritually powerful kind a Muslim can do. It is a Sunnah, a tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). All of these different types of Itikaf have their own rules to follow, including when they start and how long they should last.
So, to answer the common question of, “When does Itikaf start?”, it all depends on the type you perform. If you choose to do voluntary, Nafl, Itikaf, there is no set time to start the devotion process. You can perform it at any time of the year that works best for you. Obligatory, Wajib, Itikaf is also the same as voluntary and can be done at any time. However, in your intention that creates the vow to Allah (SWT), if you have specified a time to complete Itikaf for or a time when you will start, you must do it at the specific time.
There is a specific time to perform Itikaf when you do Sunnah Mu’akkadah. This is because it is following the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and he observed this spiritual practice during the last ten days of Ramadan. When you perform this type of Itikaf, you must do it during the last ten days to complete it properly. This is a great opportunity to multiply the reward for the practice because the Night of Power, Laylat al-Qadr, occurs.
Again, how long is Itikaf depends on the type you are performing. Voluntary (Nafl) Itikaf can be performed for any time period, ranging from just a few hours to several days. It is completely up to you how long you do it for, but it’s good to remember that the longer you do it, the more you will get out of it. On top of this, you don’t have to fast to perform Nafl Itikaf. However, it is highly recommended to heighten the importance and power of the process.
Obligatory (Wajib) Itikaf should be carried out for the length of time you have promised to Allah (SWT) in your vow. You should at least vow a full day of reflection and devotion, but it is better to vow at least three days. Because the voluntary intention becomes compulsory when promised to Allah (SWT), you must perform the process for the time you specified to fulfil the promise. As well as this, it requires you to fast during the process.
Sunnah Mu’akkadah is the longest type of Itikaf because it lasts for the last ten days of Ramadan. This means undertaking this form of Itikaf should be done for the full ten days, as the Night of Power falls within them. To gain multiplied reward, you need to be performing Itikaf for the Night of Power. Because this form occurs during the holy month of Ramadan, you should fast throughout – abstaining from food and drink during daylight hours.
Many often wonder if Itikaf can be performed at home or if you should perform it in a mosque. It is better to perform it in a congregational mosque. This is because it allows Muslims in Itikaf to offer their five daily prayers in congregation and lets them easily attend the Friday service without having to leave the mosque. It is vital because a believer can’t leave the mosque without a valid reason when performing Itikaf. On top of this, it is seen as highly rewarded because the mosque is a place of worship that is designed for the remembrance and worship of Allah (SWT).
However, Allah (SWT) knows and understands that certain conditions prevent believers from performing Itikaf in the mosque. Due to this, it is allowed for a believer to do Itikaf at home if they have a valid reason to do so. Allah (SWT) will reward them and judge them for this based on their intentions, so believers can still gain blessings if they perform it at home for a valid reason. Performing it at home is also permissible for women, although they can observe it in the mosque if they wish.
In fact, can women do Itikaf? Women can do Itikaf, and they can do it in the mosque if they wish. However, it is advised for women to observe it at home in a place that is designated for prayers. This should be the location they spend the time in for Itikaf. The space should also be secluded from others in the home and needs to be respected as a sacred zone.
For men, the only place they should perform Itikaf is in the mosque, but if there isn’t one nearby or they have an exceptional circumstance, men can also observe the spiritual practice in this place.
There are rules for Itikaf that outline what should be done during the process, and if these aren’t followed, it breaks your Itikaf. One of these rules is that conversations should be limited and should only be casual or light when necessary. Conversations shouldn’t distract a believer from the purpose of devotion and worship. Believers should avoid excessive or worldly chatter because it defeats the purpose of spiritual seclusion.
Because conversations should allow Muslims to spend as much time as they can in prayer, Quran recitation, remembrance (dhikr) and reflection, women must focus on this. However, when it comes to the question of, “Can a woman talk to her husband during Itikaf?”, it is permissible for a woman to talk to their spouse. Conversations with their spouse must not disrupt their spiritual focus. This means that when a woman talks to her husband, the conversation should be brief, conducted in a low voice and doesn’t distract her or others from their worship.
It is important to understand what breaks Itikaf to ensure you keep it valid, allowing you to receive the blessings afterwards. Some of the actions that can break Itikaf are:
Many wonder, “Can you use your phone in Itikaf?”, because they have become a device that we are all dependent on to contact our loved ones and stay connected to the world. Due to this, using your phone in Itikaf is permissible for the right reasons. Because Itikaf is a time to forget about the temptations of this world, using your phone should be limited to just fulfilling your basic needs. You can also use it to fulfil the needs of fellow Muslims when in the mosque. This means you can use it to contact loved ones and for important matters or righteous deeds. You should refrain from scrolling through social media and occupying yourself with any games or other less important apps that you may have.
As Itikaf has many rules to follow, the first step of what to do in Itikaf is to ensure that you meet the conditions to be able to perform it. If you don’t meet the conditions, your Itikaf won’t be valid. These are:
After this, your time should be spent dedicated to worship and devotion to Allah (SWT). This includes attending the obligatory prayers in congregation and taraweeh. Other acts of worship are recommended to spend as much time as possible strengthening your faith. These could be:
For more information on what to do in Itikaf, read our blog on How to Perform Itikaf to truly understand what you need to do for a valid Itikaf.
