Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalamoalaikum brother Burhan,

I just need a simple clarification about itikaf. I have decided to sit out for a ten days itikaf in the masjid i.e the last ten days of Ramadan. That means I should start my itikaf from the 20th fast which falls on 21st Sept, 2008. But incidentaly it`s so happens that this same evening, i.e. 21st Sept,2008 is the marriage reception of my close colleague- whom I consider like my sister and as such I would compulsory have to attend it. Please tell me what to do, will my itikaf be invalid if I briefly attend my colleague`s marriage reception?

Wassalam 

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Answer:

Attend party during itikaf

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 3.152a

Topic: Permisible Acts for the Mu'takif

The following acts are permissible for one who is performing the worship of ‘itikaaf’:

1.                  Combing and cutting one's hair, clipping one's nails, cleaning one's body, wearing nice clothes or wearing perfume are all permissible.

2.                  The person may go out for some need that he must perform. The scholars agree that the one who performs ‘itikaaf’ may leave the mosque in order to answer the call of nature, for this is something that he personally must perform, and he cannot do it in the mosque. Also, if he needs to eat or drink and there is no one to bring him his food, he may leave to get it. If one needs to vomit, he may leave the mosque to do so. For anything that he must do but cannot do in the mosque, he can leave it, and such acts will not void his ‘itikaaf’, even if they take a long time. Examples of these types of acts would include washing one's self, cleaning his body or clothes from impurities, attending the Friday prayers, witnessing a funeral, etc.

3.                  The person may eat, drink, and sleep in the mosque, and he should also keep it clean.

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 3.154

Topic: Actions that nullify the worship of ‘itikaaf’:

If a person performs one of the following acts, their ‘itikaaf’ will be nullified:

1. Intentionally leaving the mosque without any need to do so, even if it is for just a short time. In such a case, one would not be staying in the mosque, which is one of the principles of ‘itikaaf’.

2. Abandoning belief in Islam, as this would nullify all acts of worship.

3. Losing one's reason due to insanity or drunkenness, or the onset of menstruation or post-childbirth bleeding, all of which disqualifies a person for ‘itikaaf’.

4. Sexual intercourse.

Your Question: ….will my itikaf be invalid if I briefly attend my colleague`s marriage reception?
Respected brother, leaving the masjid while one is in the state of ‘itikaf’ to attend a marriage reception will indeed invalidate the worship of ‘itikaf’.

Respected brother, although the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) was to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in ‘itikaf’ in the masjids, there is allowance in Shariah for one to do less than the full ten days…..one may opt to perform the worship of ‘itikaf’ for a few hours, a day, a night, a few days, etc……thus if the attending of the marriage reception is so vital for you, you could make intention to spend the 8 or 9 days after the marriage reception in ‘itikaf’ in the masjid.

But to leave the masjid while in the state of ‘itikaf’ to merely attend a marriage reception would not be permissible.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan