As for the rational consideration: the iʿtikāf observer’s clothes becoming soiled is not an effect of his iʿtikāf; rather, it results from wearing them for a long time. Thus, if he were to put on clean clothes on the night of Eid, or on the final day of Ramadan, this would have no effect. Nor is it valid to draw an analogy with the blood of the martyr, for the martyr will come on the Day of Resurrection with his wound gushing blood: its colour will be the colour of blood, but its fragrance the fragrance of musk.
The correct view, therefore, is that the person observing iʿtikāf is like anyone else: he goes out for the Eid prayer cleansed and wearing his finest clothes.
One of Its Conditions Is Residency, …
His statement, “One of its conditions,” means: one of the conditions of the Eid prayer.
His statement, “residency,” means that it must be established among a settled congregation. This excludes travellers and temporary residents, for, according to the well-known view of the madhhab, people fall into three categories:
- A traveller.
- A temporary resident.
- A settled resident.
A traveller is self-explanatory.
As for a temporary resident, he is a traveller who intends to remain for a period that terminates the rulings of travel. According to the madhhab, this is more than four days. Such a person is called a temporary resident: neither a traveller nor a settled resident.