I’tikaf for Females: At Home or in the Masjid?

The majority of scholars are of the view that as in the case of men, i’tikaf for females is not valid unless it is observed in the mosque.

See:
https://www.islamqa.info/amp/en/answers/50025

I'tikaf Infographic

It was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i'tikaaf during the last ten nights of Ramadaan, Agreed upon. This indicates that the period of i’tikaaf is counted by the nights, not the days. And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And by the ten nights”

[al-Fajr 89:2]

The last ten nights start with the twenty-first.

📍Based on this, he should enter the mosque before the sun sets on the night of the twenty-first.

(More info: https://www.islamqa.info/amp/en/answers/49002 )

Minimum length of time for i'tikaf

(More info: https://www.islamqa.info/amp/en/answers/49002)

🔸AhlusSunnah:

The correct view is that I’tikâf can be done any time of the year, and the length of time doesn’t matter, even if it’s for 1 hour, as long as you have the intention for i’tikâf.

When Allâh told Ibrâhîm and Isma'îl to call people to do i'tikâf [2:125], He didn't restrict it to a time period.

Abû Sa’îd al-Khudrî said they did i’tikâf in Ramadân with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from the 10th to the 20th, then they returned back [on the 20th] till the end of Ramadân. [Sahîh al-Bukhârî]

‘Â’ishah said the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم postponed i’tikâf in Ramadân and continued it in the first 10 days of Shawwâl. [Sahîh al-Bukhârî and Sahîh Muslim]

__

🔸Shaykh 'Alwān ثبته الله however holds the view that minimum length for i'tikaf is a day and that any amount less than that is called ribat. (See his 50 benefits from fiqh of fasting complied by Ibn Khamoodul Fareeh)

#HoldfasttotheropeofAllāh
#RamadanTheBlessed
#SeekingLaylatulQadr

Weakness of the specific Duas Reported to be said on Laylatul Qadr

Some other posts on the same topic:

By Galandhaanu (In English) :
https://news.1rj.ru/str/qalandhar/582

By Shaykh Haytham al-Sayfaddīn:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/SunnahStudies/99

By Ahlus-Sunnah:
https://news.1rj.ru/str/AhlusSunnah3/95

Picture quote from Shaykh Harīth ash-Shiraida حفظه الله [check the pdf]

And Galandhaanu posted regarding this report:

"The strongest is the first narration, which is from Shurayh bin Hānī', which has a discreet weakness (defect) in it due to unclarity of whether Abū Ishāq al-Shaybānī did actually hear it directly from Al-'Abbās bin Dhurayh or not. If not, it is sahīh.

Hence Al-Muhaddith Al-Sheikh 'Abdul Azīz Al-Khuḍayr declared this mawqūf narration as, authentic."

1-10 First Ten days
11-20 Middle Ten days
21-30 Last Ten days (does not matter if Ramadan ends with 29 days or 30)


◽️Last ten days begin after breaking the 20th fast (on Saturday, 30th March Maghrib onwards)

For details:

https://islamqa.info/en/answers/234012/the-last-ten-nights-of-ramadan-begin-from-the-night-before-the-twenty-first-day-whether-the-month-is-complete-or-not

Adorning oneself for Laylatul Qadr

Ibn Rajab (رحمه الله) said:

During the nights which are hoped to be Laylatul Qadr, cleanliness, dressing up, taking a bath (or shower), applying perfume and wearing one's best clothing is preferred. Just as it is legislated to do so for Jumu'ah and 'Īd, it's also legislated to wear nice clothing to the other prayers; as Allāh said,

"Take your adornment while praying."

(Sūrah Al-A'rāf: 31)

Ibn 'Umar stated, "Allāh is more deserving of being adorned for." Additionally, it is narrated from him and attributed to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that, "outward adornment is not complete, except with inner adornment; by repentance and turning back to Allāh Ta'ālá."

[Lataa'if Al-Ma'aarif pg. 189]

#SeekingLaylatulQadr

Ibn Jareer رحمه الله said: “They would love to bathe every night of the last ten nights.” It was also reported that Al-Nakha’i رحمه الله would bathe every night of the last 10 nights.

Furthermore, of the Salaf were those who would bathe and wear perfume [only for the men] on the nights they hoped to be Laylatul Qadr such as Abu Ayyub Al-Sakhtayani رحمه الله who would bathe and wear two new garments.

We should note that beautification on the outside will not be complete without beautification on the inside. Beautifying oneself from the inside is sought with repentance, returning to Allāh and purification from the filth of sins; for beauty of the outside while destroying the inside does not amount to anything.
Furthermore, it is not appropriate for an intimate conversation with a king to take place except with beautifying and purifying the apparent and hidden; specifically with the King of the Kings, the One who knows the secrets and that which is more hidden. He is the One who does not look to your forms but rather looks to your hearts and deeds. So whoever stands before Him, let him beautify his outer with clothing and his inner with Taqwa.

[From a translation of Al-Hāfidh ibn Rajab al-Hanbali رحمه الله who listed five specific Sunnan from the Prophet ﷺ in relation to the last ten nights of Ramadan]

#HoldfasttotheropeofAllāh
#LaylatulQadr

Make the Most of Laylatul Qadr

▫️Ibn Rajab رحمه الله said: "O you who has wasted the years of his life, there is nothing that will amend those lost and wasted years except for the night of Al-Qadr, for verily its value is equivalent to that of a lifetime."

● [لطائفُ المعارف ص ١٩١]

▫️Imam ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

"If the Night of Decree (Laylatul Qadr) comes once in a year, I would do Night Prayer (Qiyam al-layl) the whole year until I acquire the Night of Decree! So what would be your problem if its only ten nights?!"

Bada'iu' al-Fawaaidh 1/55


Via Ahlus-Sunnah :
▫️Al-Muhaddith Abû ‘Alî al-Hasanî said:

Whoever stands the [last] 10 [nights of ramadân in night prayer] has acquired Laylatul-Qadr.

▫️Al-Muhaddith Sulaymân al-‘Alwân said:

Making du’â’ during Laylatul-Qadr is well known and famous according to the sahâbah, and it has come in the sahîhayn from the hadîth of az-Zuhrî from Abî Salamah ibn ‘Abdir-Rahmân from Abû Hurayrah that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

Whoever stands [during] Laylatul-Qadr out of faith and in hope of reward, all his previous sins will be forgiven.

The statement “Whoever stands [during] Laylatul-Qadr”, means standing in salâh and making du’â’. And in this [hadîth] there is proof that it is legislated to make plenty of du’â’ during Laylatul-Qadr.

▫️‘Â’ishah said if I knew which night is laylatul qadr, I would not ask Allâh for anything except for well-being in it.

[Al-Musannaf, authenticated by Shaykh Sulaymân al-‘Alwân]

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbalī رحمه الله stated:

[لأن إبهام ليلة القدر أدعى إلى قيام العشر كله ، أو أوتاره في طلبها ، فيكون سبباً لشدة الاجتهاد وكثرته]

Keeping the date of Laylat al-Qadr uncertain prompts people to stand in prayer during all of the last ten nights or at least in the odd ones in search of it. So that becomes a cause for intensified and increased striving.

[فتح الباري 1/187]

Hadith

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ حَمْزَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، وَالدَّرَاوَرْدِيُّ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ‏.‏ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُجَاوِرُ فِي رَمَضَانَ الْعَشْرَ الَّتِي فِي وَسَطِ الشَّهْرِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ حِينَ يُمْسِي مِنْ عِشْرِينَ لَيْلَةً تَمْضِي، وَيَسْتَقْبِلُ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ، رَجَعَ إِلَى مَسْكَنِهِ وَرَجَعَ مَنْ كَانَ يُجَاوِرُ مَعَهُ‏.‏ وَأَنَّهُ أَقَامَ فِي شَهْرٍ جَاوَرَ فِيهِ اللَّيْلَةَ الَّتِي كَانَ يَرْجِعُ فِيهَا، فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ، فَأَمَرَهُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ كُنْتُ أُجَاوِرُ هَذِهِ الْعَشْرَ، ثُمَّ قَدْ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أُجَاوِرَ هَذِهِ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ، فَمَنْ كَانَ اعْتَكَفَ مَعِي فَلْيَثْبُتْ فِي مُعْتَكَفِهِ، وَقَدْ أُرِيتُ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ ثُمَّ أُنْسِيتُهَا فَابْتَغُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ وَابْتَغُوهَا فِي كُلِّ وِتْرٍ، وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي أَسْجُدُ فِي مَاءٍ وَطِينٍ ‏"‌‏.‏ فَاسْتَهَلَّتِ السَّمَاءُ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ، فَأَمْطَرَتْ، فَوَكَفَ الْمَسْجِدُ فِي مُصَلَّى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْلَةَ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ، فَبَصُرَتْ عَيْنِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ انْصَرَفَ مِنَ الصُّبْحِ، وَوَجْهُهُ مُمْتَلِئٌ طِينًا وَمَاءً‏.‏

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to practice Itikaf (in the mosque) in the middle third of Ramadan and after passing the twenty nights he used to go back to his house on the 21st, and the people who were in Itikaf with him also used to go back to their houses. Once in Ramadan, in which he practiced Itikaf, he established the night prayers at the night in which he used to return home, and then he addressed the people and ordered them whatever Allah wished him to order and said, "I used to practice Itikaf for these ten days (i.e. the middle third but now I intend to stay in Itikaf for the last ten days (of the month); so whoever was in I`tikaf with me should stay at his place of seclusion. I have verily been shown (the date of) this Night (of Qadr) but I have forgotten it. So search for it in the odd nights of the last ten days (of this month). I also saw myself (in the dream) prostrating in mud and water." On the night of the 21st, the sky was covered with clouds and it rained, and the rainwater started leaking through the roof of the mosque at the praying place of the Prophet (ﷺ) . I saw with my own eyes the Prophet (ﷺ) at the completion of the morning prayer leaving with his face covered with mud and water.

Sahih

Sahih al-Bukhari, 2018
In-Book Reference: Book 32, Hadith 5
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Vol. 3, Book 32, Hadith 235 (deprecated numbering scheme)