anything regarding the virtue of I'tikaf? He said: No, except for something weak. And we know of no disagreement among the scholars that it is Sunnah.
526 - Issue: Abu al-Qasim, may Allah have mercy on him, said: (I'tikaf is Sunnah, unless it is a vow, in which case it is obligatory to fulfill it.)
There is no disagreement regarding this statement, praise be to Allah. Ibn al-Mundhir said: The people of knowledge have reached a consensus that I'tikaf is not a mandatory duty upon the people, unless a person makes it binding upon himself by a vow, in which case it becomes mandatory for him. Among the evidences that it is a Sunnah is the action of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), his perseverance in performing it as a means of drawing near to Allah Almighty and seeking His reward, and the I'tikaf of his wives with him and after him. Evidence that it is not mandatory is that his companions did not all perform I'tikaf, nor did the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) command them to do so, except for those who wished to. He (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever wants to perform I'tikaf, let him perform I'tikaf during the last ten days (2)." If it were mandatory, he would not have made it conditional upon one's own wish. As for when one vows to perform it, it becomes binding upon him, due to the saying of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): "Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him." Narrated by Al-Bukhari (3). It is also reported from 'Umar that he said: O Messenger of Allah, I have vowed to perform I'tikaf for one night in the Sacred Mosque. So the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said:
(1) In M (manuscript) there is an addition: "Sunnah". (2) Extracted by Imam Malik, in: The chapter: 'What has been narrated regarding Laylat al-Qadr', from the Book of I'tikaf, with the wording: "Whoever performs I'tikaf with me..." Al-Muwatta 1/319. (3) In: The chapter: 'Vows regarding acts of obedience and what you spend of expenditures', and 'The chapter: Vowing regarding what one does not possess and acts of disobedience', from the Book of Oaths. Sahih Al-Bukhari 8/177. It was also extracted by Abu Dawud, in: The chapter: 'What has been narrated regarding vows involving disobedience', from the Book of Oaths. Sunan Abi Dawud 2/208. And Al-Tirmidhi, in: The chapter: 'Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him', from the Chapters on Vows. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 7/5. And Al-Nasa'i, in: The chapter: 'Vows in acts of obedience', and 'The chapter: Vows in acts of disobedience', from the Book of Oaths. Al-Mujtaba 7/16, 17. And Ibn Majah, in: The chapter: 'Vows in acts of disobedience', from the Book of Expiations. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/687. And Al-Darimi, in: The chapter: 'There is no vow in disobedience to Allah', from the Book of Vows. Sunan Al-Darimi 2/184. And Imam Malik, in: The chapter: 'What is not permitted of vows in disobedience to Allah', from the Book of Vows. Al-Muwatta 2/476. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 6/36, 41, 224.
الاعْتِكَافِ شَيْئًا؟ قال: لا، إلَّا شيئًا ضعيفا. ولا نَعْلَمُ بين العُلَماءِ خِلافًا فى أَنَّه مَسْنُونٌ.
٥٢٦ - مسألة؛ قال أبو القاسم، رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: (وَالاعْتِكَافُ سُنَّةٌ، إلَّا أنْ يَكُونَ نَذْرًا، فَيَلْزَمُ الْوَفَاءُ بِهِ)
لا خِلافَ فى هذه الجُمْلَةِ بحمدِ اللَّه. قال ابنُ المُنْذِرِ: أجْمَعَ أهْلُ العِلْمِ على أنَّ الاعْتِكافَ (١) لا يَجِبُ على الناسِ فَرْضًا، إلَّا أنْ يُوجِبَ المَرْءُ على نَفْسِه الاعْتِكافَ نَذْرًا، فيَجِبُ عليه. وممَّا يَدُلُّ على أنَّه سُنَّةٌ، فِعْلُ النَّبِيِّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-، ومُدَاوَمَتُه عليه، تَقَرُّبًا إلى اللَّه تعالى، وطَلَبًا لِثَوَابِه، واعْتِكافُ أَزْوَاجِه معه وبَعْدَه، ويَدُلُّ على أنَّه غيرُ واجِبٍ أنَّ أصْحابَه لم يَعْتَكِفُوا، ولا أمَرَهُم النَّبِىُّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- به، إلَّا مَن أرَادَهُ. وقال عليه السَّلَامُ: "مَنْ أرَادَ أنْ يَعْتَكِفَ، فَلْيَعْتَكِفِ العَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ (٢) ". ولو كان وَاجِبًا لمَا عَلَّقَهُ بالإِرادَةِ. وأمَّا إذا نَذَرَه، فيَلْزَمُه؛ لِقَوْلِ النَّبِىِّ -صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-: "مَنْ نَذَرَ أنْ يُطِيعَ اللهَ فَلْيُطِعْهُ". رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيُّ (٣). وعن عمرَ، أنَّه قال: يا رسولَ اللَّه، إنِّى نَذَرْتُ أن أعْتَكِفَ لَيْلَةً فى المَسْجِدِ الحَرامِ. فقال النَّبِىُّ
(١) فى م زيادة: "سنة".(٢) أخرجه الإِمام مالك، فى: باب ما جاء فى ليلة القدر، من كتاب الاعتكاف. بلفظ: "من اعتكف معى. . ." الموطأ ١/ ٣١٩.(٣) فى: باب النذر فى الطاعة وما أنفقتم من نفقة، وباب النذر فيما لا يملك وفى معصية، من كتاب الأيمان. صحيح البخارى ٨/ ١٧٧.كما أخرجه أبو داود، فى: باب ما جاء فى النذر فى المعصية، من كتاب الأيمان. سنن أبي داود ٢/ ٢٠٨. والترمذى، فى: باب من نذر أن يطيع اللَّه فليطعه، من أبواب النذور. عارضة الأحوذى ٧/ ٥. والنسائي، فى: باب النذر فى الطاعة، وباب النذر فى المعصية، من كتاب الأيمان. المجتبى ٧/ ١٦، ١٧. وابن ماجه، فى: باب النذر في المعصية، من كتاب الكفارات. سنن ابن ماجه ١/ ٦٨٧. والدارمى، فى: باب لا نذر فى معصية اللَّه، من كتاب النذور. سنن الدارمى ٢/ ١٨٤. والإِمام مالك، فى: باب ما لا يجوز من النذور فى معصية اللَّه، من كتاب النذور. الموطأ ٢/ ٤٧٦. والإِمام أحمد، فى: المسند ٦/ ٣٦، ٤١، ٢٢٤.
