Spiritual Retreat (Itikaf)

“Itikaf” is a collective spiritual retreat that enables a person to reach a state of mental peace and sanctifies one’s inner self. The spiritual retreat connects hearts in such a way that one does not feel the need of reaching out to someone else. That is what “Itikaf” does for a Muslim in particular and human being in general.

Itikaf (seclusion in a mosque) is prayer maintained with deep hunger during Ramadan, the month of fasting. Hunger has a positive psychological impact on people. Itikaf provides an opportunity for the believer to get closer to Allah by temporarily freeing oneself and one’s mind from the activities and worries of this world. This provides an excellent opportunity to train oneself to disassociate temporarily from the worries of the world and to instead focus only on Allah.

Various studies have examined how fasting in Ramadan affects people’s vital functions. For example, in a study comparing those fasting in Ramadan with those not fasting in Ramadan unexcused, those fasting were seen to have higher levels of spiritual intelligence and happines. Itikaf asceticism, which is an intense reflection of religiousness, can be instrumental in creating a feeling of peace and satisfaction in the individual through invocations and the congregation’s prayers and blessings.

Influence of itikaf can improve patience and confidence in God. Patience with strong spirituality can facilitate anger control. Anger control earns the favor of Allah. This sense of trust may also contribute to a more positive interpretation of life events. This can increase one’s subjective well-being. Individuals who reach inner peace can cope more easily with the troubles of life and can develop anger-control skills.

Itikaf is a time of purification and spiritual upheaval. In this study, itikaf has been observed to increase subjective well-being and can be especially said to increase confidence in the future and the ability to cope with life troubles.

Through Minhaj Welfare Foundation “Itikaf” Campaign we urge supporters to help us arrange such collective spiritual retreats on an annual basis, where thousands of people from different troubled and peace seeking backgrounds can take their harmony and revert back to their families with a feeling of spiritually recharged.

Visit the below link to know more about the Itikaf project supported by your donations:
https://www.itikaf.com/