But it may be asked: How can she observe i‘tikaf in a mosque in which congregational prayer is not held? Is there not temptation in this?

The answer is that there may be, or there may not be. The mosque may be secured and protected, with no one entering it, such that there is no fear of temptation for the women in their i‘tikaf there. Or the situation may be the opposite. The criterion, then, is that whenever temptation arises, women must be prevented from observing i‘tikaf in any mosque whatsoever.

Question: Is one for whom congregational prayer is not obligatory like a woman in this regard?

Answer: Yes. Thus, if a person excused by illness—or by some other excuse that permits him to forgo congregational prayer—observes i‘tikaf in a mosque where congregational prayer is not held, there is no harm in it.

His statement, “except for the mosque in her home,” means that her i‘tikaf there is not valid. The mosque in her home is the place that she has designated as a prayer area. In the past, people would set aside prayer areas for women in their homes, designating a particular room exclusively for women to pray in. I‘tikaf in such a prayer area is not valid, because it is not a mosque, either in reality or in legal ruling. For this reason, it is not regarded as an endowment. Thus, if the house containing this prayer area is sold, the sale is valid. If someone enters the house and says, “I want to pray in this place because it is a prayer area like a mosque; do not prevent me from the mosques of Allah,” we would say to him: “We will prevent you, because this is not a mosque.” If a woman remains there while menstruating, there is no harm in it. If a person remains there without ablution while in a state of major ritual impurity, there is no harm in it. If he enters and sits there without praying two rak‘ahs, there is no harm in it. Buying and selling are permissible there, as is everything that is prohibited in a mosque. The same applies to prayer areas found in offices.