I'tikaf is the Arabic term for a spiritual retreat, usually involving seclusion in a mosque for worship, especially during the last ten days of Ramadan. A person observing it is called a mu'takif.
During I'tikaf, worshippers devote themselves to prayer, Quran recitation, remembrance, and supplication while avoiding ordinary worldly distractions. The practice is closely linked with seeking Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Decree, which Muslims believe falls within the final ten nights of Ramadan. Islamic tradition reports that Muhammad regularly observed this retreat during Ramadan’s last ten days.
I'tikaf is often associated with staying continuously in a mosque, though legal details differ among schools of Islamic jurisprudence. Leaving is generally restricted to essential needs, and the rules concerning women’s observance, fasting, and the required duration vary by tradition. It is therefore more precise than simply calling it meditation or a holiday retreat.
Tawaf means circumambulating the Kaaba, nikah is an Islamic marriage contract, and ihram is the sacred state and dress associated with pilgrimage. None refers to Ramadan’s devotional seclusion.