You have correctly understood. In such a type of Etekaaf in vogue
among us, the person sitting for Etekaaf by stretching out a coverlet remains occupied in
a corner of a mosque. And he does nothing except repeating the words of the Quran day and
night or remains sleeping. It is absolutely non-Quranic and negation of the true essence
of Islam. Islam does never impart the teaching of such a type of monasticism or worship.
There is no mention of such kind of Etekaaf in the Quran. The words – Aakefoon and
Aakefeen – have come at many a place in the Quran, where the meanings are: “continuously
and steadfastly go on doing a work.” About K’ab’a, it has been said that it
is for “Taa-i-feen” (2: 125). Here “Aak-i-feen” means such a group of
people who does not keep the humanity unkempt and tossed but keeps its environ set in
order by tying it up in a relation and continuously remains busy in this very noble cause
– with this bliss enjoyed, its members take their way on. (You will find the meanings
of these words in the Lughaat-ul-Quran – Lexicon of the Quran).
In the very verse you have referred, there has neither been any order
given to the Muslims for sitting in Etekaaf, nor has any aspect of its honor been
described. In the aforementioned verse, nothing more has been given except that there is a
direction for those “Aak-i-feen Fil-Masaajid” And nothing else. The meanings of
“Aak-i-feen Fil-Masaajid” are – those taking up their
abode punctually in the mosque, those harboring in the mosques, those having a firm
footing in the mosques. Who are these “Aak-i-feen Fil-Masaajid” whose mention
has, by the way, been made in the injunctions of fasting? In order to understand it -
without getting bogged down in its detail - keep this point in mind that fasting is, in
fact, a Training Course for developing self-control and endurance in the Muslims. And the
mosques are the locus standi in the national life of the Muslims. In connection with
fasting, the mosques here mean the Training Centers or the Training Camps. Then understand
this point that in this annual training course there may necessarily be some people, who
may be detained in the training centers or training camps during the night hours for the
accomplishment of some argent matters. As has already been described in detail in the
verses given under the injunctions of fasting that those (i.e. the general fasting
persons), taking part in this Training Course, have been ordered not to eat and drink and
not to cohabit with their wives for the whole day. They have been permitted therein that
they can go to their wives during night hours (when there is no fasting at night). But
contrary to the general fasting persons, those who have been assigned certain duties and
have been detained in Training Centers or Training Camps, during night hours, should
remain away from their wives during night hours. This is neither limited to ten days, nor
to the last days of Ramadan. It depends upon the System to observe as to how many days or
how long this System detains a person in the Training Centers or Camps during the night
hours. Any way, as long as these persons remain in the Training Centers or Camps, they
will have to avoid the sexual intercourse with their wives. It is this – the
exposition and the perspective of this verse of the Quran. Since this System has eluded
our observations, and all maters are being carried out just as traditional worship, hence
is this vestige of Etekaaf being acted upon – just a ritual convention in vogue among
us. (1956)