Answer
Wa `alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
1- Women can perform itikaf in the mosque, as the mosque is the best place for devotion to worship and remembrance of Allah — unlike the house, which does not have the spiritual atmosphere of the mosque.
2- However, if a woman’s husband does not want her to perform itikaf in the mosque or she has young children to take care of, she is allowed to perform itikaf in her own musalla at home.
Responding to your question, Dr. Rajab Abu Mleeh, Professor of Islamic Studies at Kolej Universiti Insaniah, stated:
According to the majority of scholars, itikaf is a sunnah (a deed recommended by the Prophet) that can be performed any time throughout the year, yet it is more desirable during the last 10 days of Ramadan. However, if a Muslim vows to perform i`tikaf, he or she is obliged to fulfill that vow.
Some scholars hold the view that it is permissible to perform itikaf for a short period of time, even one or two hours, with the intention of getting closer to Almighty Allah.
The Malikis, Shafi`is, and Hanbalis are of the view that it is not permissible for a woman to perform i`tikaf in her own musalla (Prayer room) at home. They cite Allah’s saying, “And touch them not, but be at your devotions in the mosques [i.e. while being in the state of i`tikaf]. ” (Al-Baqarah 2:187).
They also refer to the incident where Abdullah Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) was asked about a woman who vowed to perform itikaf in her own musalla at home. He then (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “This is a bid`ah [innovation in religion], and the most odious act in the sight of Allah is introducing innovations [to the religion]. Hence, there is no itikaf except in the mosque, where the (five) Prayers are performed.”
The musalla at home cannot be regarded as a mosque, whether in reality or when a Shar`i ruling is established. Moreover, if this act was permissible, the Mothers of the Believers (i.e., the Prophet’s wives) would have performed it even once.
On the other hand, the Hanafis hold the opinion that it is permissible for women to perform itikaf in their own musalla at home. They opine that the place of itikaf for women is that preferred by them when they perform their daily Prayers, because, unlike men’s Prayer, women’s Prayer at home is better than their Prayer in the mosque.
Accordingly, the place of itikaf for women should be their own musalla at home. Abu Hanifah and Ath-Thawri stated, “She [i.e., a woman] can perform itikaf in her own musalla at home. It is better for her to do so, as her Prayer at home is better than [her Prayer] in the mosque.”
Also, it was narrated that Abu Hanifah said that it is not acceptable for a woman to perform i`tikaf in the mosque, where congregational Prayers are held, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) abandoned the itikaf in the mosque when he saw the tents of his wives pitched inside the mosque; he then said to them, “Is it righteousness that you intended by doing so?“
In addition, as a woman’s own musalla at home is the most preferred place for her to offer Prayers; hence, her place of itikaf [(which is the musalla]) is like the mosque for men where men are to perform itikaf.
Accordingly, we see that women can perform itikaf in the mosque, as the mosque is the best place for devotion to worship and remembrance of Allah — unlike the house, which does not have the spiritual atmosphere of the mosque. However, if a woman’s husband does not want her to perform itikaf in the mosque or she has young children to take care of, she is allowed to perform itikaf in her own musalla at home.
According to some scholars, such a woman’s itikaf at home can be intermittent; that is, she can come out of her musalla and move in her house or go out if she needs to do so.
Finally, if a woman has a sincere desire to please Almighty Allah, she should know that the reward of fulfilling the rights and needs of her husband and children can be equal to, and even greater than, that of itikaf. That is the grace of Almighty Allah, which He bestows on whom He wills, and Allah is the Enricher and All Aware.
Allah Almighty knows best.
Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.