Is the husband entitled to observe Iʿtikāf for the entire month of Ramadan without the consent of his wives, given their need for him and his care for his children?
I'tikaf is a Sunnah, but it is not permissible for it to lead to neglecting religious obligations towards one's family, such as nursing one's wife or caring for one's parents, especially if there is no one else to take the person's place. If a husband's i'tikaf for a full month or less leads to him neglecting his duties towards his family, then it is not permissible. It is possible to combine i'tikaf with fulfilling family duties by performing i'tikaf for a few days, then returning home and attending to the family, and then returning to i'tikaf. Sheikh Ibn Jibreen issued a fatwa stating that there is no limit to the maximum duration of i'tikaf, but it is disliked to prolong it if it leads to neglecting one's family or abandoning the pursuit of livelihood. He also issued a fatwa that if a person is the head of his household and there is no one else, then his fulfilling his family's duties and attending to their needs is better than i'tikaf, based on the hadith: "It is sufficient sin for a person to neglect those whom he supports."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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