in every mosque. Thus, a woman may observe i‘tikaf so long as her i‘tikaf does not lead to temptation. If it does lead to temptation, she must not be permitted to do so, because when a recommended act results in something prohibited, it must be prevented—just as a permissible act must be prevented when it results in something prohibited. For example, if we suppose that her observing i‘tikaf in the mosque would give rise to temptation, as occurs in the Sacred Mosque: the Sacred Mosque has no area reserved exclusively for women, and when a woman observes i‘tikaf, she must sleep, whether by night or by day. Her sleeping while men pass back and forth around her is a source of temptation.

The evidence that i‘tikaf is legislated for women is that the wives of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, observed i‘tikaf during his lifetime and after his death (1).

However, if temptation is feared, she is to be prevented, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, prohibited something less serious than this. When he intended to observe i‘tikaf, he went out one day and found a tent belonging to Aishah, a tent belonging to so-and-so, and a tent belonging to so-and-so. He said, “Is it righteousness that they seek?!” He then ordered that they be dismantled, and he did not observe i‘tikaf that year; rather, he made it up in Shawwal (2). This indicates, all the more so, that if a woman’s i‘tikaf gives rise to temptation, she must be prevented from it.

But if she observes i‘tikaf in a mosque where congregational prayer is not held, there is no harm in that for her, because she is not obliged to pray in congregation. Thus, her i‘tikaf does not involve anything that would conflict with it.