Fatwa ID: 06605
Answered by: Alimah Zainab Nakhuda
Question:
If a person is not sure if he will do the full 10 days i’tikaf, should he make just intention of nafl?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It should be noted before proceeding that Sunnah is a type of Nafl. Anything that is not obligatory is considered Nafl, whether it then be categorized as Sunnah or Nafl/Mustahab. And according to Ahnaaf, it is obligatory to complete any Nafl action that one has initiated. So whether you make the intention of 10-day Sunnah I’tikaaf or 10-day Nafl I’tikaaf, if you do not complete the I’tikaaf, and break it in the middle, Qadhaa will be necessary for it.1
As for Nafl I’tikaaf, where you make the intention to stay for one day and one night, and you keep making this intention again every new day with hopes of completing the full 10 days, then yes, this would be permissible to do (as it is a Nafl/good action that you are doing, nothing wrong is happening), but it would not be the same as the 10-day I’tikaaf which is the Sunnah of the Prophet SAW, as this is not the way He SAW would do his I’tikaaf. However, we do hope from Allah SWT that this person will still be rewarded for the efforts that he put in, In Shaa Allah.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Alimah Zainab Nakhuda
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
References:
1 Badaai’ Al Sanaai’, page 290, volume 1, Maktabah Shamelah
أَمَّا الْأَوَّلُ فَقَدْ قَالَ أَصْحَابُنَا: إذَا شَرَعَ فِي التَّطَوُّعِ يَلْزَمُهُ الْمُضِيُّ فِيهِ، وَإِذَا أَفْسَدَهُ يَلْزَمُهُ الْقَضَاءُ،
(…)
وَلَنَا أَنَّ الْمُؤَدَّى عِبَادَةٌ، وَإِبْطَالُ الْعِبَادَةِ حَرَامٌ لِقَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى {وَلا تُبْطِلُوا أَعْمَالَكُمْ} [محمد: ٣٣] فَيَجِبُ صِيَانَتُهَا عَنْ الْإِبْطَالِ، وَذَا بِلُزُومِ الْمُضِيِّ فِيهَا، وَإِذَا أَفْسَدَهَا فَقَدْ أَفْسَدَ عِبَادَةً وَاجِبَةَ الْأَدَاءِ فَيَلْزَمُهُ الْقَضَاءُ جَبْرًا لِلْفَائِتِ كَمَا فِي الْمَنْذُورِ وَالْمَفْرُوضِ،
Badaai’ Al Sanaai’, page 108, volume 2, Maktabah Shamelah
أَمَّا الْأَوَّلُ فَالِاعْتِكَافُ فِي الْأَصْلِ سُنَّةٌ وَإِنَّمَا يَصِيرُ وَاجِبًا بِأَحَدِ أَمْرَيْنِ، أَحَدُهُمَا: (…) وَالثَّانِي فِعْلٌ، وَهُوَ الشُّرُوعُ؛ لِأَنَّ الشُّرُوعَ فِي التَّطَوُّعَ مُلْزِمٌ عِنْدَنَا كَالنَّذْرِ
