and other acts of pure obedience, and he should avoid what does not concern him from speech and actions. He should not speak excessively, for whoever speaks too much makes too many mistakes. In the Hadith, it says: "Part of a person's excellence in Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him." He should avoid argumentation, disputes, reviling, and obscenity, for this is disliked outside of I'tikaf, and is even more so during it. However, the I'tikaf is not invalidated by any of that, because just as it is not invalidated by permissible speech, it is not invalidated by prohibited speech, and the opposite of that is sexual intercourse. There is no harm in speaking for one's needs or conversing with others. Safiyyah, the wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was in I'tikaf, so I came to visit him at night. I spoke with him, then I stood up to return, and he stood up with me to escort me back—her residence was in the house of Usamah ibn Zayd. Two men from the Ansar passed by, and when they saw the Prophet (peace be upon him), they hastened. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Slow down, it is only Safiyyah bint Huyayy." They said: "Subhan Allah, O Messenger of Allah!" He said: "Indeed, Satan flows through the human being like the flow of blood, and I feared that he might cast something into your hearts." Or he said: "Evil." (Agreed upon). Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whoever is in I'tikaf should not revile anyone, nor speak obscenely, and he may order his family regarding a need—meaning while he is walking—but he should not sit with them. Narrated by Imam Ahmad.

Section: As for reciting the Quran, teaching knowledge and studying it, debating with jurists and sitting with them, writing Hadith, and similar acts whose benefit extends to others, most of our companions hold that it is not recommended. This is the apparent meaning of Ahmad's words. Abu al-Hasan al-Amidi said: Regarding