Table of Contents
The benefits of I’tikaaf
Thereare many hidden benefits in the acts of worship and much wisdom behindthem. The basis of all deeds is the heart, as the Messenger of Allah, Peaceand Blessings of Allah be upon him,said: “In the body there is an organ which if it is sound, the entirebody will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the entire body will becorrupt. That organ is the heart.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 52;Muslim, 1599)
Whatcorrupts the heart most is distractions and preoccupations – such asfood, drink, sex, talking too much, sleeping too much and socializingtoo much, and other distractions – which divert people from turning toAllah and cause the heart to be unfocused and unable to concentrate onworshipping Allah. So Allah has prescribed acts of worship, such asfasting, to protect the heart from the negative effects of thesedistractions. Fasting deprives a person of food and drink and sexduring the day, and this denial of excessive enjoyments is reflected inthe heart, which gains more strength for seeking Allah and frees itfrom the chains of these distractions which distract a person fromthinking of the Hereafter by occupying him with worldly concerns.
Justas fasting is a shield which protects the heart from the influences ofphysical distractions such as excessive indulgence in food, drink andsex, so I’tikaaf offers an immense hidden benefit, which is protectionfrom the effects of excessive socializing. For people may takesocializing to extremes, until it has a similar effect on a person tothe effects of over-eating, as the poet said:
“Your enemy was onceyour friend, so do not have too many companions,
For, as you see, mostdiseases come from food and drink.”
I’tikaafalso offers protection from the evil consequences of talking too much,because a person usually does I’tikaaf on his own, turning to Allah bypraying Qiyaam al-Layl, reading Qur’an, making Dhikr, reciting du’aa’,and so on.
Italso offers protection from sleeping too much, because when a personmakes I’tikaaf in the mosque, he devotes his time to drawing closer toAllah by doing different kinds of acts of worship; he does not stay inthe mosque to sleep.
Undoubtedlya person’s success in freeing himself from socializing, talking andsleeping too much will help him to make his heart turn towards Allah,and will protect him from the opposite.