Itikaf: A Spiritual Retreat during Ramadan

the Quran is very important. Life is ever-changing and full of new situations. In this sense, it poses a continuous challenge to every person. When a person goes into itikaf and studies the Quran in seclusion, he discovers the Quran again with reference to the new situations he may be facing. This practice keeps the Muslim intellectually alive. In this way, itikaf enables a Muslim to evaluate his response towards each new situation and update his life accordingly. In some way or the other, itikaf, in terms of contemplation in seclusion, is common to all religions. The form it takes may differ, but in spirit, it is universal. In the course of daily life in this world, the individual keeps getting distracted. Therefore, it is essential to refocus. The practice of itikaf aims at bringing one who has been derailed back to the right track. The distracted soul has to be turned into a focussed soul. Ramadan is a month of profound spiritual experience. When one drinks water after a long period of thirst, eats food after a long period of hunger, and is at rest after a long period of unrest, he receives a special kind of spiritual uplift in his life. This is the daily experience of the month of Ramadan. Itikaf is meant to enhance and broaden these spiritual experiences. In this sense, itikaf means increasing these spiritual experiences on a larger scale. Both Ramadan and itikaf are similar, but with a difference. Where fasting during Ramadan is a routine experience, going into itikaf makes it an extraordinary experience, ensuring a heightened spiritual preparedness for the moral challenges of life. If fasting is a spiritual experience, itikaf is spiritual retreat, designed to enable the rebuilding of self. Ramadan is meant to foster this spiritual transformation and itikaf enhances this process during the period of retreat.