I'tikaf: Spiritual Retreat

I'tikaf is a period of spiritual seclusion in the mosque, undertaken to focus entirely on worship, remembrance of God, and reflection, away from ordinary daily activity. It is most commonly observed during the last ten nights of Ramadan, following the well-known example of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, who is reported to have observed it every year during this period. A person in i'tikaf remains in the mosque for the duration of the retreat, leaving only for essential needs, and dedicates the time to prayer, Quran recitation, dhikr (remembrance of God), and dua (supplication), deliberately minimizing worldly distractions including unnecessary conversation. The timing during Ramadan's final ten nights is connected to the search for Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree, described in the Quran as better than a thousand months — a night whose exact date is left unspecified within this window, encouraging worshippers to seek it through sustained devotion across all ten nights rather than a single guess. While most closely associated with Ramadan, i'tikaf can, according to many scholars, be observed at other times of the year as well, though the Ramadan practice remains by far the most widely observed.