EXPLANATION ON THE BEST OPINION ABOUT THE MATTER OF I'TIKAAF.

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Bismillahi Ar-rahman Ar-roheem!

All praise be to Allah, we seek his forgiveness, we seek his guidance. And we seek his peace and blessings upon his messenger and slave, Muhammad, his family and his companions, May Allah be pleased with them.

The case of where to perform Itikaaf has been ikhtilaf among the scholars, but we must correct each other to be upon the best
opinion. The prophet didnt leave us on ikhtilaaf thats why we do not rely on ikhtilaaf, rather we refer the case back to Kitab wasunnah as mentioned by Allah in Surah An-Nisa, Verse 59:
ْ ...فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
...if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger (SAW), if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable for final determination.


** THE TWO OPINIONS **

=>FIRST: Agree that itikaaf is to be performed in just three(3)
masaajid(mosques).

=>SECOND: Agree that itikaaf are to be performed in
any masjid in as much its a masjid in which jumuah prayer is observed.

AUTHENTICATION OF THE BEST OPINION WITH PROVE!

Our view is that the first opinion among the opinions stated above is more correct. Yani, we are to perform itikhaaf in three masaajid and not any congregational masjid with the strong evidence from the statement of our noble prophet peace be upon him. In the hadith of hudhayfah (rodiallahu ani) when he met people observing itikaaf between the house of abdullah bn
mas'ud(rodiallahu ani) and the house of abu musa(rodiallahu ani) and said to the former:
ﻻﺗﻐﻴﺮ ﻭﻗﺪ ﻋﻠﻤﺖ ﺃﻥ ﺭﺳﻮﻝ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻗﺎﻝ " ﻻ ﺍﻋﺘﻜﺎﻑ ﺍﻻ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺎﺟﺪ
ﺍﻟﺜﻼﺛﺔ: ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺠﺪ ﺍﻟﺤﺮﺍﻡ،ﻭﻣﺴﺠﺪ ﺍﻟﻨﺒﻲ،ﻭﻣﺴﺠﺪ ﺍﻟﻤﻘﺪﺱ :" ﻗﺎﻝ ﻋﺒﺪ
ﺍﻟﻠﻪ : ﻟﻌﻠﻚ ﻧﺴﻴﺖ ﻭﺣﻔﻈﻮﺍ ﻭﺃﺧﻄﺄﺕ ﻭﺃﺻﺎﺑﻮﺍ .....
.."dont change(its foundation), and you have known that
the messanger of Allah(may peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "THERE IS NO ITIKAAF EXCEPT IN THREE
MASAAJID, MASJID HARAAM(kaabah), MASJID
NABBIY(madinah)" MASJID MAQDIS(aqsa). Abdullah bn
mas'ud replied: may be you forget and they remember, may be you mistake and they are right.
Bayhaqiy 4/316, shaykh albani classify it as sohih: silsilat
sohiha 2786).


Inshaa Allah, we shall bring most of the common
excuses(shubuaat) attempted to agaisnt the hadith in order that the second opinion might be an option. Yani, we can perform
itikaaf in any congregational masjid and clarifying them with prove and manhaj
sohih. so that the majority might understand that, there is no opinion except to stay with the statement of the prophet: "THERE IS NO ITIKAAF EXCEPT IN THREE(3) MASAAJID".

THE FIRST EXCUSE(SHUB'AH):
It is said; "This hadith from hudhayfah contradicts the ayyah in quran whereby Allah says: Surah Al-Baqara, Verse 187:
...وَلَا تُبَاشِرُوهُنَّ وَأَنتُمْ عَاكِفُونَ فِي الْمَسَاجِدَ
...And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I'tikaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques". Claiming Allah use
jam'u "MASAAJID" which correspond to any congregational masjid. Moreover, Allah didnt specify numbers of masjid.
OUR RESPONSE!
=>Firstly :- Say; be reminded (if you have forgotten) the
hadith and the quran can never contradict one another save you do not know how to justify between the two.
=>Secondly :- We have already known that in islam, alhadith(tufassiru l quran) give futher explanation of
quran, also alhadith(tuqayyid l quran) restricts
the quran. So this hadith of prophet narrated by
Hudhayfah restricts(qayyada) the ayyah brought to defend the second opinion. The ayyah stated "masaajid" which is known to be
"plural", and what we have known in arabiyyah is that
"al jam'u(plural)" starts from three(3) to all, and the hadith of hudhayfah also stated "masaajid
(plural)" but restricted it to three(3). So
there is no contradiction between the two, rather what happened
Was that the hadith gives further expression of the ayah above.

THE SECOND EXCUSE(SHUB'AH):
It is said; This statement of prophet narrated by hudhayfah coincides with
Another sohih hadith related by aisha(rodiallahu ania) when she said:
" ﻭ ﻻ ﺇﻋﺘﻜﺎﻑ ﺇﻻ ﻓﻲ ﻣﺴﺠﺪ ﺟﺎﻣﻊ "
"there is no itikaaf except in congregational
masjid"(abu dawud(hassan) 2473).
So by that we
dont think what hudhayfah narrated is authentic.

OUR RESPONSE!
=>Firstly:- Two authenticated hadith can never agaisnt one another, except you dont undertand how the
people of hadith justify between them. In this particular case, we are to observe the proccess called jam'u bayna hadithayn(the process
of resolving both hadith). Walhamdulillah! The process is possible in this case. Ummu lmumeenin Aisha (rodiallahu ania) said "except in
congregational masjids". This hadith is haam(general), on which hadith of hudhayfah (rodiallahu ani) came to specify the congregational
masjids intended by Aisha. Clarifying it to be three(3) masjids. Meanwhile, all the masjids mentioned by hudhayfah are congregational masjid. With this proccess, we have maitained the two hadith. Nothing contradictory, else an authentic hadith will be condenmed.
=>Secondly:- Saying what a companion reported from the prophet is inauthentic after been found with isnaad sohih is nothing but condemming the
"truthfullness" in the companion. All the people of hadith agree upon that all companions are truthful, they do not make research about their relation from the
prophet, rather they only do research on those men in the chain of narration.

THE THIRD EXCUSE(SHUB'AH):
It is said; Abdullah bn mash'ud argued with him, and we can not base our claim on a hadith with doubts.
OUR REPONSE!
=>Firstly:- Abdullahi bn mash'ud didnt argue with him but try caution him. The one who intend to argue wouldnt have used a doubtful word " ﻟﻌﻞ" "may be/perhaps"

=>Secondly :- Even if we agree that he argued with him as proclaimed, we regard it has strive(ijtihad) for him because he didnt try to refute the proov but was doubtful about the matter and this appears in his words "maybe/perhaps". And its obvious that hudhayfah was sure and bold of the prophet's statement. And this is confirmed when he said to ibn mash'ud
"" ﻭﻗﺪ ﻋﻠﻤﺖ"
"and I have known". By this its concluded that he was also sure of the prophetic decree and might have expected other companions to be aware of the tradition lest they forgot. Perhaps it was an open challenge.
=>Thirdly:- hudhayfah provided the speech of the prophet to back his claim, while Ibn mas'ud did ijtihad saying "maybe/perhaps". And its from the methodology of our salaf(predecessors) to drop all other ijtihad when it comes to a clear text from Allah or his messenger.
"ﻻﺍﺟﺘﻬﺪ ﻭﻻﻗﻴﺎﺱ ﻣﻊ ﺍﻟﻨﺺ".
"There is no strive, or mentality after a clear text".
Therefore, with the authentication of the hadith, and boldness of hudhayfah, all doubts are superseded.

THE FORTH ESCUSE (SHUB'HA):
It is said; "the mawqif of three(3) masjids is proven against that of majority of the scholars. only shaykh albani(rohimahullah) and few other scholars are upon such claim. So it would have been better we adhere to the majority and leave the
minority?"

OUR RESPONSE!
We are to ask, when does population of Scolars become ujjah in this deen(religion)?
Allah, The Almighty said in Surah Al-Araf, Verse 3:
اتَّبِعُوا مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُم مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا مِن دُونِهِ أَوْلِيَاء...َ

Follow what has been sent down unto you from your Lord (the Quran and Prophet Muhammad's Sunnah), and follow not any Auliya' (protectors and helpers, etc. who order you to associate partners in worship with Allah)...

And He, The Exalted also warned us about following status of majority of the population. He says in Surah Al-Anaam, Verse 116:
وَإِن تُطِعْ أَكْثَرَ مَن فِي الْأَرْضِ يُضِلُّوكَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهَِ

And if you obey most of those on earth, they will mislead you far away from Allah's Path.

This (above ayyah) has really critisised the opinion of adhering to the majority except they are with the truth(evidence from kitab wasunnah)
=>Secondly:- It is not as if we concluded to follow neither the minority nor
shaykh albani, but instead, we adhere to what is obvious from kitab wasunnah. And if the majority had been with the evidence, no doubt insha Allah we would have been the first to run after (stick with) them.
THE FIFTH ESCUSE(SHUB'AH):
It is said; "if we accept the mawqif(opinion) of performing itikaf in just three(3) masaajid, we would have prevented lots of worshippers from performing itikaaf because most of the muslims around the world are incapable of the task i.e traveling cost, stress e.t.c

OUR RESPONSE!
=>firstly:- We push forward a question which requires and answered. That is, is it(itikaf) an obligatory
(waajib) act upon anyone?. Mindless of being attached with
istito'a(capability).

=>Secondly :- Say: Hajj which is
obligatory, an act of great reward and a pillar of islam is prescribed to be perfomed at only MAkkah. Yet no one objected to it nor changed its venue. Not even for the sake of it being a pillar of islam, because of the eagerness to complete a pillar. And it is not legal/permissible for us to do that because we want to attains some rewards.
=>Thirdly:- Say: And it is not permessible for anyone to seek reward in this religion other than the way of our noble prophet peace be upon him. It is compulsory and biding upon all the lovers of Allah and his messenger to strictly adhere to the way of the prophet peace be upon him. As commanded by Allah, The Mighty in Surah Aal-e-Imran, Verse 31:
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Say (O Muhammad SAW to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

These are some common excuses usually made in-which there is no evidence to support as explained. Nevertheless, this is not a matter of tabdee, rather its of the matter of ijtihad. So who ever the best opinion is apparent to, its upon him to hold onto it. And if you choose to hold onto your desire, then the matter is between you and your Lord, The judge on
the day of judgement. And if we truely hope to be rewarded by Allah, then we are to abide
and submit to the way of the prophet and anything other than that is far astrayed from the straight path.
We seek refuge with Allah from his purnishement.

Allah, Ar-rahman said in Surah An-Nisa, Verse 115:
وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا
And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell - what an evil destination.


=>Conclusion:- We advise you to stay at your various houses if you are not capable to perform your itikaf at the aformentioned places in the hadith of the prophet( MASJID HARAAM(kaabah), MASJID
NABBIY(madinah)" MASJID MAQDIS(aqsa)) . We advise you to exercise patience and engage in multiple ibaadah within the last part of ramadan especially during the nights in hope that you gain rewards from Allah and meet up with the night of majesty(laylatul qadri).

Subhanaka Allahuma wabiamdik ash'adu an laillaha illa ant astagfirka wa tuhbu ilayk.

Written By: Abu Abdir-rahman Ibn Gazaliy.
17th Ramadan 1436, 4th July 2015.