Observing I‘tikaf
Total Hadiths 44
How the Prophet Observed I‘tikaf to Seek Lailat-ul-Qadr
These authentic prophetic traditions describe how the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) observed i‘tikaf, or spiritual seclusion, during the holy month of Ramadan. Initially, he spent the first and middle ten days of the month in deep devotion within the mosque to seek Lailat-ul-Qadr (the Night of Decree). However, after receiving divine guidance via an angel, he discovered that the blessed night occurs in the final stretch of the month. The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly directed his companions to remain firmly committed to their places of devotion and to seek the night among the last ten odd nights. Eye-witness accounts from the companions recall that it rained heavily on the twenty-first night, causing the palm-leaf roof of the mosque to drip water, leaving visible traces of mud and clay on the Prophet’s forehead and the tip of his nose during dawn prayers.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ فَارِسٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، بِإِسْنَادِهِ بِهَذَا قَالَتْ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ عِنْدَ بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ الَّذِي عِنْدَ بَابِ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ مَرَّ بِهِمَا رَجُلاَنِ . وَسَاقَ مَعْنَاهُ .
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Al Zuhri through a different chain of narrators. In this version she said “When he was at the gate of the mosque which was near the gate of Umm Salamah, two men passed them. The narrator then transmitted the tradition to the same effect.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2471In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 159English translation : Book 13, Hadith 2465
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، وَوَكِيعٌ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ " الْتَمِسُوا - وَقَالَ وَكِيعٌ - تَحَرَّوْا لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ " .
A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) and Ibn Numair reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Look for (and in the words of Waki, seek) Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadan.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1169In-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 282USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 6, Hadith 2632
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادٌ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَعْتَكِفُ كُلَّ رَمَضَانَ عَشَرَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْعَامُ الَّذِي قُبِضَ فِيهِ اعْتَكَفَ عِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to observe I'tikaf during ten days of Ramadan every year. But when the year in which he died, he observed I'tikaf for twenty days.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2466In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 154English translation : Book 13, Hadith 2460
حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ، عَنْ أَبِي حُصَيْنٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَعْتَكِفُ كُلَّ عَامٍ عَشْرَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْعَامُ الَّذِي قُبِضَ فِيهِ اعْتَكَفَ عِشْرِينَ يَوْمًا وَكَانَ يُعْرَضُ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْآنُ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ مَرَّةً فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْعَامُ الَّذِي قُبِضَ فِيهِ عُرِضَ عَلَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ .
Abu Hurairah Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to observe I’tikaf for ten days every year. In the year in which he passed away, he observed I’tikaf for twenty days. And the Qur’an would be reviewed with him once every year, but in the year in which he passed away, it was reviewed with him twice.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 1769In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 132English translation : Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 1769
حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْكَرِيمِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ مُوسَى الْبُخَارِيُّ، عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ الْعَمِّيِّ، عَنْ فَرْقَدٍ السَّبَخِيِّ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ فِي الْمُعْتَكِفِ " هُوَ يَعْكِفُ الذُّنُوبَ وَيُجْرَى لَهُ مِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ كَعَامِلِ الْحَسَنَاتِ كُلِّهَا " .
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said concerning the person observing I’tikaf. “He is refraining from sin and he will be given a reward like that of one who does all kinds of good deeds.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 1781In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 144English translation : Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 1781
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمَهْرِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ يُونُسَ، أَنَّ نَافِعًا، أَخْبَرَهُ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ . قَالَ نَافِعٌ وَقَدْ أَرَانِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ الْمَكَانَ الَّذِي يَعْتَكِفُ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to observe I'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. Nafi' said: 'Abd Allah (b. 'Umar) showed me the place in the mosque where Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to observe I'tikaf.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2465In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 153English translation : Book 13, Hadith 2459
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا نُعَيْمُ بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ مُوسَى، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا اعْتَكَفَ طُرِحَ لَهُ فِرَاشُهُ - أَوْ يُوضَعُ لَهُ سَرِيرُهُ وَرَاءَ أُصْطُوَانَةِ التَّوْبَةِ .
Ibn 'Umar Narrated from:
When the Prophet (ﷺ) observed I’tikaf, his bedding would be spread for him, or his bed would be placed there for him, behind the Pillar of Repentance.
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 1774In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 137English translation : Vol. 1, Book 7, Hadith 1774
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اعْتَكَفَ أَزْوَاجُهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ .
A'isha Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to observe retirement (i'tikaf) to the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan till Allah took him, and then his wives observed retirement to the mosque after his death.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2462In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 150English translation : Book 13, Hadith 2456
حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، وَيَعْلَى بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ مُعْتَكَفَهُ . قَالَتْ وَإِنَّهُ أَرَادَ مَرَّةً أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ . قَالَتْ فَأَمَرَ بِبِنَائِهِ فَضُرِبَ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْتُ ذَلِكَ أَمَرْتُ بِبِنَائِي فَضُرِبَ . قَالَتْ وَأَمَرَ غَيْرِي مِنْ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِبِنَائِهِ فَضُرِبَ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ نَظَرَ إِلَى الأَبْنِيَةِ فَقَالَ " مَا هَذِهِ آلْبِرَّ تُرِدْنَ " . قَالَتْ فَأَمَرَ بِبِنَائِهِ فَقُوِّضَ وَأَمَرَ أَزْوَاجُهُ بِأَبْنِيَتِهِنَّ فَقُوِّضَتْ ثُمَّ أَخَّرَ الاِعْتِكَافَ إِلَى الْعَشْرِ الأُوَلِ يَعْنِي مِنْ شَوَّالٍ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَاهُ ابْنُ إِسْحَاقَ وَالأَوْزَاعِيُّ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ نَحْوَهُ وَرَوَاهُ مَالِكٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ اعْتَكَفَ عِشْرِينَ مِنْ شَوَّالٍ .
A'isha Narrated from:
When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) intended to observe I'tikaf, he prayed the fajr prayer and then entered his place of seclusion. Once he intended to observe I'tikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. She said: He ordered to pitch a tent for him, and it was pitched. She said: The other wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) also ordered to pitch tents for them and they were pitched.When he offered the fajr prayer, he saw the tents, and said: What is this ? Did you intend to do an act of virtue ? She said: He then ordered to demolish his tent, and it was demolished. Then his wives also ordered to demolish their tents and they were demolished. He then postponed I'tikaf till the first ten days, that is of Shawwal.Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Ibn Ishaq and al-Auza'i from Yahya b. Sa'id in a similar manner, and Malik narrated it from Yahya b. Sa'id, saying: He observed I'tikaf during twenty days of Shawwal.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2464In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 152English translation : Book 13, Hadith 2458
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَمْرَةَ بِنْتِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا اعْتَكَفَ يُدْنِي إِلَىَّ رَأْسَهُ فَأُرَجِّلُهُ وَكَانَ لاَ يَدْخُلُ الْبَيْتَ إِلاَّ لِحَاجَةِ الإِنْسَانِ .
A'isha Narrated from:
When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed I'tikaf, he would put his head near me, and I would comb it. and he entered the house only to fulfill human needs (i.e. to urinate or to relieve himself).
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 2467In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 155English translation : Book 13, Hadith 2461
