The Preference between that of Itikaf in the Masjid al-Haraam & Staying at home for the Woman
By Shaykh
Muhammad Nasir uddeen al-Albaani
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
Question:
What is better; Itikaf for a woman in the Masjid al-Haraam in the last ten days in the month of Ramadan, taking into consideration that this will strengthen her worship or is it better for her to stay in her home?
Shaykh Albaani Answered:
‘For her to stay in her home is better, and I stipulate for her to return to the saying of the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-
‘Their homes are better for them.’
Comments:
‘Amr bin AbdulMuna’im Saleem adds some notes to this answer:
‘The principle of performing Itikaf for a woman in the Masjid is legislated in the Sharia’ by the text of the Book and the Sunnah.
Allaah Ta’ala said: << And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship in the Masajid>> [Baqarah: 187]
And from Umm-al-Mumineen ‘Aeysha –Radi Allaahu anhu– who said: ‘One of the wives of the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- made Itikaf with the Messenger and she began her menses. . .’ [Collected by Bukhari, Abu Dawood & Ibn Majah]
As for what is better, then her staying and remaining in the home is better. This is just like the verdict of her going out to the masjid, which is that it is allowed, even though her prayer in her home is better than her prayer in the Masjid as is indicated in the Sunnah. There is no proof which is more evident than the hadeeth of Ibn Umar which the Shaykh mentioned.’
[From: Jamia’ Masail an-Nisa’ p. 54 collected by ‘Amr bin AbdulMuna’im Saleem]