(, also or ) is an Islamic practice in which a person secludes himself or herself in a mosque for a period of time, devoting the days to worship and staying away from worldly affairs. The word derives from the Arabic root (ù-ÃÂ-ÃÂ), meaning to adhere, cling, or devote oneself to something. The practice is especially associated with the last ten days of Ramadan, during which the Islamic prophet Muhammad is reported to have regularly withdrawn into the mosque seeking Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree).
The Quran refers to the practice in two verses. In Surah al-Baqarah 2:125, God commands Ibrahim and Isma'il to purify the Kaaba "for those who circle it, those who stay there for devotion (), and those who bow and prostrate." The verse is understood by classical scholars to indicate that was an approved form of worship in earlier Abrahamic tradition. A second reference appears in Surah al-Baqarah 2:187, where the injunction against sexual relations during Ramadan fasting is extended: "And do not have relations with them as long as you are staying for worship () in the mosques." This verse establishes the mosque as the designated site for the practice and sexual intercourse as incompatible with it.
Multiple traditions in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim report that Muhammad observed during the last ten days of Ramadan each year for the remainder of his life after the practice was instituted. In the year of his death, he observed it for twenty days. Aisha, his wife, reported that he would enter his place of seclusion after the Fajr prayer on the morning of the twenty-first of Ramadan.
A key purpose of the Prophet's was to seek Laylat al-Qadr. A hadith narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri relates that Muhammad initially observed during the middle ten days of Ramadan, but after being informed that the Night of Decree lay in the last ten, he extended his seclusion accordingly and instructed his companions: "Search for it in the odd nights of the last ten days."
There is scholarly consensus (ijma) that is a legitimate act of worship prescribed in Islamic law. Scholars including al-Nawawi, Ibn Qudamah, and Ibn Taymiyyah have all affirmed this consensus.
Classical Hanafi jurisprudence divides into three categories:
The Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali schools agree that is a recommended practice rather than an obligation, becoming obligatory only through a vow. They differ from the Hanafi school in that they do not require fasting as a condition for its validity.
The basic conditions for a valid as agreed upon by the major schools of jurisprudence include: an intention (), the state of Islam (being Muslim), sanity, and remaining within a mosque. The person observing () must not leave the mosque except for essential needs, such as using the lavatory or performing the ritual bath. The is invalidated by leaving the mosque without necessity, by sexual intercourse (per Quran 2:187), and in Hanafi law by the breaking of one's fast during the Ramadan .
All four Sunni schools agree that men must observe in a mosque; it is preferred to choose a congregational mosque where Friday prayers are held, so that the need not leave for the weekly congregational obligation. Regarding women, the Shafi'i and Hanbali schools permit them to observe in a mosque, while the Hanafi school holds that women should observe it in their designated prayer area at home.
During , the occupies himself with acts of worship: prayer, recitation of the Quran, remembrance of God, and supplication. It is considered desirable to avoid unnecessary speech and worldly conversation. Many mosques worldwide accommodate large numbers of participants during the last ten days of Ramadan, setting aside areas of the mosque for those in seclusion.