AI'TEKAAF

Ai'tekaaf is to stay with the intention of Ai'tekaaf for the sake of Allah in Mosque. There are three types of Ai'takaaf, Wajib, Sunnat-e-Maukida and Mustahhab.

Ai'tekaaf Wajib

This is when a promise is made and fulfilled. For example, you make the intention that if my such and such thing is done then I will stay in Mosque for one day or two days. Once the action is completed it is necessary to perform Ai'tekaaf and with this Ai'tekaaf fasting is a condition and without fasting the Ai'tekaaf is not correct.

Ai'tekaafSunnat-e-Maukida

This is performed in the last third of Ramadan, meaning the last ten days. i.e. from sunset of the twentieth of Ramadan you entered in the Mosque with the intention of Ai'tekaaf and did not come out until the thirtieth sunset or if the moon is seen on the twenty-ninth sunset. If the intention of Ai'tekaaf is made after sunset on the twentieth then the Sunnat Maukida will not be counted. This Ai'tekaaf is Sunnat-e-Kifaya meaning if one person within the community performs it then all will not be held responsible and if no-one performs it then all will. be held responsible. Fasting is also a condition for this Ai'tekaaf, but the Ramadan fasts are sufficient [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Hindiya].

Ai'tekaaf Mustahhab

Except for the Ai'tekaaf Wajib and the Ai'tekaaf Sunnat, any other Ai'tekaaf is Mustahhab. Fasting is not a condition for Ai'tekaaf Mustahhab and it can be done for a little while. Whenever you go to Mosque, make the intention for this Ai'tekaaf even if you are going for a short while and when you come out the Ai'tekaaf will finish. For the intention, just the thought that I am performing Ai'tekaaf Mustahhab for Allah is sufficient [Alamgiri, Bahar etc.].

Mosque is necessary for men but for women the place where she normally prays Namaz is sufficient [Hidaya, Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar].

It is Haram for the Mu'takif (the person performing Ai'tekaaf) to come out of Mosque without a reason, even if it is by mistake, as the Ai'tekaaf will break. In the same way if the woman comes out of the area of Ai'tekaaf without reason then her Ai'tekaaf will break even if she remains in the house [Alamgiri, Radd-ul-Mohtar].

There are two reasons where you can leave the Mosque, one is for natural necessity and the other is for religious necessity. The natural necessity reason is things such as, excretion, urination, to clean the private parts, bathing, Wuzu (where there is no facilities in Mosque to perform Wuzu or have a bath, i.e. a big pool, showers, etc.). The religious necessity is things like going to pray Eid or Juma Namaz and if in the Mosque that you are staying does not have regular Jamaat prayers then you can leave and go to pray Jamaat. Except for these reasons if you went outside the Mosque even for a little while then the Ai'tekaaf will break, even if it was done by mistake.

The Mu'takif will remain in Mosque and he will eat, drink and sleep there, and if he leaves the Mosque for these things then the Ai'tekaaf will break [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Hidaya etc.].

Except for Mu'takif, no other person has the permission to eat, drink or sleep and if you wanted to do these things in Mosque then first make the intention of Ai'tekaaf and then either pray Namaz or other worship and then perform these functions, but you must remember and take great care that the Mosque does not get dirty [Radd-ul-Mohtar, Bahar etc.].

To fulfil the Mu'takifs needs or his family's needs, the Mu'takif is allowed to buy or sell in the Mosque as long as the items that he is buying are already not available in the Mosque or if they are available then there is only a small amount and it does not take a lot of space and if the intention is to make business then this is not allowed even if the items are not available in the Mosque [Durr-e-Mukhtar, Radd-ul-Mohtar. Bahar].

The Mu'takif should not stay quiet nor should he speak but he should pray the Quran or Hadith or pray the Durood Sharif, and learn or lecture about the knowledge of Islam, and pray the life stories of the Prophets and the Walls of Allah and write about religion [Durr-e-Mukhtar].

If Nafl Ai'tekaaf is broken then there is no Qaza for it. If the Sunnat Ai'tekaaf is broken then only the day that is broken is necessary for Qaza and not for all the ten days. If the Wajib Ai'tekaaf is broken and the promise was to keep Ai'tekaaf for some days of the month then only the day where the Ai'tekaaf is broken needs to be repeated. If the intention was to keep so many continuous days Ai'tekaaf and it breaks then the Ai'tekaaf will have to be started again. If the continuity is not the promise then just repeat it from where it was broken.

Whatever the reason may be for breaking the Ai'tekaaf, whether it be intentionally or unintentionally, the Qaza has to be performed.

Hadith’s:

Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) reported that when the Messenger of Allah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) intended to seclude himself, he said the Fajr prayer and then he entered into his place of seclusion. (Abu Daood, Ibne-Maaja)
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) reported: It is Sunnat upon the men of seclusion that they should not visit the sick, nor shall they be present at funeral prayers, nor shall they touch a woman, nor shall they cohabit with her, nor shall they come out for a necessity except in congregational Mosque. (Abu Daood)