Title: Taking Bath while in Ai`tikaaf Question: Can a person have shower (bath) while he is sitting for "etakaf" during Ramadan , if so please give examples from hadith. Thank you Doctor Abid Mehmood Answer: Bathing or otherwise cleaning oneself while sitting in Ai`tikaaf is not prohibited, as has been reported in Bukhairy that while the Prophet (pbuh) was sitting in Ai`tikaaf , Ayesha (ra) washed and combed his hair. However, because in the past, one had to go out of the mosque to take a bath, therefore, some Muslim scholars restrict the allowance of taking a bath, only when it has become obligatory upon a person to take a bath. Nevertheless, the modern-day mosques generally have toilets and bathrooms built within them, due to which a person sitting in Ai`tikaaf does not need to go out of the mosque to take a bath. In view of the availability of this facility in the modern days, a person may take a bath while sitting in Ai`tikaaf , even though it has not become a requirement of the Shari`ah for him to take a bath. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad December 26, 2001