Elderly person intending to perform Sunnah I’tikaaf without fasting

· 24 Ramadan 1444 AH1 min readFatwa 47452English

Question

An elderly person who is unable to fast intends to sit for itikaaf in the last ten days of Ramadhan but cannot fast. Will the sunnah itikaaf be valid?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

In principle, fasting in the last ten days of Ramadhan is a requisite for the validity of the Sunnah I’tikaaf.[1]

If a person is unable to fast during whilst in I’tikaaf, the Sunnah I’tikaaf will not be valid.

In the enquired scenario, if the elderly person performs I’tikaaf in the last ten days of Ramadhan without fasting, it will be regarded as Nafl I’tikaaf.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Hasan Ahmed Razzak

Student – Darul Iftaa

Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai

(2021-03-07)

References (Arabic / Urdu sources)

[1]

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (2/ 442)

قُلْت: وَمُقْتَضَى ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الصَّوْمَ شَرْطٌ أَيْضًا فِي الِاعْتِكَافِ الْمَسْنُونِ لِأَنَّهُ مُقَدَّرٌ بِالْعَشْرِ الْأَخِيرِ حَتَّى لَوْ اعْتَكَفَهُ بِلَا صَوْمٍ لِمَرَضٍ أَوْ سَفَرٍ، يَنْبَغِي أَنْ لَا يَصِحَّ عَنْهُ بَلْ يَكُونَ نَفْلًا فَلَا تَحْصُلُ بِهِ إقَامَةُ سُنَّةِ الْكِفَايَةِ وَيُؤَيِّدُهُ قَوْلُ الْكَنْزِ سُنَّ لَبْثٌ فِي مَسْجِدٍ بِصَوْمٍ وَنِيَّةٍ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يُمْكِنُ حَمْلُهُ عَلَى الْمَنْذُورِ لِتَصْرِيحِهِ بِالسُّنِّيَّةِ وَلَا عَلَى التَّطَوُّعِ لِقَوْلِهِ بَعْدَهُ وَأَقَلُّهُ نَفْلًا سَاعَةٌ فَتَعَيَّنَ حَمْلُهُ عَلَى الْمَسْنُونِ سُنَّةً مُؤَكَّدَةً، فَيَدُلُّ عَلَى اشْتِرَاطِ الصَّوْمِ فِيهِ

فتاوی محمودیہ ج-10 ص-220
عشرۃ اخیرہ کا اعتکاف سنت مؤکدہ علی الکفایہ ہے، اگر بغیر روزہ کے یہ اعتکاف کیا تو یہ اعتکاف مسنون نہیں ہوگا، بلکہ نفل بن جائے گا، البتہ اگر ایک دن روزہ نہ رکھا تو صرف ایک دن کے اعتکاف کی قضاء لازم ہوگی

فتاوی رحیمیہ ج-3 ص-110
مسنون اعتکاف کے لیے روزہ شرط ہے، لہذا روزہ کے بغیر اعتکاف نفلی ہے، مسنون

فتاوي دار العلوم زكيا ج-3 ص-341

مسنون اعتکاف کے لیے روزہ شرط ہے، لہذا صورت مسئولہ میں بوڑے میان کا اعتکاف نفلی ہو جائیگا سنت ادا نہ ہو گی

Answered by
Hasan Ahmed Razzak
Checked & approved by
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Questions about this ruling, answered only from the archive with sources.

Where scholars differ, it’s safer to take the more cautious view.

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