I'tikaaf, (residing in the mosque for worship), - * On which day is i’tikaaf?

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Is it permissible to observe i'tikaaf at any time other than the last ten days of Ramadaan?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, it is permissible to observe i'tikaaf at any time, but the best is to do so during the last ten days of Ramadaan, following the example of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and his companions (may Allaah be pleased with them). It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also observed i'tikaaf during Shawwaal in some years.
And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and companions.

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I'tikaaf, (residing in the mosque for worship), - * I’tikaafof both men and women is only valid if observed in the mosque

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Can a woman observe i’tikaaf in her house?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars are agreed that a man’s i’tikaaf is only valid if observed in the mosque, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
So i’tikaaf is something that should be done specifically in the mosque.
Seeal-Mughni, 4/461
With regard to women, the majority of scholars are of the view that as in the case of men, their i’tikaaf is not valid unless it is observed in the mosque, because of the verse quoted above (interpretation of the meaning):
“And do not have sexual relations with them (your wives) while you are in I‘tikaaf (i.e. confining oneself in a mosque for prayers and invocations leaving the worldly activities) in the mosques”
[al-Baqarah 2:187]
The wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked him for permission to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque and he gave them permission, and they used to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque after he died.
If it were permissible for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in her house, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have told them to do that, because it is better for a woman to remain concealed in her house than to go out to the mosque.
Some of the scholars were of the view that it is valid for a woman to observe i’tikaaf in the “mosque” of her house, which is the place that she allocates for prayer in her house.
But the majority of scholars said that this is not allowed and said that the place where she prays in her house is not called a masjid (mosque) except by way of metaphor, and it is not really a mosque, so it does not come under the rulings on mosques, hence it is permissible for people who are junub and menstruating women to enter it.
Seeal-Mughni, 4/464.
Al-Nawawi said inal-Majmoo’(6/505):
It is not valid for men or women to observe i’tikaaf anywhere but in the mosque; it is not valid in the mosque of a woman’s house or the mosque of a man’s house, which is a space that is set aside for prayer.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(20/264) about where a woman who wants to observe i’tikaaf should do so?
He replied:
If a woman wants to observe i’tikaaf, she should observe i’tikaaf in the mosque so long as that does not involve anything that is forbidden according to sharee’ah. If that does involve anything that is forbidden then she should not do i’tikaaf.
Inal-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah(5/212) it says:
The scholars differed as to where women should observe i’tikaaf. The majority are of the view that woman are like men, and their i’tikaaf is not valid unless observed in the mosque. Based on this it is not valid for a woman to observe i'tikaaf in the mosque of her house, because of the report narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) who asked about a woman who vowed to observe i’tikaaf in the mosque of her house. He said: “(This is) an innovation, and the most hateful of actions to Allaah are innovations (bid’ah).” So there can be no i’tikaaf except in a mosque in which prayers are established. And the mosque of a house is not a mosque in the real sense of the word and does not come under the same rulings; it is permissible to change it, and for a person who is junub to sleep in it. Moreover if it were permissible (to observe i’tikaaf at home), the Prophet’s wives (may Allaah be pleased with them) would have done that at least once to show that it is permissible.

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Taraaweeh prayers, - Dought&clear, - * Goingaround to different mosques in order to have more focus (khushoo’) in prayer

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I want to know how sound this hadeeth is: “Let each one of you pray in the mosque that is closest to him and not go around to different mosques.” What should we say to the one who goes around to different mosque in order to have more focus and presence of mind in prayer, without missing ‘Isha’ prayer?.
Praise be to Allaah.
As far as I know, there is a difference of opinion concerning the authenticity of this hadeeth. If we assume that it is sound, it may be interpreted as meaning that this applies if doing that may lead to the people abandoning the mosque that is closest to them. Otherwise it is well known that the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) used to come to the Prophet's Mosque in order to pray behind the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). In fact, Mu’aadh (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray ‘Isha’ with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then he would go back to his people and lead them in prayer, even though it was later.
If a person frequents the mosque because of good recitation, and because that good recitation of the imam helps him to focus in prayer, there is nothing wrong with that. Otherwise, if there is the fear of any problem resulting from that, or there is the fear that this may be regarded as disrespect to the imam of the local mosque, if he (the person who goes to another mosque) is a prominent figure and his going away from the local mosque to another mosque may be regarded as undermining the position of the imam, then in this case we say that he should pay attention to the potential bad consequences of this action and avoid doing it.
And Allah knows best.

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Taraaweeh prayers, - Dought&clear, - * Always recitingQunoot in Witr every night

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I missed ‘Isha’ prayer and the imam began to pray Taraweeh. I joined the prayer with the imam with the intention of praying ‘Isha’. The imam prayed two rak’ahs then he said the salaam, and I remained sitting but did not say the salaam. When he stood up to pray again I stood up with him and completed my ‘Isha’ prayer with him. Is the way I offered this prayer correct? If it was not correct, what should I do?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The scholars differed concerning the ruling on offering an obligatory prayer behind an imam who is offering a naafil prayer. We have quoted some of the scholarly opinions on this matter in the answer to question number 79136.
Imam al-Shafaa’i and Ibn al-Mundhir are of the view that this is permissible, and this is also narrated from Ahmad. The scholars of the Standing Committee and Shaykh Ibn Baaz also favoured this view, and in the question mentioned above we quoted him as saying that it is permissible, namely praying ‘Isha’ behind one who is praying Taraweeh, and that the person praying behind him should complete his prayer on his own after the imam says the salaam.
As for what the questioner did, sitting after the imam said the salaam so that he could follow him in the next two rak’ahs of Taraweeh, there are two scholarly opinions concerning the one who starts his prayer on his own -- can he follow an imam who is leading a congregation? Some of them said that this is not allowed and some of them said that it is valid.
Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen did not give a definitive opinion concerning this action and he said, after stating that it is permissible for one who is offering an obligatory prayer to pray behind one who is offering a naafil prayer, which includes it being permissible to offer ‘Isha’ prayer behind one who is praying Taraweeh:
Rather what I am not sure about is their waiting for the imam until he starts the next two rak’ahs and completing the prayer with him. This is what I am not sure about, because the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whatever you catch up with, pray, and whatever you miss, complete it.” The apparent meaning is that a person should complete what he missed with his imam on his own, meaning that he should not wait until the imam starts another prayer. Rather we say: When the imam says the salaam at the end of the prayer in which you caught up with him, then complete the prayer and do not wait until he starts another prayer. End quote.
Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb(Tape no. 15, side B)
Al-Nawawi thought it more likely that this is permissible, as he said:
If he prays ‘Isha’ behind Taraweeh, that is permissible, and when the imam says the salaam, he should stand up to do the remaining two rak’ahs. It is better for him to complete them on his own. If the imam gets up to do two more rak’ahs of Taraweeh, he should form the intention to follow him again in his two rak’ahs. There are two opinions as to whether it is permissible for one who started the prayer on his own to then intend to follow the imam. The more correct view is that it is valid. End quote.
Al-Majmoo’ Sharh al-Muhadhdhab, 4/270
Based on this, the prayer was valid and you do not have to repeat it, but it is better -- in the future -- to complete your prayer on your own and not to join with the imam again.
The brother who asked this question does not have to repeat the prayer or to repeat the two rak’ahs. The ‘Isha’ prayer that he offered behind the imam who was praying Taraweeh is valid. But we think that it is better for him to complete what remains for him of his prayer on his own. But if he follows the last two rak’ahs with the imam again, that is permissible.
And Allah knows best.

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