as it contains no fasting. Furthermore, it is an act of worship that is valid at night, so fasting is not a condition for it, just as in the case of prayer. It is also an act of worship that is valid at night, thus resembling all other acts of worship. Moreover, making fasting mandatory is a ruling that is not established except through religious legislation (al-shar'), and there is no authentic text or consensus (ijma') regarding it. Sa'id said: 'Abd al-'Aziz ibn Muhammad narrated to us, from Abu Sahl, who said: A woman from my family had an I'tikaf vow, and she asked 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, who said: 'She has no fasting [to perform], unless she imposes it upon herself.' Al-Zuhri then said: 'There is no I'tikaf without fasting.' 'Umar asked him: 'Is that from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Then from Abu Bakr?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Then from 'Umar?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'And I think he said: Then from 'Uthman?' He said: 'No.' I then left his presence, and met 'Ata' and Tawus, and asked them. Tawus said: 'So-and-so did not deem it necessary for her to fast, unless she imposes it upon herself (4).' Their narrations are not authentic. As for their hadith from 'Umar, it is narrated by Ibn Budayl alone (5), and it is weak; Abu Bakr al-Naysaburi said: 'This is a rejected (munkar) hadith.' The correct position is what we have narrated (6), which was recorded by Al-Bukhari, Al-Nasa'i, and others. The hadith of 'A'ishah is mauquf (attributed solely) to her, and whoever elevated it to the Prophet (marfu') is mistaken (7). Even if it were authentic, it would imply recommendability (istihbab), for fasting during it is better. Their analogy is overturned against them, as it is [simply] remaining in a specific place, so fasting is not made a condition for it, just as it is not for the standing (wuquf). Furthermore, we argue according to its implication, for it is not an act of worship by itself, but rather through intention. Once this is established, it is recommended to fast, because the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to perform I'tikaf while fasting, and because it is recommended for the one performing I'tikaf to busy himself with acts of worship and closeness to Allah, and fasting is among the best of them, and through it, one becomes free from that (8) which occupies him from acts of worship, and he thereby exits the disagreement.