Q. What is Aitekaf ?
A. Staying in a mosque, where Jama'at is said, for devotion and prayers,
is called Aitekaf.
Q. Why only staying in the mosque is taken to be
'ibadat?
A. When a man leaves his pleasures, recreations and work and stays in a
mosque just for Allah's pleasure, this certainly is an 'ibadat.
Q. Where should a woman do Aitekaf ?
A. At a place in her own house where she says her prayers, she should do
the Niyyat for Aitekaf and remain there. She must not move from that place
to courtyard or to other part of the house, except when the goes to attend
the call of nature. If there is no particular place for saying prayers in
the house, she should, before beginning the Aitekaf, fix a place for that,
and should observe the Aitekaf there.
Q. What are the benefits of Aitekaf ?
A. These are : (1) one doing Aitekaf dedicates his whole being and time to
the "ibadat of Allah (2) he remains safe from sins and evils of worldly
life. (3) he gets the blessing of prayers all the time he is in Aitekaf,
because in Aitekaf a person is always eagerly waiting to join prayers and
Jama'at. (4) he is like angels who worship and remember Allah all the
time. (5) a mosque is Allah's house, so a Mo'takif (one who sits for
Aitekaf) is Allah's neighbor, and his guest.
Q. How many types of Aitekaf are there ?
A. Three types : Wajib, Sunnat-e-Maukkida and Mustahab.
Q. Which Aitekaf is Wajib ?
A. Aitekaf-e-Nazr is Wajib, i.e., Aitekaf as a promise for fulfillment of
some desire. For example, somebody promises to sit in Aitekaf and says
that if a certain work is completed, he would observe Aitekaf of two or
three days for Allah.
Q. Which Aitekaf is Sunnat-e-Maukkida ?
A. Aitekaf in the last ten days of Ramadan is Sunnat-e-Maukkida
it starts from the evening of the 20th Ramadan after the sunset and ends
as soon as the 'Eid moon is seen. The Sunnat will be fulfilled whether the
moon is seen on the 29th or 30th. This Aitekaf is Sunnat-e-Maukkida and
Kifaya, that is, if a few people do it, the rest are absolved of its
responsibility.
Q. Which Aitekaf is Mustahab ?
A. Except Wajib and Sunnat-e-Maukkida all the rest of Aitekaf
are Mustahab. Aitekaf can be done in all the days throughout the year.
Q. What are the conditions for Aitekaf ?
A. (1) to be a Muslim. (2) to be free of menstruation and Hadath-e-Akbar.
(3) to be sans (4) to do Niyyat. (5) to sit for Aitekaf in a mosque where
Jama'at is said. These conditions are necessary for all sorts of Aitekaf,
but for a'itikaf-e-wajib fasting is also a condition.
The Mustahibbat (Recommendations) of Aitekaf
Q. What things are Mustahibbat in Aitekaf ?
A. (1) to do virtuous and good deeds (2) recitation of the holy Quran. (3)
reciting Durood Shareef. (4) reading and teaching of religious books. (5)
to give advice and sermons. (6) Aitekaf in Jame'a mosque.
The timing of Aitekaf
Q. What is the minimum period for Aitekaf ?
A. It is necessary to keep fast in the a'itikaf-e-wajib, so the least time
for it is a day. Thus to vow for Aitekaf of less than a day, for a few
hours or for the night, is not right. The time limit for Aitekaf which is
Sunnat-e-Maukkida is the last 10 days of Ramadan. For a'itikaf-e-nafil
there is no limit. It may last for 5 or 10 minutes, too. If one when
entering the mosque makes the Niyyat for Aitekaf each time. It will bring
lots of blessings for several Aitekaf each day.
Things which are permitted during Aitekaf
Q. On what grounds is a Mo'itakif allowed to come
out of a mosque?
A. (1) for Toilet. (2) for Fard bathing. (3) going out for Friday prayers
at zawal (when the sun crosses the meridian) or to reach Jame'a mosque at
least for such a time in advance that four Rakat of Sunnat can be said
before khutba. (3) to come out beyond the area of mosque to say Adhan.
Q. How far one is allowed to go for the call of
nature?
A. It is right to go up to his own house at whatever the distance it may
be. If one has two houses, it is necessary to do to the nearest one from
the place of Aitekaf.
Q. Is it right for Mo'takif to come out for the
Janaza prayers?
A. If he did Niyyat at the time of the commencement of Aitekaf that he
would go out for Janaza prayers, then it will be allowed, but if he did
not do the Niyyat it will not be allowed.
Q. Which other things are allowed in Aitekaf ?
A. To eat, drink, sleep in the mosque or to buy a thing of necessity if it
is not available in the mosque or to marry, is allowed.
The Makruhat (Reprehensible Acts) and Mufsidat
(Acts which break) in Aitekaf
Q. What are the Makroohat (Reprehensible Acts)
in Aitekaf ?
A. (1) to be absolutely silent and to consider it as an 'ibadat. (2) to
buy or sell things brought inside the mosque. (3) to quarrel or talk
nonsense.
Q. What are the Mufsidaat (Actions which break)
in Aitekaf ?
A. (1) coming out of mosque knowingly or unknowingly without an excuse.
(2) sexual intercourse during Aitekaf. (3) to go out for certain reason
and to stay unnecessarily for a long time, e.g., if one goes for the call
of nature but remains at home for some time after answering to the call of
nature. (4) coming out of the mosque due to fear or disease. In all these
conditions, when it becomes Fasid ?
Q. Is Qada (making up) of Aitekaf necessary, when
it becomes Fasid ?
A. The Qada of A'itikaf-e-wajib is Wajib but for Sunnat or Nafil Qada is
not necessary.
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