Book 7: Religious Retirement (I'tikaf) | Minhaj al-Talibin of Nawawi
Title of book: Minhaj al-Talibin wa Umdat al-Muftin (منهاج الطالبين وعمدة المفتين في الفقه)
Author: Imam Nawawi
Full name: Imam Muhyiddin Abi Zakariyya Yahya ibn Sharaf al-Nawawi (أبو زكريا يحيى بن شرف بن مُرِّيِّ بن حسن بن حسين بن محمد جمعة بن حِزام الحزامي النووي الشافعي)
Born: Muharram 631 AH/ October 1233 Nawa, Ayyubid Sultanate
Died: 24 Rajab 676 AH [9]/ 21 December 1277 (age 45) Nawa, Mamluk Sultanate
Resting place: Nawa, present Syria
Translated into English by: E. C. HOWARD
Field of study: sharia, Islamic law, fiqh, Islamic jurisprudence of Shafi'i's school of thought
Type of literature dan reference: classical Arabic books
Contents
كتاب الِاعْتِكَافِ
BOOK 7. — RELIGIOUS RETIREMENT
هُوَ مُسْتَحَبٌّ كُلَّ وَقْتٍ وَفِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ
رَمَضَانَ أَفْضَلُ لِطَلَبِ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ، وَمَيْلُ الشَّافِعِيِّ
رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ إلَى أَنَّهَا لَيْلَةُ الْحَادِي أَوْ الثَّالِثِ
وَالْعِشْرِينَ.
وَإِنَّمَا يَصِحُّ الِاعْتِكَافُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ،
وَالْجَامِعُ أَوْلَى.
وَالْجَدِيدُ أَنَّهُ لَا يَصِحُّ اعْتِكَافُ
امْرَأَةٍ فِي مَسْجِدِ بَيْتِهَا، وَهُوَ الْمُعْتَزَلُ الْمُهَيَّأُ
لِلصَّلَاةِ.
وَلَوْ عَيَّنَ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ فِي نَذْرِهِ
الِاعْتِكَافَ تَعَيَّنَ، وَكَذَا مَسْجِدُ الْمَدِينَةِ وَالْأَقْصَى فِي
الْأَظْهَرِ، وَيَقُومُ الْمَسْجِدُ الْحَرَامُ مَقَامَهُمَا، وَلَا عَكْسَ،
وَيَقُومُ مَسْجِدُ الْمَدِينَةِ مَقَامَ الْأَقْصَى، وَلَا عَكْسَ.
وَالْأَصَحُّ
أَنَّهُ يُشْتَرَطُ فِي الِاعْتِكَافِ لُبْثُ قَدْرٍ يُسَمَّى عُكُوفًا، وَقِيلَ
يَكْفِي مُرُورٌ بِلَا لُبْثٌ، وَقِيلَ يُشْتَرَطُ مُكْثُ نَحْوِ يَوْمٍ.
وَيَبْطُلُ
بِالْجِمَاعِ، وَأَظْهَرُ الْأَقْوَالِ أَنَّ الْمُبَاشَرَةَ بِشَهْوَةٍ
كَلَمْسٍ، وَقُبْلَةٍ تُبْطِلُهُ إنْ أَنْزَلَ، وَإِلَّا فَلَا.
وَلَوْ
جَامَعَ نَاسِيًا فَكَجِمَاعِ الصَّائِمِ.
وَلَا يَضُرُّ
التَّطَيُّبُ وَالتَّزَيُّنُ.
وَالْفِطْرُ، بَلْ يَصِحُّ اعْتِكَافُ
اللَّيْلِ وَحْدَهُ.
وَلَوْ نَذَرَ اعْتِكَافَ يَوْمٍ هُوَ فِيهِ
صَائِمٌ لَزِمَهُ.
وَلَوْ نَذَرَ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ صَائِمًا أَوْ
يَصُومَ مُعْتَكِفًا لَزِمَاهُ، وَالْأَصَحُّ وُجُوبُ جَمْعِهِمَا.
وَيُشْتَرَطُ
نِيَّةُ الِاعْتِكَافِ، وَيَنْوِي فِي الْمَنْذُورِ الْفَرْضِيَّةَ.
وَإِذَا
أَطْلَقَ كَفَتْهُ، وَإِنْ طَالَ مُكْثُهُ لَكِنْ لَوْ خَرَجَ وَعَادَ احْتَاجَ
إلَى الِاسْتِئْنَافِ.
وَلَوْ نَوَى مُدَّةً فَخَرَجَ فِيهَا
وَعَادَ، فَإِنْ خَرَجَ لِغَيْرِ قَضَاءِ الْحَاجَةِ لَزِمَهُ الِاسْتِئْنَافُ
أَوَّلَهَا فَلَا، وَقِيلَ إنْ طَالَتْ مُدَّةُ خُرُوجِهِ اسْتَأْنَفَ وَقِيلَ
لَا يَسْتَأْنِفُ مُطْلَقًا.
وَلَوْ نَذَرَ مُدَّةً مُتَتَابِعَةً
فَخَرَجَ لِعُذْرٍ لَا يَقْطَعُ التَّتَابُعَ لَمْ يَجِبْ اسْتِئْنَافُ
النِّيَّةِ، وَقِيلَ إنْ خَرَجَ لِغَيْرِ حَاجَةً وَغُسْلِ الْجَنَابَةِ
وَجَبَ.
وَشَرْطُ الْمُعْتَكِفِ: الْإِسْلَامُ وَالْعَقْلُ
وَالنَّقَاءُ عَنْ الْحَيْضِ وَالْجَنَابَةِ.
وَلَوْ ارْتَدَّ
الْمُعْتَكِفُ أَوْ سَكِرَ بَطَلَ، وَالْمَذْهَبُ بُطْلَانُ مَا مَضَى مِنْ
اعْتِكَافِهِمَا الْمُتَتَابِعِ.
وَلَوْ طَرَأَ جُنُونٌ أَوْ
إغْمَاءٌ لَمْ يَبْطُلْ مَا مَضَى إنْ لَمْ يُخْرَجْ، وَيُحْسَبُ زَمَنُ
الْإِغْمَاءِ مِنْ الِاعْتِكَافِ دُونَ الْجُنُونِ.
أَوْ الْحَيْضُ
وَجَبَ الْخُرُوجُ، وَكَذَا الْجَنَابَةُ إذَا تَعَذَّرَ الْغُسْلُ فِي
الْمَسْجِدِ، فَلَوْ أَمْكَنَ جَازَ الْخُرُوجُ، وَلَا يَلْزَمُ، وَلَا يُحْسَبُ
زَمَنُ الْحَيْضِ وَلَا الْجَنَابَةِ.
BOOK 7. — RELIGIOUS RETIREMENT
Section 1 General Provisions
This retirement is always
commendable, but particularly upon the ten
last days and nights of Ramadan,
in order to include if possible the
“ night of power,” believed to be
the twenty-seventh. Sliafii, however,
inclined
to think that this night is that
of the twenty-first or twenty-
third.
The retreat can only be
accomplished in a mosque, preferably a
jama masjid. In his second period
Shafii maintained that a woman
cannot
perform this act of devotion in her
private chapel, i.e . the room
of her
house specially set apart for family
prayer. If one has vowed to
undertake a retreat in masjid- al-haram at
Mecca, it is there that it should
take place ; and similarly if a vow
is made to accomplish a retreat in
the great mosque at Medina or
in the masjid-el-aksa at Jerusalem. The
mosque at Mecca may be substituted
for that at Medina or Jerusalem,
but
not vice versa . In the same way the
mosque at Medina may be
substituted
for that at Jerusalem, but not vice
versa .
f It is necessary to remain
in the mosque long enough to be
able to
say one has sojourned there
; though according to some jurists it is
enough to have passed through the
edifice without stopping, while
others
insist on a stay of at least one
day.
Coition nullifies a retreat. So
does any voluptuous contact, e.g.
touching
or kissing a Avoman, if any lascivious
feeling is thereby pro-
voked, but not
otherwise. Coition in forgetfulness of the
retirement
is subject to the same
rules as in regard to the fast.
On the other hand,
there is no
objection to using scent and ornament,
and taking nourish-
ment during a retreat.
One may also enter into retirement
during the
night only. A vow “ to
undertake a retreat on a fast day ” is
obligatory
as is also a vow “ to
undertake a retreat fasting,” or “ to fast
in retire-
ment.” fin all these cases
the two acts of devotion must be
combined.
Religious retirement requires a
previous intention which, where the
retreat is the consequence of a vow,
is formulated in the same Avay as
an intention for a necessary act of
devotion. If the retirement has no
previously fixed term, the intention
to undertake a retreat is enough, however
long may be the stay in the
mosque, if the devout person
leaves
the mosque intending to return to
it, the intention must be formu-
lated
anew, even if at the beginning the
intention was for a definite time.
But
if one left the mosque in order
to satisfy a want of nature a renewal
of intention is not rigorously
necessary. Some authors, however, insist
on the intention being renewed in
all cases where the mosque is left
for
a long time, without reference to
the motives of this absence ; while
others consider no such obligation
exists at all. If one has vowed an
uninterrupted retirement for a definite
time, but afterwards quits the
edifice
for a valid reason, the retreat cannot
be regarded as interrupted,
and there
is no need to renew the intention.
Other jurists, however,
insist on the
intention being renewed, even in these
circumstances,
after each absence not
necessitated either by a want of nature
or by
bathing to remove some grave
impurity.
Religious retirement can be
lawfully accomplished only by a sane
Moslem free from grave impurity —
including, in the case of a woman,
menstruation. A retreat is nullified by
apostasy, or drunkenness,
both of which,
according to our school, are retro-active.
But madness
and loss of consciousness
supervening during retirement have no such
effect upon what has already been
accomplished, unless the person has
been
carried out of the mosque. Tho time
passed by the believer in
the mosque
in a state of unconsciousness is
considered as part of the
retreat,
but this is not so in the case
of madness, or menstruation obliging
the
person to quit the edifice. A state
of grave impurity also necessitates
the
believer quitting the mosque, if ho
cannot take a bath on the
premises ;
if he can, it is not necessary
for him to leave for this purpose
though it is permissible. The time
during which menstruation or any
grave
impurity continues must be deducted from
the period of retreat.
فصل [في حكم الاعتكاف المنذور]
Section 2: Vowed i'tikaf
إذَا نَذَرَ مُدَّةً مُتَتَابِعَةً لَزِمَهُ، وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّهُ لَا
يَجِبُ التَّتَابُعُ بِلَا شَرْطٍ، وَأَنَّهُ لَوْ نَذَرَ يَوْمًا لَمْ يَجُزْ
تَفْرِيقُ سَاعَاتِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ لَوْ عَيَّنَ مُدَّةً كَأُسْبُوعٍ وَتَعَرَّضَ
لِلتَّتَابُعِ وَفَاتَتْهُ لَزِمَهُ التَّتَابُعُ فِي الْقَضَاءِ، وَإِنْ لَمْ
يَتَعَرَّضْ لَهُ لَمْ يَلْزَمْهُ فِي الْقَضَاءِ.
وَإِذَا ذَكَرَ
التَّتَابُعَ وَشَرَطَ الْخُرُوجَ لِعَارِضٍ صَحَّ الشَّرْطُ فِي الْأَظْهَرِ،
وَالزَّمَانُ الْمَصْرُوفُ إلَيْهِ لَا يَجِبُ تَدَارُكُهُ إنْ عَيَّنَ
الْمُدَّةَ كَهَذَا الشَّهْرِ، وَإِلَّا فَيَجِبُ، وَيَنْقَطِعُ التَّتَابُعُ
بِالْخُرُوجِ بِلَا عُذْرٍ.
وَلَا يَضُرُّ إخْرَاجُ بَعْضِ
الْأَعْضَاءِ وَلَا الْخُرُوجُ لِقَضَاءِ الْحَاجَةِ، وَلَا يَجِبُ فِعْلُهَا فِي
غَيْرِ دَارِهِ، وَلَا يَضُرُّ بُعْدُهَا إلَّا أَنْ يَفْحُشَ فَيَضُرَّ فِي
الْأَصَحِّ.
وَلَوْ عَادَ مَرِيضًا فِي طَرِيقِهِ لَمْ يَضُرَّ مَا
لَمْ يُطِلْ وُقُوفَهُ أَوْ يَعْدِلْ عَنْ طَرِيقِهِ، وَلَا يَنْقَطِعُ
التَّتَابُعُ بِمَرَضٍ، يُحْوِجُ إلَى الْخُرُوجِ.
وَلَا بِحَيْضٍ
إنْ طَالَتْ مُدَّةُ الِاعْتِكَافِ، فَإِنْ كَانَتْ بِحَيْثُ تَخْلُو عَنْهُ
انْقَطَعَ فِي الْأَظْهَرِ.
وَلَا بِالْخُرُوجِ نَاسِيًا عَلَى
الْمَذْهَبِ.
وَلَا بِخُرُوجِ الْمُؤَذِّنِ الرَّاتِبِ إلَى
مَنَارَةٍ مُنْفَصِلَةٍ عَنْ الْمَسْجِدِ لِلْأَذَانِ فِي الْأَصَحِّ.
وَيَجِبُ
قَضَاءُ أَوْقَاتِ الْخُرُوجِ بِالْأَعْذَارِ إلَّا وَقْتَ قَضَاءِ
الْحَاجَةِ.
Section 2: Vowed i'tikaf
A vow to enter a
state of retirement for a fixed time
without inter-
ruption should be accomplished ;
ffbut continuity is not obligatory,
unless
expressly declared. ffBut a vow of a
retreat “ for a day ” may
not be
divided up into twenty-four hours on
different days. The
believer who vows a
retreat for a definite period only, e.g. a
week,
and who accomplishes it partially,
but uninterruptedly, should observe
continuity
if obliged to make up afterwards for
his omission ; but, on
the other
hand, the person who has not begun
continuously is not
obliged to continue
so later, when making up for any
lost days. *It is
lawful to
undertake an uninterrupted retreat, reserving a
right to leave
the mosque in case
of any unforeseen occurrence ; and it
is not necessary
then to make up
for lost time. This last rule,
however, presupposes
that the retreat is
to expire at a fixed date, e.g. “ at
the end of the month,’’
otherwise
lost time would have to be made
up for.
Continuity is interrupted by
any exit without valid excuse ; though
it is understood that there is
no objection to one limb of the
body being
outside the edifice, or
to leaving it in order to answer a
call of naturo.
For the latter
purpose one may go to one’s own
house, even if at a con-
siderable
distance, fif not too far. The
believer who leaves in order to
answer a call of nature, and falls
ill on his return to the mosque,
does
not diminish the virtual effect
of his act of devotion, if the
interruption
was short, and ho followed
the same road. Neither is continuity
interrupted if ono leaves the mosque
for the following reasons : —
.
In consequence of some malady obliging
one to leave.
. In consequence
of menstruation ; at any rato in tho
case of a long
period of retirement.
*n the other hand, there is
interruption from this
cause, if the
period of retirement was so short
that a woman is ordinarily
freo during
this interval.
. Through forgetfulness,
at least, according to our school.
. fin order to go to a
minaret, isolated from tho .principal edifice,
and perform one’s duties as muezzin.
After these exits and absences
from the mosquo it is necessary to
make up later for the time lost ;
except when the mosque is quitted in
order to answer a call of nature,
for then it is never necessary to
com-
pensate for the interruption.[]