The Sunnah of I‘tikāf

As-Salāmu ‘Alaykum wa RaḥmatuLlāhi wa Barakātuh. A‘ūdhu BiLlāhi Minash-shayṭāni r-rajīm. BismiLlāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm. Wa ṣ-Salātu wa s-Salāmu ‘alá Rasūlinā Muḥammadin Sayyidi l-Awwalīna wa l-Akhirīn. Madad yā RasūlAllāh, Madad yā Sādāti Aṣḥābi RasūliLlāh, Madad yā Mashāyikhinā, Dastūr Mawlana Sheikh Abdullāh al-Fā’iz ad-Dāghistāni, Sheikh Muḥammad Nāẓim al- Ḥaqqānī. Madad. Ṭarīqatunā aṣ-Suḥbah wa l-Khayru fi l-Jam‘iyyah.

One of the duties of this blessed month of Ramaḍān is i‘tikāf, for those who are able. I‘tikāf is performed on the last ten days of Ramaḍān. Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam never missed it. His ﷺ blessed house was already right next to the mosque. But when it was time for i‘tikāf, he ﷺ would bring the things he ﷺ had for sleep; our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam didn’t have much anyway. He ﷺ had a mat to sleep on, something to cover himself ﷺ with, and things for ablution. He ﷺ would bring those things. And He ﷺ would perform i‘tikāf in a corner of the Masjid alNabawi for ten days.

Whether it was wājib or farḍ for him ﷺ; anyways, the duties of our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam are different. What was commanded to him ﷺ was not a command for us, but rather what he ﷺ did is Sunnah. The farḍs are clear, and the wājibs are clear. Everything other than that is Sunnah. It is a Sunnah to perform i‘tikāf. I‘tikāf is normally for ten days, meaning the last ten days of Ramaḍān. One makes the intention for i‘tikāf during these ten days. For example, it must start tonight, because according to the calendar, they’ve made Ramaḍān twenty-nine days this year. If it’s going to be ten days, one should start tonight. After Maghrib prayer, one should say, “I intend to perform i‘tikāf,” and it should be in a mosque, one where five daily prayers are held. For women, it’s performed at home. They can dedicate a room in their house in which they perform their worship, but they can still do their other tasks. They can speak only what is necessary. Lying or deceit is something that everyone should avoid during Ramaḍān anyways. And those in i‘tikāf must beware even more. What’s to be eaten is normal food. Some people think that i‘tikāf is like khalwah (seclusion) when they only eat lentils and nothing else. No, this is normal. Those in i‘tikāf can eat whatever there is. But even if they are in the mosque, they can eat in the mosque courtyard or in the designated area and continue their i‘tikāf.

So, one must have iftār and sahūr. Because sahūr and iftār are barakah. If one doesn’t have them, he will be deprived of thawāb. Of course, one doesn’t commit a sin if he doesn’t have them, but he is deprived of reward. Some people don’t have sahūr.

Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam said to have sahūr. Even if you get up and drink a sip of water, it counts as sahūr. That’s also important. It’s not about having a feast to be considered sahūr. You can do so if you want, or you can just take a bite and a sip of water. That also counts as sahūr.

As we said, i‘tikāf is for ten days. A person can do it for less; as much as they want. They can do it for three days, or five days. Even someone who doesn’t completely enter i‘tikāf, they can say every time they enter a mosque, “I intend to perform i‘tikāf. I intend to perform i‘tikāf for the time I stay in this mosque.” Saying “Nawaytu l-i‘tikāf.” This also counts as i‘tikāf. So, everyone should make the intention at Maghrib. Then, whenever you enter the mosque, whenever you enter for prayer, one should make the intention, “I intend to perform i‘tikāf.” That would be a great benefit. It is a great favor from Allāh ﷻ. It will be granted to them as well. They will attain the reward of the Sunnah of our Prophet ﷺ.

May Allāh ﷻ bless it. May Allāh ﷻ make it perpetual upon us, in shā’a Llāh. There should be someone performing i‘tikāf in every country. In shā’a Llāh, many people enjoy and perform i‘tikāf. Some perform it every year, some once, and some every few years. But as we said, it would be good to make the intention for i‘tikāf every day when entering the mosque, in shā’a Llāh. We will attain its reward, in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allāhi t-Tawfīq. Al-Fātiḥa.

Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 08 March 2026/ 19 Ramadan 1447 Lefke, Cyprus