When is I’tikaaf? (Hadith No. 1751)

Bismillah.

Hadith no. 1749 and 1750 (below) are repeats. Read the post here.

Volume 3, Book 33, Number 254:

Narrated ‘Ali bin Al-Husain (from Safiya, the Prophet’s wife):

The wives of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) were with him in the mosque (while he was in Itikaf) and then they departed and the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said to Safiya bint Huyai (radiallaahu `anhaa), “Don’t hurry up, for I shall accompany you,” (and her dwelling was in the house of Usama). The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) went out and in the meantime two Ansari men met him and they looked at the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and passed by. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said to them, “Come here. She is (my wife) Safiya bint Huyai.” They replied, “Subhan Allah, (How dare we think of evil) O Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam)! (we never expect anything bad from you).” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) replied, “Satan circulates in the human being as blood circulates in the body, and I was afraid lest Satan might insert an evil thought in your minds.”

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Volume 3, Book 33, Number 255:

Narrated ‘Ali bin Al-Husain from Safiya (radiallaahu `anhaa):

Safiya (radiallaahu `anhaa) went to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) while he was in Itikaf. When she returned, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) accompanied her walking. An Ansari man saw him. When the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) noticed him, he called him and said, “Come here. She is Safiya (radiallaahu `anhaa). (Sufyan a sub-narrator perhaps said that the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) had said, “This is Safiya”). And Satan circulates in the body of Adam’s offspring as his blood circulates in it.”

(A sub-narrator asked Sufyan, “Did Safiya (radiallaahu `anhaa) visit him at night?” He said, “Of course, at night.”)

Today’s Hadith:

Volume 3, Book 33, Number 256:

Narrated Abu Said (radiallaahu `anhu):

We practiced Itikaf with Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) in the middle ten days (of Ramadan). In the morning of the twentieth (of Ramadan) we shifted our baggage, but Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) came to us and said, “Whoever was Itikaf should return to his place of Itikaf, for I saw (i.e. was informed about the date of) this Night (of Qadr) and saw myself prostrating in mud and water.” When I returned to my place the sky was overcast with clouds and it rained. By Him Who sent Muhammad (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) with the Truth, the sky was covered with clouds from the end of that day, and the mosque which was roofed with leaf-stalks of date palm trees (leaked with rain) and I saw the trace of mud and water over the nose of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and its tip.

This Hadith explains this one narrated by Abu Hurairah (radiallaahu `anhu):

“The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to observe i’tikaaf for ten days every Ramadaan, and in the year in which he passed away he observed i’tikaaf for twenty days.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari.

And this is why I`tikaaf in the last ten days of Ramadaan is more recommended than any other time.. Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) preferred it in his last year.
But this doesn’t mean one can’t observe I`tikaaf in days other than the last ten of Ramadaan. I`tikaaf can be practiced any time of the year. Read this post for more details.

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Witr – Timing (Hadith No. 808)

Assalamu`alaykum,
Bismillah.

When to pray witr? Should I offer it right after `Ishaa’ or delay it? And how far can I delay it? Is there an ending time for witr?

Well, you know how it goes. Please keep reading..

Volume 2, Book 16, Number 808:

Narrated ‘Aisha:

Allah’s Apostle offered Witr prayer at different nights at various hours extending (from the ‘Isha’ prayer) up to the last hour of the night.

Time for witr starts with `Ishaa’ and ends when dawn begins. More on it here.

The Timing of Witr:

It starts when a person has prayed ‘Isha’, even if it is joined to Maghrib at the time of Maghrib, and lasts until dawn begins, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has prescribed for you a prayer (by which He may increase your reward), which is Witr; Allaah has enjoined it for you during the time between ‘Isha’ prayer until dawn begins.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 425; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

Is it better to offer this prayer at the beginning of its time or to delay it?

The Sunnah indicates that if a person thinks he will be able to get up at the end of the night, it is better to delay it, because prayer at the end of the night is better and is witnessed (by the angels). But whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night should pray Witr before he goes to sleep, because of the hadeeth of Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever fears that he will not get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the beginning of the night, but whoever thinks that he will be able to get up at the end of the night, let him pray Witr at the end of the night, for prayer at the end of the night is witnessed (by the angels) and that is better.” Narrated by Muslim, 755.

Al-Nawawi said: This is the correct view. Other ahaadeeth which speak of this topic in general terms are to be interpreted in the light of this sound, specific and clear report, such as the hadeeth, “My close friend advised me not to sleep without having prayed Witr.” This is to be understood as referring to one who is not sure that he will be able to wake up (to pray Witr at the end of the night). Sharh Muslim, 3/277.

[IslamQA]

Some additional ‘fiqh‘ points:

What if..

• you forgot to pray witr, or kept sleeping till Fajr? Read answer here.
• you were praying witr right before dawn, and Fajr adhaan was called. Read answer here.

Wassalam.