How Can a Woman Perform a Spiritual Retreat (I’tikaf)?


Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

How can a woman perform a spiritual retreat (i‘tikaf)?

Answer

A woman may perform i‘tikaf in her home, in a quiet place that she designates for worship (musalla). She should be able to perform i‘tikaf without neglecting her responsibilities and duties to her family.

She should bide her time with prayer, dhikr, reading Quran, and seeking knowledge, and she should not be menstruating.

Please see this answer for full details and recommendations for a woman’s I‘tikaf:
The Spiritual Retreat (I‘tikaf)

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria for two years where she studied aqida, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Masters in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.