It is mentioned in the Hadith that Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had once instructed some Sahaabah to observe I'tikaaf together with him.

Answer

When a person is a slave of his nafs, he becomes blind to the Shariah. Then he peddles whatever junk comes to his nafs, distorting Ahaadith and Aayaat as 'proof' for his bid'ah and satanism. There is absolutely not the slightest vestige of permissibility for mass I'tikaaf in any Hadith. Mass I'tikaaf never was a practice of the Sahaabah or in the era of Khairul Quroon. In fact, mass i'tikaaf has only recently developed, and bogus 'sheikhs' have taken it to new levels of bid'ah.

Firstly, the juhala have no right to dig out Hadith narrations for formulating masaa-il. The function of structuring masaa-il from the Qur'aan and Ahaadith is the exclusive domain of the

Aimmah-e-Mujtahideen. The Muqallideen have to confine themselves to the Shariat as it has come down to us from the Sahaabah and the illustrious Aimmah of the Deen.

Secondly, although Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had observed I'tikaaf every year, he had never organized any mass I'tikaaf. The solitary occasion when he had instructed the Sahaabah to observe I'tikaaf, is not a reference to mass I'tikaaf. The instruction applied to those Sahaabah who had been in I'tikaaf during the first ten days and the second ten days of the Month of Ramadhaan was when there was no indication regarding Lailatul Qadr, hence in order to obtain the Night, they passed the entire month in I'tikaaf.

However, when it was revealed to Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) that Lailatul Qadr was one of the last ten nights, he ordered those Sahaabah who had been in I'tikaaf during the first 20 days, to observe I'tikaaf during the last ten days to ensure that they do gain the good fortune of Lailatul Qadr. The Hadith mentioned in Bukhaari and Muslim states:

"Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) observed I'tikaaf during the first ten nights of Ramadhaan, then the middle ten nights. He (Nabi – Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: 'Verily I observed I'tikaaf during the first ten nights searching for this Night. Then I observed I'tikaaf during the middle ten nights. It was then said (revealed) to me that it (Lailatul Qadr) is during the last ten nights. Therefore whoever had been in I'tikaaf with me should observe I'tikaaf during the last ten nights......."

Explaining this Hadith, At-Teebi said: "Verily, he ordered I'tikaaf for those who had been with him during the first and middle ten nights so that their effort (searching for Lailatul Qadr) does not go to waste.....(Mirqaat)

It was not a merrymaking, wasteful, bid'ah mass circus event consisting of much khuraafaat (drivel) as we have explained in our booklet and articles on this topic. It is contumacious and satanic to compare the current mass 'i'tikaaf' merrymaking gatherings with the I'tikaaf which Rasulullah (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had ordered for a few Sahaabah for the specific objective of enabling them to obtain Lailatul Qadr in one of the last ten nights, a fact which was unknown prior to their observing I'tikaaf during the first 20 nights.

Further, the instruction was not general. It was specifically for the few Sahaabah who had been in I'tikaaf during the first 20 nights. Then of greater significance is the fact that the Sahaabah never understood this instruction to be an order for observing mass I'tikaaf. None of the Sahaabah had ever organized mass I'tikaaf as the fake 'sheikhs' of our era do. The worst feature of these mass i'tikaafs is the circus environment and circus atmosphere consisting of the many evil acts which have been explained in our booklet and article. There is absolutely no 'daleel' in the aforementioned Hadith for the mass 'i'tikaaf' stunts of this day. And remember that the khaanqah practice of any Buzroog is not a daleel for elevating such practice to the status of Sunnah. Generally, the unrestrained observance of practices initiated by well-known Buzroogs, later develop into hardcore bid'ah. Moron khalifas and mureeds utilize such practices in pursuit of their nafsaani objectives.