Retiring to a Mosque for Remembrance of
Allah (I'tikaf)
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 242:
Narrated Abdullah bin Umar:
Allah's Apostle used to practise Itikaf in the last ten
days of the month of Ramadan.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 243:
Narrated 'Aisha:
(the wife of the Prophet) The Prophet used to practice
Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan till he died and then
his wives used to practice Itikaf after him.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 244:
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:
Allah's Apostle used to practice Itikaf in the middle ten
days of Ramadan and once he stayed in Itikaf till the night
of the twenty-first and it was the night in the morning of
which he used to come out of his Itikaf. The Prophet said,
"Whoever was in Itikaf with me should stay in Itikaf for the
last ten days, for I was informed (of the date) of the Night
(of Qadr) but I have been caused to forget it. (In the
dream) I saw myself prostrating in mud and water in the
morning of that night. So, look for it in the last ten
nights and in the odd ones of them." It rained that night
and the roof of the mosque dribbled as it was made of leaf
stalks of date-palms. I saw with my own eyes the mark of mud
and water on the forehead of the Prophet (i.e. in the
morning of the twenty-first).
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 245:
Narrated 'Aisha:
The Prophet used to (put) bend his head (out) to me while
he was in Itikaf in the mosque during my monthly periods and
I would comb and oil his hair.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 246:
Narrated 'Aisha:
(the wife of the Prophet) Allah's Apostle used to let his
head in (the house) while he was in the mosque and I would
comb and oil his hair. When in Itikaf he used not to enter
the house except for a need.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 247:
Narrated 'Aisha:
The Prophet used to embrace me during my menses. He also
used to put his head out of the mosque while he was in
Itikaf, and I would wash it during my menses.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 248:
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
Umar asked the Prophet "I vowed in the Pre-lslamic period
of ignorance to stay in Itikaf for one night in Al-Masjid
al-Haram." The Prophet said to him, "Fulfill your vow."
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 249:
Narrated 'Amra:
Aisha said, "the Prophet used to practice Itikaf in the
last ten days of Ramadan and I used to pitch a tent for him,
and after offering the morning prayer, he used to enter the
tent." Hafsa asked the permission of 'Aisha to pitch a tent
for her and she allowed her and she pitched her tent. When
Zainab bint Jahsh saw it, she pitched another tent. In the
morning the Prophet noticed the tents. He said, 'What is
this?" He was told of the whole situation. Then the Prophet
said, "Do you think that they intended to do righteousness
by doing this?" He therefore abandoned the Itikaf in that
month and practiced Itikaf for ten days in the month of
Shawwal."
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 250:
Narrated 'Aisha:
The Prophet intended to practice Itikaf and when he
reached the place where he intended to perform Itikaf, he
saw some tents, the tents of 'Aisha, Hafsa and Zainab. So,
he said, "Do you consider that they intended to do
righteousness by doing this?" And then he went away and did
not perform Itikaf (in Ramadan) but performed it in the
month of Shawwal for ten days.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 251:
Narrated Ali bin Al-Husain:
Safiya, the wife of the Prophet told me that she went to
Allah's Apostle to visit him in the mosque while he was in
Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. She had a talk with
him for a while, then she got up in order to return home.
The Prophet accompanied her. When they reached the gate of
the mosque, opposite the door of Um-Salama, two Ansari men
were passing by and they greeted Allah's Apostle . He told
them: Do not run away! And said, "She is (my wife) Safiya
bint Huyai." Both of them said, "Subhan Allah, (How dare we
think of any evil) O Allah's Apostle!" And they felt it. The
Prophet said (to them), "Satan reaches everywhere in the
human body as blood reaches in it, (everywhere in one's
body). I was afraid lest Satan might insert an evil thought
in your minds."
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 252:
Narrated Abu Salama bin 'Abdur-Rahman:
I asked Abu Said Al-Khudri, "Did you hear Allah's Apostle
talking about the Night of Qadr?" He replied in the
affirmative and said, "Once we were in Itikaf with Allah's
Apostle in the middle ten days of (Ramadan) and we came out
of it in the morning of the twentieth, and Allah's Apostle-
delivered a sermon on the 20th (of Ramadan) and said, 'I was
informed (of the date) of the Night of Qadr (in my dream)
but had forgotten it. So, look for it in the odd nights of
the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. I saw myself
prostrating in mud and water on that night (as a sign of the
Night of Qadr). So, whoever had been in Itikaf with Allah's
Apostle should return for it.' The people returned to the
mosque (for Itikaf). There was no trace of clouds in the
sky. But all of a sudden a cloud came and it rained. Then
the prayer was established (they stood for the prayer) and
Allah's Apostle prostrated in mud and water and I saw mud
over the forehead and the nose of the Prophet.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 253:
Narrated 'Aisha:
One of the wives of Allah's Apostle practiced Itikaf with
him while she ad bleeding in between her periods and she
would see red (blood) or yellowish traces, and sometimes we
put a tray beneath her when she offered the prayer.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 254:
Narrated 'Ali bin Al-Husain (from Safiya, the Prophet's
wife):
The wives of the Prophet were with him in the mosque
(while he was in Itikaf) and then they departed and the
Prophet said to Safiya bint Huyai, "Don't hurry up, for I
shall accompany you," (and her dwelling was in the house of
Usama). The Prophet went out and in the meantime two Ansari
men met him and they looked at the Prophet and passed by.
The Prophet said to them, "Come here. She is (my wife)
Safiya bint Huyai." They replied, "Subhan Allah, (How dare
we think of evil) O Allah's Apostle! (we never expect
anything bad from you)." The Prophet replied, "Satan
circulates in the human being as blood circulates in the
body, and I was afraid lest Satan might insert an evil
thought in your minds."
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 255:
Narrated 'Ali bin Al-Husain from Safiya:
Safiya went to the Prophet while he was in Itikaf. When
she returned, the Prophet accompanied her walking. An Ansari
man saw him. When the Prophet noticed him, he called him and
said, "Come here. She is Safiya. (Sufyan a sub-narrator
perhaps said that the Prophet had said, "This is Safiya").
And Satan circulates in the body of Adam's offspring as his
blood circulates in it."
(A sub-narrator asked Sufyan, "Did Safiya visit him at
night?" He said, "Of course, at night.")
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 256:
Narrated Abu Said:
We practiced Itikaf with Allah's Apostle in the middle
ten days (of Ramadan). In the morning of the twentieth (of
Ramadan) we shifted our baggage, but Allah's Apostle came to
us and said, "Whoever was m Itikaf should return to his
place of Itikaf, for I saw (i.e. was informed about the date
of) this Night (of Qadr) and saw myself prostrating in mud
and water." When I returned to my place the sky was overcast
with clouds and it rained. By Him Who sent Muhammad with the
Truth, the sky was covered with clouds from the end of that
day, and the mosque which was roofed with leaf-stalks of
date palm trees (leaked with rain) and I saw the trace of
mud and water over the nose of the Prophet and its tip.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 257:
Narrated 'Amra bint 'Abdur-Rahman from 'Aisha:
Allah's Apostle used to practice Itikaf every year in the
month of Ramadan. And after offering the morning prayer, he
used to enter the place of his Itikaf. 'Aisha asked his
permission to let her practice Itikaf and he allowed her,
and so she pitched a tent in the mosque. When Hafsa heard of
that, she also pitched a tent (for herself), and when Zainab
heard of that, she too pitched another tent. When, in the
morning, Allah's Apostle had finished the morning prayer, he
saw four tents and asked, "What is this?" He was informed
about it. He then said, "What made them do this? Is it
righteousness? Remove the tents, for I do not want to see
them." So, the tents were removed. The Prophet did not
perform Itikaf that year in the month of Ramadan, but did it
in the last ten days of Shawwal.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 258:
Narrated Abdullah bin Umar:
'Umar bin Al-Khattab said, "O Allah's Apostle! I vowed in
the Pre-lslamic period to perform Itikaf in
Al-Masjid-al-Haram for one night." The Prophet said,
"Fulfill your vow." So, he performed Itikaf for one night.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 259:
Narrated Ibn 'Umar:
that 'Umar had vowed in the Pre-lslamic period to perform
Itikaf in Al-Masjid-al-Haram. (A sub-narrator thinks that
'Umar vowed to perform Itikaf for one night.) Allah's
Apostle said to 'Umar, "Fulfill your vow."
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 260:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet used to perform Itikaf every year in the
month of Ramadan for ten days, and when it was the year of
his death, he stayed in Itikaf for twenty days.
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 261:
Narrated 'Amra bint 'AbdurRahman from 'Aisha: Allah's
Apostle mentioned that he would practice Itikaf in the last
ten days of Ramadan. 'Aisha asked his permission to perform
Itikaf and he permitted her. Hafsa asked 'Aisha to take his
permission for
Volume 3, Book 33, Number 262:
Narrated 'Urwa:
Aisha during her menses used to comb and oil the hair of
the Prophet while he used to be in Itikaf in the mosque. He
would stretch out his head towards her while she was in her
chamber.