the day: "It is upon me before Allah to observe I'tikaf for a day from this time of mine." I'tikaf becomes incumbent upon him from that time until its equivalent, and the night is included therein; for it is during the course of his vow, so it becomes as if he had vowed two consecutive days. He is only bound by parts of two days because of his specifying it in his vow, so we knew that he intended that, and he did not intend a full day.
Section: If he vows an unconditional I'tikaf, he is bound by what is designated as I'tikaf, even if it is for an hour of the night or day, except according to our view regarding the obligation of fasting in I'tikaf, in which case a full day is incumbent upon him. As for a mere moment, or that which is not called I'tikaf, it does not suffice him, according to both narrations.
Section: Nothing of the mosques becomes designated by his vow of I'tikaf therein, except the three mosques, which are: the Sacred Mosque (Al-Masjid al-Haram), the Mosque of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the Al-Aqsa Mosque; due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Do not undertake a journey except to three mosques: the Sacred Mosque, the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and this mosque of mine." It is unanimously agreed upon (15). If others were to be designated by his specification, he would be bound to proceed to them, and he would need to undertake a journey to fulfill his vow therein. And because Allah the Almighty did not designate a place for His worship, so it does not become designated by someone else's specification. These three mosques are only designated due to the report that has come regarding them, and because worship in them is superior; so if he specifies what has virtue, it becomes binding upon him, like types of worship. This is what Al-Shafi'i said, according to the sound of his two opinions. He said in the other: The Al-Aqsa Mosque is not designated; because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "A prayer in this mosque of mine is better than a thousand prayers in what is besides it, except the Sacred Mosque." Narrated by Muslim (16). This indicates equality,
(15) Its extraction was mentioned previously in 3/117. (16) In: The Chapter on the Virtue of Prayer in the Mosques of Makkah and Madinah, from the Book of Hajj. Sahih Muslim 2/1012-1014. It was also extracted by Al-Bukhari, in: The Chapter on the Virtue of Prayer in the Mosque of Makkah and Madinah, from the Book of the Mosque of Makkah. Sahih Al-Bukhari 2/76. And Al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on What Has Come Regarding Which Mosques Are Most Superior, from the Chapters of Prayer. Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/122. And Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on What Has Come Regarding the Virtue of Prayer in the Sacred Mosque..., from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/450, 451. And Al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on the Virtue of Prayer in the Sacred Mosque, from =
النَّهَارِ: للهِ عَلَىَّ أن أعْتَكِفَ يَوْمًا مِن وَقْتِى هذا. لَزِمَهُ الاعْتِكافُ من ذلك الوَقْتِ إلى مثلِه، ويَدخُلُ فيه اللَّيْلُ؛ لأنَّه فى خِلالِ نَذْرِه، فصارَ كما لو نَذَرَ يَوْمَيْنِ مُتَتابِعَيْنِ، وإنَّما لَزِمَهُ بعضُ يَوْمَيْنِ لِتَعْيِينِه ذلك بِنَذْرِه، فَعَلِمْنَا أنَّه أرَادَ ذلك، ولم يُرِدْ يَوْمًا صَحِيحًا.
فصل: وإن نَذَرَ اعْتِكافًا مُطْلَقًا، لَزِمَهُ ما يُسَمَّى به مُعْتَكِفًا، ولو سَاعَةً من لَيْلٍ أو نَهارٍ، إلَّا على قَوْلِنَا بِوُجُوبِ الصومِ فى الاعْتِكافِ، فيَلْزَمُه يَوْمٌ كامِلٌ، فأمَّا اللَّحْظَةُ، وما لا يُسَمَّى به مُعْتَكِفًا، فلا يُجْزِئُه، على الرِّوايَتَيْنِ جَمِيعًا.
فصل: ولا يَتَعَيَّنُ شىءٌ من المساجدِ بِنَذْرِه الاعْتِكافَ فيه، إلَّا المَساجِدَ الثَّلَاثَةَ، وهى المسجدُ الحَرامُ، ومسجدُ النَّبِىِّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-، والمسجدُ الأقْصَى؛ لِقَوْلِ رسولِ اللهِ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "لَا تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إلَّا إِلَىِ ثَلَاثَة مَسَاجِدَ: المَسْجِدِ الحَرَامِ، والمَسجدِ الأَقْصَى، ومَسْجِدِى هذا". مُتَّفَقٌ عليه (١٥). ولو تَعَيَّنَ غيرُها بِتَعْيِينه، لَزِمَهُ المُضِىُّ إليه، واحْتَاجَ إلى شَدِّ الرِّحَالِ لِقَضاءِ نَذْرِهِ فيه، ولأنَّ اللهَ تعالى لم يُعَيِّنْ لِعِبادَتِه مَكانًا، فلم يَتَعَيَّنْ بِتَعْيينِ غيرِه. وإنَّما تَعَيَّنَتْ هذه المَساجِدُ الثَّلَاثَةُ لِلْخَبَرِ الوَارِدِ فيها، ولأنَّ العِبادَةَ فيها أَفْضَلُ، فإذا عَيَّنَ ما فيه فَضِيلَةٌ، لَزِمَتْهُ، كأنوَاعِ العِبادَةِ. وبهذا قال الشَّافِعِىُّ، فى صَحِيحِ قَوْلَيْهِ. وقال فى الآخَرِ: لا يَتَعَيَّنُ المسجدُ الأقْصَى؛ لأنَّ النَّبِىَّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- قال: "صَلَاةٌ فى مَسْجِدِى هذَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ صَلَاةٍ فِيما سِوَاهُ، إلَّا المَسْجِدَ الحَرَامَ". رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ (١٦). وهذا يَدُلُّ على التَّسْوِيةِ،
(١٥) تقدم تخريجه فى ٣/ ١١٧.(١٦) فى: باب فضل الصلاة بمسجدى مكة والمدينة، من كتاب الحج. صحيح مسلم ٢/ ١٠١٢ - ١٠١٤.كما أخرجه البخارى، فى: باب فضل الصلاة فى مسجد مكة والمدينة، من كتاب مسجد مكة. صحيح البخارى ٢/ ٧٦. والترمذى، فى: باب ما جاء فى أى المساجد أفضل، من أبواب الصلاة. عارضة الأحوذى ٢/ ١٢٢. وابن ماجه، فى: باب ما جاء فى فضل الصلاة فى المسجد الحرام. . .، من كتاب إقامة الصلاة. سنن ابن ماجه ١/ ٤٥٠، ٤٥١. والنسائى، فى: باب فضل الصلاة فى المسجد الحرام، من =
