7. Fasting

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا اعْتَكَفَ أَدْنَى إِلَيَّ رَأَسَهِ وَهُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَأُرَجِّلُهُ وَكَانَ لَا يَدْخُلُ الْبَيْتَ إِلَّا لحَاجَة الْإِنْسَان "

‘A'isha said, “During his private devotional exercises God’s messenger would put his head near me when he was in the mosque, and I would comb it; and he entered the house only to relieve himself.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ: أَنَّ عُمَرَ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " كُنْتُ نَذَرْتُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَنْ أَعْتَكِفَ لَيْلَةً فِي الْمَسْجِد الْحَرَام؟ قَالَ: «فأوف بِنَذْرِك»

Ibn ‘Umar said that when ‘Umar consulted the Prophet about a vow he had made in the pre-Islamic period to spend a night in devotion in the sacred mosque, he said, “Fulfill your vow.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعْتَكِفُ فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَلَمْ يَعْتَكِفْ عَامًا. فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْعَامُ الْمقبل اعْتكف عشْرين. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ عَنْ أَبِي بن كَعْب

Anas said that the Prophet was accustomed to engage in private devotion in the mosque during the last ten nights of Ramadan; but one year he omitted it and he engaged in it during twenty nights the next year. Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Ubayy b. Ka'b.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ فِي مُعْتَكَفِهِ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

‘A'isha said that when God’s messenger intended to engage in private devotion in the mosque he prayed the dawn prayer and then entered his place of seclusion. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعُودُ الْمَرِيضَ وَهُوَ مُعْتَكِفٌ فَيَمُرُّ كَمَا هُوَ فَلَا يُعَرِّجُ يَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

She said that the Prophet used to visit the sick while engaged in a period of private devotion in the mosque and he would pass on straight ahead without pausing and ask for him. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَن عَائِشَة رَضِي الله عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: السُّنَّةُ عَلَى الْمُعْتَكِفِ أَنْ لَا يَعُودَ مَرِيضًا وَلَا يَشْهَدُ جِنَازَةً وَلَا يَمَسُّ الْمَرْأَةَ وَلَا يُبَاشِرُهَا وَلَا يَخْرُجُ لِحَاجَةٍ إِلَّا لِمَا لابد مِنْهُ وَلَا اعْتِكَافَ إِلَّا بِصَوْمٍ وَلَا اعْتِكَافَ إِلَّا فِي مَسْجِدٍ جَامِعٍ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

She said that the sunna for one who is observing a period of private devotion in a mosque is not to visit an invalid, or attend a funeral, or touch or embrace one’s wife, or go out for anything but necessary purposes. There is no period of private devotion in a mosque without fasting, and it must be carried out in a congregational mosque. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا اعْتَكَفَ طُرِحَ لَهُ فِرَاشُهُ أَوْ يُوضَعُ لَهُ سَرِيرُهُ وَرَاءَ أسطوانه التَّوْبَة. رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه

Ibn ‘Umar said that when the Prophet observed a period of private devotion in the mosque his bedding was placed for him, or a couch was put down for him, behind the column of repentance.* *A column in the Prophet's mosque in Medina, said to have got this name because the repentance of Abu Lubaba was accepted beside it. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ فِي الْمُعْتَكَفِ: «هُوَ يَعْتَكِفُ الذُّنُوبَ وَيُجْرَى لَهُ مِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ كَعَامِلِ الْحَسَنَات كلهَا» . رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying about one who observes a period of private devotion in a mosque, “He turns away from sins and he is rewarded for good deeds like one who does all good deeds.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.