Another example: if he says, “I vow to Allah that I will observe i‘tikaf during the coming week,” then he enters at sunset on Friday and leaves after sunset at the beginning of Saturday night, for a week is not complete unless seven full days have elapsed, and seven days are not complete unless he remains until sunset on Friday.

Is he required to observe them consecutively?

The answer is that if he vows a specified period, he must observe it consecutively because the time has been specified. Thus, if he says, “I vow to Allah that I will observe i‘tikaf during the coming week,” he must observe it consecutively. Likewise, if he says, “I vow to Allah that I will observe i‘tikaf during the first ten days of such-and-such a month,” he must observe it consecutively. And if he says, “I vow to Allah that I will observe i‘tikaf during the coming month,” he must observe it consecutively because of the necessity of specifying the time.

However, if he vows a number, saying, “I vow to Allah that I will observe i‘tikaf for ten days,” or “for a week,” or “for a month,” without specifying the particular week or month, then he may observe it consecutively—which is better—or he may separate the days, because the vow is fulfilled by fasting as such, if it is a vow to fast, or by i‘tikaf as such, if it is a vow of i‘tikaf.

Likewise, he must observe it consecutively if he intends this, due to the Prophet’s saying, peace and blessings be upon him: “Actions are only by intentions, and each person shall have only what he intended.” (1)

In summary, if he vows a number, then either he stipulates consecutiveness verbally or he does not. If he stipulates it, he is bound by it. If he does not stipulate it, there are three cases:

First: that he intends to separate them; then he is bound only to perform them separately.