Silence
To gather a scattered mind. To step out of idle talk, noise and the endless feed for a while — one of the most effective ways of staying clear of sin.
Don't you need some room for solitude?
The last ten nights of Ramadan. A door that opens when you turn the world down and turn inward.
He is kept away from sins, and he is credited with all the good deeds of one who does them out in the world.
The Prophet ﷺ — Ibn Mājah, Ṣiyām, 67The last ten nights
The door opens once a year.
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Dates follow the Umm al-Qurā calendar. I'tikaf begins before sunset on the 20th day of Ramadan; local moon sighting may shift this by a day.
Definition
To withdraw into a mosque, and leave the world outside for a while.
In Islamic literature, i'tikaf means “to withdraw into seclusion in a mosque, intending to seek the pleasure of God, and observing certain rules.”
Its purpose is to reduce one's dealings with the world to a minimum so that a person is left alone with themselves — to reflect on why they were created and what they are responsible for, to keep vigil on the Night of Decree, and to draw nearer to God through worship and supplication.
After the migration to Medina, the Prophet ﷺ withdrew into i'tikaf during the last ten days of every Ramadan, with the exception of a single year. His wives generally observed i'tikaf alongside him.
Why
A rare opening in the middle of modern life.
Reckoning
To take account of the year behind you and plan the one ahead more deliberately. To reflect on your purpose and on what has been entrusted to you.
The Night of Decree
The surest way to fully keep vigil on the night that is better than a thousand months — hoped for within the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Continue
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I'tikaf
What it is, its evidences, conditions and categories, how to make the intention, and what is done inside. Plus frequently asked questions.
Read →Blessed Times
Rajab, Sha'ban, the Night of Barā'ah, Ramadan and the Night of Decree. What each season means and how it is kept.
Read →Questions & Answers
When does it start, where do women observe it, can it be less than ten days, and what invalidates it.
Read →