There are eight conditions for the validity of religious seclusion:

1- Faith

2- Wisdom

3- The intention of growing closer to Allah

4- Fasting

5- Staying for at least three days

6- Secluding in Masjid-ul-Haram, Masjid-ul-Nabee, Kufa mosque Basra mosque, or in any cathedral mosque.

7- Husband’s permission for a secluding woman.

8- Not leaving the mosque through out the seclusion.

Issue 885: Religious seclusion by insane or drunken people is void.

Issue 886: There is no specific time for making the intention of religions seclusion, and one may make their intention at any time before the dawn Adhaan, just as it is the case with the intention of fasting in Ramadhan.

Issue 887: The fasts observed in religious seclusion should not necessarily be specified for the purpose of seclusion; rather, one may observe any obligatory or recommended fast while seclusion, whether it is their own fasts or they fast on behalf of others.

Issue 888: Religious seclusion will not be valid if, for any reason, fasting is not valid, for instance, one, who is unable to fast or must not fast-such as an ill person, a traveler, a menstruating, a woman who is on her after-birth bleeding-is not allowed to seclude in a mosque; similarly, it will not be valid when fasting is forbidden, like fasting on Feast of Fast and Festival of Sacrifice.

In the case of an after-birth bleeding or menstruating woman, they are not allowed to stay in a mosque due to their impurity either.

Issue 889: Those travelers, who are willing to enter the religious seclusion should make a vow of observing recommended fasts while being on the journey so that their religious seclusion will be along with fasting and thus valid.

Issue 890: One must, at least, stay in a mosque for three days on seclusion; they may, however, stay longer if they wish. If a secluding person stays in a mosque for five days, they will have to stay there for the sixth day as well.

Issue 891: If it is not possible for a person to seclude in Masjid-ul-Haram, Masjid-ul-Nabee, Kufa Mosque, or Basra Mosque, one may also enter religious seclusion in any cathedral mosque with the hope of getting the heavenly rewards and blessings. Cathedral mosque refers to the main and crowded mosques where many people go to.

Issue 892: Leaving the mosque while religious seclusion voluntarily or intentionally renders the seclusion void, whether it is due to ignorance or negligence.

Issue 893: It is allowable to leave the mosque for purposes like releaving one self, performing Janabah Ghusl, and the like. It is also allowable to leave the mosque while religions seclusion to do favorable legal things which involve getting out of the mosque, such as visiting an ill person, helping the oppressed, seeing a Muslim off, taking part in a funeral, and offering prayer for a dead person.

Issue 894: What matters and suffices in religious seclusion is to stay in a mosque and not leave there; no matter where in he mosque, and in what position-sitting, standing, walking or sleeping-one secludes.

Q895: What is meant by cathedral mosques for religious seclusion? Is it possible that a city has many cathedral mosques?

A: A cathedral mosque is a public mosque where many people from different parts of a city gather to perform worship and it does not belong to a specific group or neighborhood; nor is it specified for specific times. A city may have many cathedral mosques.

Q896: Is it allowable for a secluding person to leave the mosque to perform a recommended Ghusl?

A: It is allowable to do so.