By Haroon-Ishola Balogun

Itikaf in Islam refers to a special act of worship involving seclusion in the mosque during Ramadan. It is the act of dedicating a certain period of time to strictly worshiping Allah, remembering Him, and making supplications by staying in the mosque until the end of Ramadan. Throughout the Itikaf period, usual daily business activities are prohibited; rather, the day and night during Itikaf are devoted to the worship of Allah. Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported about the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH): “He (SAW) used to perform Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan until Allah (SWT) ended his life.” (Bukhari).

For those preparing for this act of worship, the time is drawing nearer. In a few days, we will enter the second lap of ten to begin the spiritually filled last ten days. It is expected that anyone who wants to participate can start on the night of the 20th of Ramadan, after sunset, in a central mosque that has provided facilities for Itikaf, where the mutakif is expected to stay until the last night of Ramadan, whether it is the 29th or 30th, according to the sighting of Eid’s crescent.

When you intend to perform Itikaf, take along some necessary personal items you’ll need while staying in the mosque: the Quran, iftar and suhoor food, tafsir and hadith books, a pillow, and a blanket.

There are three types of Itikaf in Islam: Sunnah Itikaf, which is practiced in Ramadan following the example of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It is done in the last ten days of Ramadan, as the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did. The second type is Nafl Itikaf, which is a voluntary act and not limited to any specific time of the month or year. The third type is Wajib Itikaf, which becomes obligatory if a Muslim makes a vow to perform this act of worship. The vow could be in terms of seeking something from Allah, followed by a commitment to perform Itikaf as an act of thanksgiving.

There are several benefits of Itikaf, the major one being getting closer to Allah and gaining significant rewards. Both men and women can carry out this act of worship, but there are rules for both sexes regarding Itikaf. We will continue with this tomorrow, insha Allah.

Iftar time: Lagos – 6:58 PM; Abuja – 6:55 PM; Kano – 6:52 PM