Fasting and I'tikaf | Evidences Rules & Inner Secrets From Muntaqa Muqni and Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin

Fasting in Ramadan is the fourth pillar of Islam — obligatory on every adult Muslim and one of the most comprehensive acts of worship in the religion, engaging the body, the will, and the heart together. I'tikaf (seclusion in the mosque) is among the most beloved voluntary acts of worship in the final ten nights.

About This Book

Fasting and I'tikaf: Evidences, Rules, and Inner Secrets, published by Dar Al-Arqam, brings together two classical texts on these topics in a single bilingual volume — presenting both the fiqh rulings and the spiritual depth behind them. The first text is drawn from Majd al-Din Ibn Taymiyyah's (d. 652 AH) hadith work Al-Muntaqa; the second from Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi's (d. 620 AH) spiritual manual Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin — giving the reader both the external rulings of fasting and the inward realities that give those rulings their meaning.

What This Book Covers

The Rulings of Fasting from Al-Muntaqa

The chapters of fasting from Ibn Taymiyyah's hadith collection cover the obligation of Ramadan, the sighting of the moon, what invalidates the fast and its expiation, who is permitted to break the fast and how they make it up, and the rulings on voluntary fasting throughout the year — each ruling grounded in authenticated hadith.

The Inner Secrets of Fasting from Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin

Ibn Qudamah's treatment addresses the spiritual dimension: the conditions for fasting to reach its highest level, what breaks the fast of the heart (backbiting, lying, heedlessness), and the internal states that transform fasting from a physical exercise into the act of worship Allah intended it to be.

I'tikaf: Its Rulings and Wisdom

The rulings of i'tikaf are addressed from both texts: its conditions, what it requires and what breaks it, the specific emphasis on the last ten nights of Ramadan, and the spiritual intention behind this act of complete dedication to Allah.

About the Authors

Majd al-Din Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 652 AH) was the grandfather of Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and a leading Hanbali hadith scholar. Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (541–620 AH) was one of the greatest scholars of the Hanbali school. Published by Dar Al-Arqam.

Who This Book Is For

Muslims who want to understand fasting and i'tikaf from both their legal and spiritual dimensions — combining the rigor of hadith-based rulings with the depth of the heart sciences. The bilingual format also makes it valuable for those building their Arabic reading alongside their study of Islamic texts.

Continue Reading

For more from one of this volume's two authors, see our guide to the books by Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi and browse the Ibn Qudamah collection. You can also explore our full fiqh and Islamic rulings collection or the complete Islamic book reading guide by topic.