relates to the mosque, so it becomes binding upon entering it, like Hajj. Ibn 'Abd al-Barr has accomplished nothing, and this is not an consensus (ijma'), nor do we know this opinion from anyone other than him. Al-Shafi'i has stated: 'Every act that you have the option not to enter into, once you enter it and then exit from it, you are not obligated to make it up, except for Hajj and 'Umrah.' There is no consensus on the binding nature of a voluntary act (nafilah) upon starting it, other than Hajj and 'Umrah. And if those acts of worship that have a basis of obligation do not become binding upon starting them, then that which has no basis of obligation is even more so. It is established by consensus that if a person intends to give charity in a specific amount and begins to distribute it, but then gives only part of it, the remainder of the charity does not become binding upon him. This is analogous to I'tikaf because it is not stipulated by the Shari'ah; therefore, it resembles charity. What he mentioned is actually an argument against him, for the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) abandoned his I'tikaf, and if it were obligatory, he would not have abandoned it. His wives also abandoned the I'tikaf after intending it and pitching their tents for it, and there was no excuse present that would prevent the performance of an obligation, nor were they ordered to make it up. The Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) making up of it was not an obligation upon him; rather, he performed it voluntarily because when he performed an act, he would persist in it. His performance of the make-up was like his performance of the original act, on the basis of being voluntary, not on the basis of obligation, just as he made up the Sunnah prayer that he missed after Dhuhr and before Fajr. Thus, his abandonment of it is evidence of the lack of obligation, due to the prohibition of abandoning an obligation, and his performance of the make-up does not indicate obligation because making up Sunnah prayers is prescribed. If it is said: 'It was only permissible to abandon it, and those of the women who abandoned it were not ordered to make it up, because they abandoned it before starting it,' we say: The argument has thus collapsed, for we are in agreement that it does not become binding before starting it, so the make-up was not evidence of obligation, with the consensus on its negation. It is not valid to compare it to Hajj and 'Umrah because reaching them usually does not occur except after great difficulty, severe hardship, and spending much wealth. Therefore, invalidating them results in the loss of one's wealth and the nullification of one's many deeds, and we have been forbidden from wasting wealth and invalidating deeds. There is no wealth lost in abandoning I'tikaf after starting it, nor is there any deed invalidated, for what has passed of his I'tikaf is not nullified by abandoning the future I'tikaf. Furthermore, the ritual of Hajj relates specifically to the Sacred Mosque, whereas I'tikaf is the opposite.

527 - Issue: He said: (It is permissible without fasting, unless he says in his vow: 'with fasting'.)

The famous position in the Madhhab is that I'tikaf is valid without fasting. This was narrated from 'Ali, Ibn Mas'ud, Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, Al-Hasan, 'Ata', Tawus, Al-Shafi'i, and Ishaq. From Ahmad, there is another narration that fasting is a condition for I'tikaf. He said: 'If one performs I'tikaf, fasting becomes binding upon him.' This was narrated from Ibn 'Umar, Ibn 'Abbas, and 'A'ishah. This is also the view of Al-Zuhri, Malik, Abu Hanifah, Al-Layth, Al-Thawri, and Al-Hasan ibn Yahya, due to what was narrated from 'A'ishah, from the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), that he said: 'There is no I'tikaf without fasting.' Narrated by Al-Daraqutni (1). And from Ibn 'Umar, that 'Umar made a vow to perform I'tikaf during the Jahiliyyah, so he asked the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who said: 'Perform I'tikaf and fast.' Narrated by Abu Dawud (2). Also, because it is remaining in a specific place, it is not an act of worship by itself, like the standing (wuquf). As for us, we rely on what Ibn 'Umar narrated from 'Umar, that he said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I vowed during the Jahiliyyah to perform I'tikaf for one night in the Sacred Mosque.' The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: 'Fulfill your vow.' Narrated by Al-Bukhari (3). If fasting were a condition, the I'tikaf of the night would not be valid, because it...