Private Devotional Exercises in a Mosque - Section 1

‘A'isha said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to engage in private devotions in the mosque during the last ten nights of Ramadan till God took him, and then his wives followed this practice after his death.* *<i>Mirqat</i> says that the Prophet’s wives observed periods of seclusion for devotion, not in the mosque but in their houses. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ الْعَشْرَ الْأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اعْتَكَفَ أَزْوَاجُهُ مِنْ بعده

Ibn ‘Abbas said that God’s messenger was the most generous of men, and he was as generous as possible in Ramadan. Gabriel used to meet him every night in Ramadan and the Prophet (ﷺ) would go over the Qur’an to him. When Gabriel met him he was more generous than the wind which blows freely. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَجْوَدَ النَّاسِ بِالْخَيْرِ وَكَانَ أَجْوَدَ مَا يَكُونُ فِي رَمَضَان وَكَانَ جِبْرِيلُ يَلْقَاهُ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ فِي رَمَضَانَ يَعْرِضُ عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ فَإِذَا لَقِيَهُ جِبْرِيلُ كَانَ أَجْوَدُ بِالْخَيْرِ مِنَ الرّيح الْمُرْسلَة

Abu Huraira said that the Qur’an was gone over* to the Prophet (ﷺ) once annually, but that this was done twice in the year in which he died. He used to engage in private devotions in the mosque during ten nights every year, but he did this during twenty nights in the year in which he died. *<i>Mirqat</i> remarks that some expositors say the passive is used here because the person who went over the Quran to the Prophet (ﷺ) was well-known, viz. Gabriel. Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَن أبي هُرَيْرَة قَالَ: كَانَ يعرض على النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّ عَامٍ مَرَّةً فَعَرَضَ عَلَيْهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ فِي الْعَامِ الَّذِي قُبِضَ وَكَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ كُلَّ عَامٍ عَشْرًا فَاعْتَكَفَ عِشْرِينَ فِي الْعَامِ الَّذِي قُبِضَ. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

‘A'isha said, “During his private devotional exercises God’s messenger would put his head near me when he was in the mosque, and I would comb it; and he entered the house only to relieve himself.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا اعْتَكَفَ أَدْنَى إِلَيَّ رَأَسَهِ وَهُوَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَأُرَجِّلُهُ وَكَانَ لَا يَدْخُلُ الْبَيْتَ إِلَّا لحَاجَة الْإِنْسَان "

Ibn ‘Umar said that when ‘Umar consulted the Prophet (ﷺ) about a vow he had made in the pre-Islamic period to spend a night in devotion in the sacred mosque, he said, “Fulfill your vow.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ: أَنَّ عُمَرَ سَأَلَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " كُنْتُ نَذَرْتُ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَنْ أَعْتَكِفَ لَيْلَةً فِي الْمَسْجِد الْحَرَام؟ قَالَ: «فأوف بِنَذْرِك»

Anas said that the Prophet (ﷺ) was accustomed to engage in private devotion in the mosque during the last ten nights of Ramadan; but one year he omitted it and he engaged in it during twenty nights the next year. Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it from Ubayy b. Ka'b.

عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعْتَكِفُ فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَلَمْ يَعْتَكِفْ عَامًا. فَلَمَّا كَانَ الْعَامُ الْمقبل اعْتكف عشْرين. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَرَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ عَنْ أَبِي بن كَعْب

‘A'isha said that when God’s messenger intended to engage in private devotion in the mosque he prayed the dawn prayer and then entered his place of seclusion. Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ فِي مُعْتَكَفِهِ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

She said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to visit the sick while engaged in a period of private devotion in the mosque and he would pass on straight ahead without pausing and ask for him. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَعُودُ الْمَرِيضَ وَهُوَ مُعْتَكِفٌ فَيَمُرُّ كَمَا هُوَ فَلَا يُعَرِّجُ يَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

She said that the <i>sunna</i> for one who is observing a period of private devotion in a mosque is not to visit an invalid, or attend a funeral, or touch or embrace one’s wife, or go out for anything but necessary purposes. There is no period of private devotion in a mosque without fasting, and it must be carried out in a congregational mosque. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَن عَائِشَة رَضِي الله عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: السُّنَّةُ عَلَى الْمُعْتَكِفِ أَنْ لَا يَعُودَ مَرِيضًا وَلَا يَشْهَدُ جِنَازَةً وَلَا يَمَسُّ الْمَرْأَةَ وَلَا يُبَاشِرُهَا وَلَا يَخْرُجُ لِحَاجَةٍ إِلَّا لِمَا لابد مِنْهُ وَلَا اعْتِكَافَ إِلَّا بِصَوْمٍ وَلَا اعْتِكَافَ إِلَّا فِي مَسْجِدٍ جَامِعٍ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

Ibn ‘Umar said that when the Prophet (ﷺ) observed a period of private devotion in the mosque his bedding was placed for him, or a couch was put down for him, behind the column of repentance.* *A column in the Prophet's mosque in Medina, said to have got this name because the repentance of Abu Lubaba was accepted beside it. Ibn Majah transmitted it.

عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا اعْتَكَفَ طُرِحَ لَهُ فِرَاشُهُ أَوْ يُوضَعُ لَهُ سَرِيرُهُ وَرَاءَ أسطوانه التَّوْبَة. رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying about one who observes a period of private devotion in a mosque, “He turns away from sins and he is rewarded for good deeds like one who does all good deeds.” Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ فِي الْمُعْتَكَفِ: «هُوَ يَعْتَكِفُ الذُّنُوبَ وَيُجْرَى لَهُ مِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ كَعَامِلِ الْحَسَنَات كلهَا» . رَوَاهُ ابْن مَاجَه