I‘tikāf & Tablīgh During the blessed month of Ramaḍān many brothers ask what is more virtuous in the last ten days of Ramaḍān: i‘tikāf or going out in Tablīghī Jamā‘at. The reason they ask is due to some saying that going in Jamā‘at is more rewarding than i‘tikāf for it involves being in the path of Allāh S, or that it is more important because its aim is to bring people onto Dīn and save the ummah from Jahannam. I would like to mention two points in this regard: 1. We need to Understand the Demands of the Occasion Prioritising what we should do at any particular time and place is a very delicate matter and requires a complete understanding of Dīn and Sharī‘ah. We human beings are all the slaves of Allāh S. Allāh S is our Master and Creator. He created us and sent us into this world with only one purpose, to acquire His Pleasure. Our whole lives need to revolve around this objective; our decisions must be based on it and our planning should centre on it. After understanding this, we need to find out where - in what actions - we can find the Pleasure of Allāh S. In order to do this we need to refer to the Messenger of Allāh s, who He sent to mankind with detailed information about the ways of acquiring His Pleasure. Obedience to the teachings of Rasūlullāh s and following his ways brings the Pleasure of Allāh S. This is, in reality, the true worship of Allāh S. A person will only be able to develop the ability to understand where the Pleasure of Allāh S lies on any particular occasion if he is fully familiar with the teachings of our Nabī s. Those unaware of his teachings should always seek guidance from those who possess the knowledge of his teachings. Allāh S says, “So ask the people of knowledge, if you do not know.” (16:43) After all, the ‘ulamā have been declared the inheritors of the Ambiyā u. (Abū Dāwūd) Allāh S has created certain seasons, places and moments for certain ‘ibādāt. Performing those particular ‘ibādāt in those particular times and places is the best method of acquiring the Pleasure of Allāh S in those circumstances; no other ‘ibādah can be comparable on those occasions. The following example helps illustrate this: A person visiting the Baytullāh will be advised to perform ṭawāf in abundance, so much so that he will be told that when he enters the Ḥaram, ṭawāf will take the place of his two raka‘āt of Taḥiyyah-al-Masjid. Why is this? It is because in that place, the best method of gaining the Pleasure of Allāh S is ṭawāf, for it is an ‘ibādah that cannot be carried out anywhere else in the world. So the hundred-thousand-fold reward for nafl ṣalāh will be put to one side and visitors to the Ḥaram will busy themselves with performing as many ṭawāf as possible. Sunnah I‘tikāf – an Unparalleled Opportunity The case of i‘tikāf is similar; the sunnah i‘tikāf of the last ten days of Ramaḍān is an ‘ibādah that cannot be performed at any other time of the year. No other act of worship will give the spiritual benefits and proximity to Allāh S that i‘tikāf will during that time. Therefore, someone who has the opportunity of performing sunnah i‘tikāf should give preference to i‘tikāf as long as he understands the concept and objective of i‘tikāf or he has the opportunity of sitting in i‘tikāf with someone who will guide him in that respect. It will be wrong to think for such a person that going in Jamā‘at is better than i‘tikāf. As for that person who is unaware of Shar‘ī rulings and injuctions in general and does not understand the concept of i‘tikāf nor does he have anyone to guide him in that respect, it would be better for him to go in Jamā‘at and benefit from its activities and carry out this beloved and permanent sunnah of Rasūlullāh s in future giving it its due right.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Jul 2013 22:39:25 +0000