Kinds of Masjid Where ’Ttikaf Is Valid

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع مَا تَقُولُ فِي الِاعْتِكَافِ بِبَغْدَادَ فِي بَعْضِ مَسَاجِدِهَا فَقَالَ لَا اعْتِكَافَ إِلَّا فِي مَسْجِدِ جَمَاعَةٍ قَدْ صَلَّى فِيهِ إِمَامٌ عَدْلٌ بِصَلَاةِ جَمَاعَةٍ وَ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يُعْتَكَفَ فِي مَسْجِدِ الْكُوفَةِ وَ الْبَصْرَةِ وَ مَسْجِدِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَ مَسْجِدِ مَكَّةَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about performing Ttikaf in a certain Masjid of Baghdad. He (the Imam) said, ’Without a Masjid in which Salat (prayer) in congregation is held behind a just Imam, Ttikaf is not valid. It is not harmful to do Ttikaf in Masjid of al-Kufah, in al- Basrah, in al-Madinah or Makkah.’”

لَا اعْتِكَافَ إِلَّا فِي الْعِشْرِينَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ وَ قَالَ إِنَّ عَلِيّاً صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ كَانَ يَقُولُ لَا أَرَى الِاعْتِكَافَ إِلَّا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ أَوْ مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ أَوْ مَسْجِدٍ جَامِعٍ وَ لَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْمُعْتَكِفِ أَنْ يَخْرُجَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ إِلَّا لِحَاجَةٍ لَا بُدَّ مِنْهَا ثُمَّ لَا يَجْلِسْ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ وَ الْمَرْأَةُ مِثْلُ ذَلِكَ.

“Abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘Without passing the twentieth day of the month of Ramadan Ttikaf is not valid.’ He (the Imam) then said that Ali ‘Alayhi al-Salam, would say, “I do not see Ttikaf, unless it is in Masjid al-Haram, Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, or a Jami‘ Masjid (central). It is not proper for one

سُئِلَ عَنِ الِاعْتِكَافِ قَالَ لَا يَصْلُحُ الِاعْتِكَافُ إِلَّا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ- أَوْ مَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ ص أَوْ مَسْجِدِ الْكُوفَةِ أَوْ مَسْجِدِ جَمَاعَةٍ وَ تَصُومُ مَا دُمْتَ مُعْتَكِفاً.

“Once abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about ’Ttikaf. He (the Imam) said, ‘Without Masjid ’Ttikaf is not valid, only in Masjid like Masjid al-Haram, Masjid of the Messenger of Allah, Masjid al-Kufah or Masjid al-Jami‘ and you must fast in the time you are in the state of ’Ttikaf.’”

الْمُعْتَكِفُ بِمَكَّةَ يُصَلِّي فِي أَيِّ بُيُوتِهَا شَاءَ سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ صَلَّى أَوْ فِي بُيُوتِهَا.

“He (the Imam) (a.s.), has said, ‘One performing ’Ttikaf in Makkah can perform Salat (prayer) in any of its houses or Masjid; it is all the same.’”

الْمُعْتَكِفُ بِمَكَّةَ يُصَلِّي فِي أَيِّ بُيُوتِهَا شَاءَ وَ الْمُعْتَكِفُ فِي غَيْرِهِ لَا يُصَلِّي إِلَّا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ الَّذِي سَمَّاهُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘One who performs ’Ttikaf in Makkah can perform Salat (prayer) in any of its houses that he chooses, and one performing ’Ttikaf in other places cannot perform Salat (prayer), unless it is the Masjid which he has determined.’”