FAST OF QADA’

Fast of Qada':
The month of Ramadan is the season of divine blessings. It is the month of purification. It is meant for annual renovation of the inner spiritual qualities. It is a golden opportunity for every Muslim to strengthen his ‘iman, to purify his heart and soul and to remove the evil effects of the sins committed by him.
This month invites a Muslim to minimize his other mundane involvements and maximize the acts of worship. One should plan his schedule for this month, before-hand, so as to spare maximum time for ‘ibadah.
Here is a brief list of the acts which should be carried out in Ramadan with due care:
1. To offer every prayer with jama’ah in a masjid.
2. To rise up a little earlier than the exact time of suhoor and to offer the salah of tahajjud. There is no prescribed number of the Tahajuud prayer. Yet, it is better to pray 8 Rak’at.
3. To offer the nafl prayers of Ishraq (two rak’at after the sunrise) Duha (Four rak’at which may be performed at anytime after Ishraq before noon) and Awwabin (six rak’at after maghrib).
4. The recitation of the Holy Qur’an. No specific limit is prescribed. But one should recite as much of it as he can.
5. Dhikr or Tasbeeh, specially the following recitations:
Apart from reciting these words, one hundred times each, at a particular time, they may also be continued frequently throughout the day, even if one is engaged in some light work, when walking and when in bed.
6. Prayers and supplications: No particular prayer is prescribed. One can pray for everything he needs both in this world and in the Hereafter. However, the supplications of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are so comprehensive that they encompass all that a Muslim can need in his life and after his death. It is, therefore, much advisable to pray Allah Almighty in the prophetic words used by the Holy Prophet (PBUH).
There are several books where these prophetic supplications have been complied. Here is the name of two books, which should be kept by every Muslim in his home and be used for praying daily:
(i) Al-hisnul-hasin By ‘Allamah al-jazri.
(ii) Munajat-e-Maqbool By Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
7. Sadaqah (charity): Apart from paying zakah, which is obligatory, one should also pay optional sadaqah in Ramadan according to his best ability. It is reported in authentic ahadith that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to pay special attention in Ramadan to look after the poor and to help them financially. Therefore, a Muslim should give as much money in sadaqah as he can afford.

What should be avoided in Ramadan:
Whoever has missed a fast of Ramadan is liable to compensate it with fasting after Ramadan. This fast if called ‘the fast of Qada’.
Fast of qada’ may be observed any day during the year except for the following days:
(a) First of Shawwal (Eidul-fitr)
(b) Tenth of Zulhijjah (Eidul-adha)
(c) Eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth of Zulhijjah.
On these days fasting is strictly prohibited. So the fast of qada’ cannot be observed on these days.
Fast of Qada’ should be observed as soon as possible after one has missed a fast of Ramadan. Delaying the performance of qada’ without a valid reason is not desirable. If some one has missed more than one fast, he can perform qada’ for all of them continuously, or with intervals. But the fasts of kaffarah should necessarily be continuous without any interval. Any interval makes the previous fasts nullified for the purpose of kaffarah, and one has to begin the fasts all over again.
Unlike the fast of Ramadan and optional (Nafl) fasts, in the fast of Qada’ it is necessary to make niyyah before the dawn.
If a person has an obligation to keep a large number of the fasts of qada’ he should write down the exact number of the fasts due on him. He should also make a will that if he could not fast in his life time, his heirs should pay fidyah (redemption from obligation not carried out) from his left over property. The amount of fidyah for one fast is one kilo and six hundered sixty two grams of wheat or its price. If the amount of fidyah can be paid from one-third property of a deceased person who has made a will to pay fidyah, the heirs are bound to pay it from his left over property. But if the deceased made no will to pay fidyah, the heirs are not bound to pay it from his property. Similarly, if the amount of fidyah exceeds one-third of the property left by the deceased, the heirs are not liable to pay the excess, unless they wish to do so by their free will.

Tarawih:
Another important feature of the month of Ramadan is Tarawih. It is a special Salah (prayer) consisting of 20 rak’at which is performed immediately after the ‘Isha’ prayer. This Salah is Sunnah mu’akkaddah (repeatedly emphasized), and should not be missed. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said,
“Allah has made fasting in Ramadan obligatory,
and I have made the special prayer of Ramadan
(i.e. the Tarawih) a Sunnah.”
It is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah’ ‘alal-kifayah to perform Tarawih in jama’ah. It means that it is a Sunnah mu’akkadah for the people of every mosque to arrange for the jama’at of the Tarawih. If a person after being sure that the jama’ah of Tarawih is being held in his mosque, performs the Tarawih in his home without jama’ah, the sunnah of the Tarawih is discharged, but he will be deprived of the great thawab (reward) of praying with jama’ah. So, one should perform the Tarawih in the mosque as far as possible.
It is also a Sunnah to complete the recitation of the whole Quran in Tarawih in Ramadan. It is thus advisable to request a hafiz (one who has memorized the Holy Quran by heart) to lead the prayer of Tarawih. However, paying any fee to the hafiz for this purpose is not allowed. If no such hafiz is available, the Tarawih should be led by any Imam, and he can recite in it whatever Surahs of the Holy Qur’an he remembers.
As a general practice, the Holy Qur’an is completed in most of the mosques a few days before the end of Ramadan, on the 27th night or even earlier. In such a case, Tarawih should be continues till the last night of Ramadan with recitation of different surahs. Those who leave Tarawih after the completion of the Holy Qur’an are not correct, because Sunnah of the Tarawih remains unchanged unto the last night.
The time of Tarawih begins after the performance of the obligatory (Fard) prayer of ‘Isha. Therefore, the one who has not performed the Fard prayer of ‘Isha cannot join the prayer of Tarawih. He should perform the Fard of ‘Isha first, then join the Tarawih. If he missed some rak’at of Tarawih, he can complete it after the Witr. For example, a person came to the mosque when the Imam has performed four rak’at of Tarawih, he should perform the Fard of ‘Isha first, then join the jama’ah for Tarawih. If he has missed 4 or 6 rak’at of Tarawih, he should also perform the Witr prayer with the Imam, then pray the four or six rak’at he has missed on his own, individually.
Laylatulqadar:
One of the most meritorious aspects of the month of Ramadan is that it contains Laylatulqadr, the most blessed night of the year. It is the night, which Allah Almighty chose to reveal the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an has mentioned that this night is better than one thousand month. It means that the worship performed in this night brings more reward than the worship performed in one thousand months. The authentic Traditions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) mention that, in this night, Allah Almighty directs His special mercy towards the people of the earth, accepts the supplications made by His slaves and forgives a large number of people who repent and pray.
Laylatulqadr falls in one of the last five odd nights of Ramadan i.e. 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th. According to authentic sources, Laylatulqadr falls in any one of these nights alternately. The purpose of this Alternation is that one should spend all the five nights in worship and prayers, so that he may find Layalatuqadr with certainty.
No special form of worship is prescribed for Laylatulqadr. The night should be spent by offering as much nafl prayers as one can offer, in recitation of the Holy Qur’an, in dhikr and Tasbeeh, in supplication and in making sadaqah (charity.)It is not advisable in this night to hold ceremonies or meetings or delivering long lectures or illumination the mosque. This is a night meant for developing a special connection with one’s Creator, for offering acts of worship in solitude and seclusion, for having constant and exclusive contact with his Lord who is the Lord of the universe, for minimizing the diversity of thoughts and actions and for devoting oneself to Allah Almighty with his heart and soul.
This purpose can seldom be achieved in congregations and assemblies. That is why the Holy Prophet (PBUH) never tended to celebrate this night by lectures, meetings, and illumination or even by offering prayers in jama’ah. Instead, he used to perform acts of worship individually, and in solitude.
Sayyidah ‘Aishsh (R.) once asked the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as to what du’a (supplication) she should recite in the Laylatulqadr. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught her following du’a:Allah, You are surely most forgiving and You like forgiving, so forgive me.
The best way to benefit from the blessings of this night is to keep awake for the whole night and spend it in worship and prayers. But people who cannot do so for any reason should spare at least a considerable part of the night for acts of worship. At least 8 rak’at should be prayed after midnight as Tahajjud, some part form the Holy Qur’an should be recited and the supplications of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) should be offered. Any Dhikr or Tasbeeh should be constantly recited, specially the following Dhikr has numerous merits: Even when one is not in the state of wudu, the Dhikr and Tasbeeh may be recited. Similarly, the dhikr may also be performed during other states, when walking or in bed.

I’tikaf:
Another unique form of worship in this month is “i’tikaf” in which a person gives up all his activities, abandons his attachments, associations and routines and enters the mosque for a specific period.
Islam does not approve monasticism which is based on the concept that Allah’s pleasure cannot be attained without abandoning all worldly activities forever. The Holy Qru’an has expressly condemned this concept. Islam has, instead, emphasized on earning one’s livelihood through permissible means, on one’s mingling with his family members and on discharging all the obligations toward his wife, children, relatives, neighbours and other acquaintants. But the same time, as explained earlier in more detail, sometimes one’s deep involvement in these activities slows down his spiritual progress. In order to repair this loss, a Muslim is required to spare a time in which he separates himself from the normal routine of worldly activities and to sit in seclusion, devoting his heart and soul for pure spiritual acts. I’tikaf is a beautiful way to carry out this objective. In I’tikaf one leaves his home and family and undertakes to remain in the mosque for a limited period. This unique mode of worship can be done any time in the year. However, it has been declared as a ‘sunnah mu’akkadah’ in the last ten days of Ramadan, because Ramadan is the most suitable time to carry out this worship. Moreover, the last ten days of Ramadan are the days in which ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’ normally occurs and as explained earlier, its definite time is unknown. It may occur in any of the odd nights of these days. When one is in the state of I’tikaf for the last ten days of Ramadan, he can surely benefit from its infinite merits, because even if he is sleeping in the ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’, while he is in the State of I’tikaf, it will be credited to his account as ‘worship’ in the ‘Lailatul-Qadr’, because each and every second in the state of I’tikaf is ‘ibadah, even if one is eating, drinking or sleeping. This extraordinary privilege cannot be attained in one’s home. That is why the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to perform I’tikaf every year in Ramadan.
The detailed injunctions and regulations of I’tikaf are explained in my book ‘The Rules of I’tikaf ’ and it is not proper to reproduce all of them here. However, some fundamental rules of I’tikaf are summarized here:

Some Rules of I’tikaf
1. I’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan is sunnah ‘alal kifaya. It means that in each mosque, at last one person should sit in I’tikaf. If he does so, the requirement of Sunnah is fulfilled for the whole locality. However, if no person performs I’tikaf, the whole locality is responsible for not observing the Sunnah. Therefore, the residents of locality should make sure that some person is performing I’tikaf in their mosque. If no such person is available, they should prepare someone to do so.
2. The time of this I’tikaf commences immediately after the sunset of the twentieth day of Ramadan. Therefore, a person who wants to sit in I’tikaf, must enter the mosque before sunset on that day, so that sunset takes place while he is in the mosque.
3. The main requirement for a valid I’tikaf is that one remains in the limits of the mosque throughout the period of I’tikaf and never comes out of it, except for the necessities like easing oneself by attending the call of nature.
4. The “limits of the mosque” for the purpose of I’tikaf are restricted to the places meant for offering salah and determined as such by the founders of the mosque or by its administration. Therefore, the places like the place of ablution, toilets etc., are not included in the “limites of a mosque” for the purpose of I’tikaf. Therefore, if a person enters these places without the aforesaid necessity, his I’tikaf shall terminate.
5. One can go out of the mosque during I’tikaf only for the following needs:
(i) To answer the call of nature.
(ii) To make obligatory ghusl, i.e. in the state of impurity (janabah) (It should be remembered that it is not allowed during I’tikaf to go out of the mosque for having a non-obligatory bath, like the bath of Friday etc.)
(iii) To bring food where no other person is available to bring it. In this case it is allowed either to bring food to the mosque or to have food elsewhere outside the mosque.
(iv) To offer the jum’ah prayer, if no jum’ah prayer is offered in the same mosque in which he is sitting in I’tikaf.
(v) To move to another mosque in the event of a serious danger to one’s life or property.
6. It is advisable that a person performing I’tikaf avoid all unnecessary activities and spends the most of his time in the acts of worship, like salah, recitation of the Holy Qur’an or making dhikr or tasbeeh. However, it is makruh to remain silent totally.
7. The following acts result in terminating the I’tikaf:
(i) To leave the mosque even for a moment without the aforesaid needs.
(ii) To remain outside the mosque after fulfilling the aforesaid needs.
(iii) To have sexual intercourse, or emission through some other intentional acts like kissing, cuddling etc., which are totally prohibited in I’tikaf.
(iv) Any act which breaks one’s fast, like eating, drinking etc. (Since fasting is pre-condition for a valid masnun I’tikaf, the I’tikaf is automatically terminated by breaking of the fast).
8. If the I’tikaf is terminated for any reason, it becomes obligatory on the relevant person that he makes qada’ of the I’tikaf for one day only (He needs not to perform I’tikaf for ten days.). For example, started a masunu I’tikaf on 21st night of Ramadan with intention to sit in I’tikaf for ten days, but on 25th of Ramadan he came out of the mosque mistakenly or unconsciously, his I’tikaf is thus terminated. Now, he has to make qada’ of one day only. He needs not to repeat the I’tikaf for ten days, nor for five days. He is required to make qada’ only for one day. Therefore, he can discharge this obligation by starting I’tikaf for one day, either in the same Ramadan, or after Ramadan by keeping a nafl fast, or in the next Ramadan. If he elects to perform qada’ in the same Ramadan, he can sit in I’tikaf before the sunset of 25th Ramadan (in which his I’tikaf was terminated) and observed I’tikaf up to the sunset of 26th. His obligation will be discharged. Then, he is at liberty either to go home or to continue his I’tikaf as nafl (and not as a sunnah or wajib.)






	Fast of Qada': The month of Ramadan is the season of divine blessings. It is the month of purification. It is meant for annual renovation of the inner spiritual qualities. It is a golden opportunity for every Muslim to strengthen his ‘iman, to purify his heart and soul and to remove the evil effects of the sins committed by him. This month invites a Muslim to minimize his other mundane involvements and maximize the acts of worship. One should plan his schedule for this month, before-hand, so as to spare maximum time for ‘ibadah. Here is a brief list of the acts which should be carried out in Ramadan with due care: 1. To offer every prayer with jama’ah in a masjid. 2. To rise up a little earlier than the exact time of suhoor and to offer the salah of tahajjud. There is no prescribed number of the Tahajuud prayer. Yet, it is better to pray 8 Rak’at. 3. To offer the nafl prayers of Ishraq (two rak’at after the sunrise) Duha (Four rak’at which may be performed at anytime after Ishraq before noon) and Awwabin (six rak’at after maghrib). 4. The recitation of the Holy Qur’an. No specific limit is prescribed. But one should recite as much of it as he can. 5. Dhikr or Tasbeeh, specially the following recitations: Apart from reciting these words, one hundred times each, at a particular time, they may also be continued frequently throughout the day, even if one is engaged in some light work, when walking and when in bed. 6. Prayers and supplications: No particular prayer is prescribed. One can pray for everything he needs both in this world and in the Hereafter. However, the supplications of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) are so comprehensive that they encompass all that a Muslim can need in his life and after his death. It is, therefore, much advisable to pray Allah Almighty in the prophetic words used by the Holy Prophet (PBUH). There are several books where these prophetic supplications have been complied. Here is the name of two books, which should be kept by every Muslim in his home and be used for praying daily: (i) Al-hisnul-hasin By ‘Allamah al-jazri. (ii) Munajat-e-Maqbool By Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi. 7. Sadaqah (charity): Apart from paying zakah, which is obligatory, one should also pay optional sadaqah in Ramadan according to his best ability. It is reported in authentic ahadith that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to pay special attention in Ramadan to look after the poor and to help them financially. Therefore, a Muslim should give as much money in sadaqah as he can afford. What should be avoided in Ramadan: Whoever has missed a fast of Ramadan is liable to compensate it with fasting after Ramadan. This fast if called ‘the fast of Qada’. Fast of qada’ may be observed any day during the year except for the following days: (a) First of Shawwal (Eidul-fitr) (b) Tenth of Zulhijjah (Eidul-adha) (c) Eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth of Zulhijjah. On these days fasting is strictly prohibited. So the fast of qada’ cannot be observed on these days. Fast of Qada’ should be observed as soon as possible after one has missed a fast of Ramadan. Delaying the performance of qada’ without a valid reason is not desirable. If some one has missed more than one fast, he can perform qada’ for all of them continuously, or with intervals. But the fasts of kaffarah should necessarily be continuous without any interval. Any interval makes the previous fasts nullified for the purpose of kaffarah, and one has to begin the fasts all over again. Unlike the fast of Ramadan and optional (Nafl) fasts, in the fast of Qada’ it is necessary to make niyyah before the dawn. If a person has an obligation to keep a large number of the fasts of qada’ he should write down the exact number of the fasts due on him. He should also make a will that if he could not fast in his life time, his heirs should pay fidyah (redemption from obligation not carried out) from his left over property. The amount of fidyah for one fast is one kilo and six hundered sixty two grams of wheat or its price. If the amount of fidyah can be paid from one-third property of a deceased person who has made a will to pay fidyah, the heirs are bound to pay it from his left over property. But if the deceased made no will to pay fidyah, the heirs are not bound to pay it from his property. Similarly, if the amount of fidyah exceeds one-third of the property left by the deceased, the heirs are not liable to pay the excess, unless they wish to do so by their free will. Tarawih: Another important feature of the month of Ramadan is Tarawih. It is a special Salah (prayer) consisting of 20 rak’at which is performed immediately after the ‘Isha’ prayer. This Salah is Sunnah mu’akkaddah (repeatedly emphasized), and should not be missed. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said, “Allah has made fasting in Ramadan obligatory, and I have made the special prayer of Ramadan (i.e. the Tarawih) a Sunnah.” It is a Sunnah Mu’akkadah’ ‘alal-kifayah to perform Tarawih in jama’ah. It means that it is a Sunnah mu’akkadah for the people of every mosque to arrange for the jama’at of the Tarawih. If a person after being sure that the jama’ah of Tarawih is being held in his mosque, performs the Tarawih in his home without jama’ah, the sunnah of the Tarawih is discharged, but he will be deprived of the great thawab (reward) of praying with jama’ah. So, one should perform the Tarawih in the mosque as far as possible. It is also a Sunnah to complete the recitation of the whole Quran in Tarawih in Ramadan. It is thus advisable to request a hafiz (one who has memorized the Holy Quran by heart) to lead the prayer of Tarawih. However, paying any fee to the hafiz for this purpose is not allowed. If no such hafiz is available, the Tarawih should be led by any Imam, and he can recite in it whatever Surahs of the Holy Qur’an he remembers. As a general practice, the Holy Qur’an is completed in most of the mosques a few days before the end of Ramadan, on the 27th night or even earlier. In such a case, Tarawih should be continues till the last night of Ramadan with recitation of different surahs. Those who leave Tarawih after the completion of the Holy Qur’an are not correct, because Sunnah of the Tarawih remains unchanged unto the last night. The time of Tarawih begins after the performance of the obligatory (Fard) prayer of ‘Isha. Therefore, the one who has not performed the Fard prayer of ‘Isha cannot join the prayer of Tarawih. He should perform the Fard of ‘Isha first, then join the Tarawih. If he missed some rak’at of Tarawih, he can complete it after the Witr. For example, a person came to the mosque when the Imam has performed four rak’at of Tarawih, he should perform the Fard of ‘Isha first, then join the jama’ah for Tarawih. If he has missed 4 or 6 rak’at of Tarawih, he should also perform the Witr prayer with the Imam, then pray the four or six rak’at he has missed on his own, individually. Laylatulqadar: One of the most meritorious aspects of the month of Ramadan is that it contains Laylatulqadr, the most blessed night of the year. It is the night, which Allah Almighty chose to reveal the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an has mentioned that this night is better than one thousand month. It means that the worship performed in this night brings more reward than the worship performed in one thousand months. The authentic Traditions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) mention that, in this night, Allah Almighty directs His special mercy towards the people of the earth, accepts the supplications made by His slaves and forgives a large number of people who repent and pray. Laylatulqadr falls in one of the last five odd nights of Ramadan i.e. 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th. According to authentic sources, Laylatulqadr falls in any one of these nights alternately. The purpose of this Alternation is that one should spend all the five nights in worship and prayers, so that he may find Layalatuqadr with certainty. No special form of worship is prescribed for Laylatulqadr. The night should be spent by offering as much nafl prayers as one can offer, in recitation of the Holy Qur’an, in dhikr and Tasbeeh, in supplication and in making sadaqah (charity.)It is not advisable in this night to hold ceremonies or meetings or delivering long lectures or illumination the mosque. This is a night meant for developing a special connection with one’s Creator, for offering acts of worship in solitude and seclusion, for having constant and exclusive contact with his Lord who is the Lord of the universe, for minimizing the diversity of thoughts and actions and for devoting oneself to Allah Almighty with his heart and soul. This purpose can seldom be achieved in congregations and assemblies. That is why the Holy Prophet (PBUH) never tended to celebrate this night by lectures, meetings, and illumination or even by offering prayers in jama’ah. Instead, he used to perform acts of worship individually, and in solitude. Sayyidah ‘Aishsh (R.) once asked the Holy Prophet (PBUH) as to what du’a (supplication) she should recite in the Laylatulqadr. The Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught her following du’a:Allah, You are surely most forgiving and You like forgiving, so forgive me. The best way to benefit from the blessings of this night is to keep awake for the whole night and spend it in worship and prayers. But people who cannot do so for any reason should spare at least a considerable part of the night for acts of worship. At least 8 rak’at should be prayed after midnight as Tahajjud, some part form the Holy Qur’an should be recited and the supplications of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) should be offered. Any Dhikr or Tasbeeh should be constantly recited, specially the following Dhikr has numerous merits: Even when one is not in the state of wudu, the Dhikr and Tasbeeh may be recited. Similarly, the dhikr may also be performed during other states, when walking or in bed. I’tikaf: Another unique form of worship in this month is “i’tikaf” in which a person gives up all his activities, abandons his attachments, associations and routines and enters the mosque for a specific period. Islam does not approve monasticism which is based on the concept that Allah’s pleasure cannot be attained without abandoning all worldly activities forever. The Holy Qru’an has expressly condemned this concept. Islam has, instead, emphasized on earning one’s livelihood through permissible means, on one’s mingling with his family members and on discharging all the obligations toward his wife, children, relatives, neighbours and other acquaintants. But the same time, as explained earlier in more detail, sometimes one’s deep involvement in these activities slows down his spiritual progress. In order to repair this loss, a Muslim is required to spare a time in which he separates himself from the normal routine of worldly activities and to sit in seclusion, devoting his heart and soul for pure spiritual acts. I’tikaf is a beautiful way to carry out this objective. In I’tikaf one leaves his home and family and undertakes to remain in the mosque for a limited period. This unique mode of worship can be done any time in the year. However, it has been declared as a ‘sunnah mu’akkadah’ in the last ten days of Ramadan, because Ramadan is the most suitable time to carry out this worship. Moreover, the last ten days of Ramadan are the days in which ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’ normally occurs and as explained earlier, its definite time is unknown. It may occur in any of the odd nights of these days. When one is in the state of I’tikaf for the last ten days of Ramadan, he can surely benefit from its infinite merits, because even if he is sleeping in the ‘Lailat-ul-Qadr’, while he is in the State of I’tikaf, it will be credited to his account as ‘worship’ in the ‘Lailatul-Qadr’, because each and every second in the state of I’tikaf is ‘ibadah, even if one is eating, drinking or sleeping. This extraordinary privilege cannot be attained in one’s home. That is why the Holy Prophet (PBUH) used to perform I’tikaf every year in Ramadan. The detailed injunctions and regulations of I’tikaf are explained in my book ‘The Rules of I’tikaf ’ and it is not proper to reproduce all of them here. However, some fundamental rules of I’tikaf are summarized here: Some Rules of I’tikaf 1. I’tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan is sunnah ‘alal kifaya. It means that in each mosque, at last one person should sit in I’tikaf. If he does so, the requirement of Sunnah is fulfilled for the whole locality. However, if no person performs I’tikaf, the whole locality is responsible for not observing the Sunnah. Therefore, the residents of locality should make sure that some person is performing I’tikaf in their mosque. If no such person is available, they should prepare someone to do so. 2. The time of this I’tikaf commences immediately after the sunset of the twentieth day of Ramadan. Therefore, a person who wants to sit in I’tikaf, must enter the mosque before sunset on that day, so that sunset takes place while he is in the mosque. 3. The main requirement for a valid I’tikaf is that one remains in the limits of the mosque throughout the period of I’tikaf and never comes out of it, except for the necessities like easing oneself by attending the call of nature. 4. The “limits of the mosque” for the purpose of I’tikaf are restricted to the places meant for offering salah and determined as such by the founders of the mosque or by its administration. Therefore, the places like the place of ablution, toilets etc., are not included in the “limites of a mosque” for the purpose of I’tikaf. Therefore, if a person enters these places without the aforesaid necessity, his I’tikaf shall terminate. 5. One can go out of the mosque during I’tikaf only for the following needs: (i) To answer the call of nature. (ii) To make obligatory ghusl, i.e. in the state of impurity (janabah) (It should be remembered that it is not allowed during I’tikaf to go out of the mosque for having a non-obligatory bath, like the bath of Friday etc.) (iii) To bring food where no other person is available to bring it. In this case it is allowed either to bring food to the mosque or to have food elsewhere outside the mosque. (iv) To offer the jum’ah prayer, if no jum’ah prayer is offered in the same mosque in which he is sitting in I’tikaf. (v) To move to another mosque in the event of a serious danger to one’s life or property. 6. It is advisable that a person performing I’tikaf avoid all unnecessary activities and spends the most of his time in the acts of worship, like salah, recitation of the Holy Qur’an or making dhikr or tasbeeh. However, it is makruh to remain silent totally. 7. The following acts result in terminating the I’tikaf: (i) To leave the mosque even for a moment without the aforesaid needs. (ii) To remain outside the mosque after fulfilling the aforesaid needs. (iii) To have sexual intercourse, or emission through some other intentional acts like kissing, cuddling etc., which are totally prohibited in I’tikaf. (iv) Any act which breaks one’s fast, like eating, drinking etc. (Since fasting is pre-condition for a valid masnun I’tikaf, the I’tikaf is automatically terminated by breaking of the fast). 8. If the I’tikaf is terminated for any reason, it becomes obligatory on the relevant person that he makes qada’ of the I’tikaf for one day only (He needs not to perform I’tikaf for ten days.). For example, started a masunu I’tikaf on 21st night of Ramadan with intention to sit in I’tikaf for ten days, but on 25th of Ramadan he came out of the mosque mistakenly or unconsciously, his I’tikaf is thus terminated. Now, he has to make qada’ of one day only. He needs not to repeat the I’tikaf for ten days, nor for five days. He is required to make qada’ only for one day. Therefore, he can discharge this obligation by starting I’tikaf for one day, either in the same Ramadan, or after Ramadan by keeping a nafl fast, or in the next Ramadan. If he elects to perform qada’ in the same Ramadan, he can sit in I’tikaf before the sunset of 25th Ramadan (in which his I’tikaf was terminated) and observed I’tikaf up to the sunset of 26th. His obligation will be discharged. Then, he is at liberty either to go home or to continue his I’tikaf as nafl (and not as a sunnah or wajib.)


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