🌙 Is it permissible for the person performing iʿtikāf to go out to take a non-obligatory bath?

Answer
“It is permissible for the person performing iʿtikāf to go home to eat if there is no one to bring him food. If there is someone to bring him food at the mosque, then he should not leave, because the person performing iʿtikāf only leaves for an unavoidable reason.

As for bathing, if it is for ritual impurity (janābah), then he must leave, because ghusl (ritual bathing) is essential. If it is not for ritual impurity (janābah), just to cool down, then he should not leave, because this is something he can do without. If it is to remove a odor that is difficult for him to get rid off, then he may leave. Therefore, going out for ghusl falls into three categories: obligatory, permissible, and prohibited.”

— Ibnul ʿUthaymīn (text)


Question
Does the person performing i'tikaf leave for the purpose of performing ghusl? Does this ruling vary according to the ruling on ghusl? May Allah reward you.

Answer
“Yes, it is permissible for him to leave if he is performing an obligatory ghusl (ritual bath). It is better to delay leaving the mosque to perform ghusl until he has a need to fulfill basic human needs (i.e., urination or defecation) so that he can perform ghusl in conjunction with them.

However, if the ghusl is not obligatory, or if he wants to freshen up, then he is not permitted to leave the iʿtikāf for this purpose. If he leaves for that reason, his iʿtikāf will be invalidated.

The basic principle is to stay in the mosque and not leave it. He should not leave except for matters that evidence indicates are permissible. For those situations permitted by Sharīʿah law, such as leaving the mosque for Friday ghusl or due to iḥtilām (unintentional ejaculations that occur during sleep), he leaves in these cases because he is commanded to do so, and commanded to not to remain in the mosque. So he performs ghusl for major ritual impurity.

And Allah Almighty knows best.”

— Muḥammad bin Muḥammad Al-Mukhtār al-Shanqīṭī (audio)




📝I say:

⬆️As for toilets "inside" masjids, what is correct is that this is not allowed if it is part of the masjids and not disconnected by a separate wall. If it is separated by a wall and/ or disconnected, then it is not considered part of the masjid. While some scholars disregarded it as part of the masjid simply because it doesn't fall into it's definition: Masjid is the place of prostration.

So the muʿtakif should only go to such an area for necessity only, because it is not considered part of masjid.

⬆️As for area of ablution, then majority of Companions and who came after them allowed it inside the mosques. (As it occurs in many mosques in Maldives.)

⬆️As for performing ghusl "inside" the mosque: partial ghusl (like washing ones hair etc.) , there seems to have no dispute in this according to ibn Baṭṭāl, referring to ḥadīth of ʿĀʾishah.

⬆️As for complete ghusl inside an area, which is considered as part of masjid (like the ablution areas etc.), ibn ʿAbbās forbade it to protect the masjid from nudity.

Allah Knows best.

For details on these, refer to this paper (link)


~ Galandān 🖋