15. Iʿtikāf (Spiritual Retreat)

1. Sahih Muslim 1171aIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ

   Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.

2. Sahih Muslim 1171bIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ نَافِعٌ وَقَدْ أَرَانِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ ؓ الْمَكَانَ الَّذِي كَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ

   Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) showed me the place in the mosque where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe i'tikaf.

3. Sahih Muslim 1172aIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَعْتَكِفُ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ

   'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan.

4. Sahih Muslim 1172bIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَعْتَكِفُ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ

   This hadith has been narrated by 'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) through another chain of transmitters.

5. Sahih Muslim 1172cIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

   أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يَعْتَكِفُ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ حَتَّى تَوَفَّاهُ اللَّهُ ﷻ ثُمَّ اعْتَكَفَ أَزْوَاجُهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ

   'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) used to observe i'tikif in the last ten days of Ramadan till Allah called him back (to his heavenly home). Then his wives observed i'tikaf after him.

6. Sahih Muslim 1173aIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ صَلَّى الْفَجْرَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ مُعْتَكَفَهُ وَإِنَّهُ أَمَرَ بِخِبَائِهِ فَضُرِبَ أَرَادَ الاِعْتِكَافَ فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَأَمَرَتْ زَيْنَبُ بِخِبَائِهَا فَضُرِبَ وَأَمَرَ غَيْرُهَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِخِبَائِهِ فَضُرِبَ فَلَمَّا صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْفَجْرَ نَظَرَ فَإِذَا الأَخْبِيَةُ فَقَالَ آلْبِرَّ تُرِدْنَ فَأَمَرَ بِخِبَائِهِ فَقُوِّضَ وَتَرَكَ الاِعْتِكَافَ فِي شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ حَتَّى اعْتَكَفَ فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَّلِ مِنْ شَوَّالٍ

   when the Messenger of Allah ( ﷺ) decided to observe i'tikaf, he prayed in the morning and then went to the place of his i'tikaf, and he commanded that a tent should be pitched for him, and it was pitched. He (once) decided to observe i'tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. Zainab (the wife of the Holy Prophet) commanded that a tent should be pitched for her. It was pitched accordingly. And some other wives of Allah's Apostle ( ﷺ) commanded that tents should be pitched for them too. And they were pitched. When the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) offered the morning prayer, he looked and found (so many) tents. Thereupon he said: What is this virtue that these (ladies) have decided to acquire? He commanded his tent to be struck and abandoned i'tikaf in the month of Ramadan and postponed it to the first ten days of Shawwal.

7. Sahih Muslim 1173bIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

   ذِكْرُ عَائِشَةَ وَحَفْصَةَ وَزَيْنَبَ ؓن أَنَّهُنَّ ضَرَبْنَ الأَخْبِيَةَ لِلاِعْتِكَافِ

   This hadith has been reported through another chain of transmitters, and there it is mentioned that. 'A'isha, Hafsa and Zainab (Allah be pleased with them) pitched the tents for i'tikaf.

8. Sahih Muslim 1174In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ أَحْيَا اللَّيْلَ وَأَيْقَظَ أَهْلَهُ وَجَدَّ وَشَدَّ الْمِئْزَرَ

   'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that when the last ten nights began Messenger of Allah ﷺ kept awake at night (for prayer and devotion), wakened his family, and prepared himself to observe prayer (with more vigour).

9. Sahih Muslim 1175In al-Bukhari or Muslim

   كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَجْتَهِدُ فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مَا لاَ يَجْتَهِدُ فِي غَيْرِهِ

   'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than at any other time.

10. Sahih Muslim 1176aIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

    مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَائِمًا فِي الْعَشْرِ قَطُّ

    I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fasting in the ten days of Dhu'I-Hijja.

11. Sahih Muslim 1176bIn al-Bukhari or Muslim

    أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ لَمْ يَصُمِ الْعَشْرَ

    The Apostle of Allah ﷺ did not observe fast in the ten days of Dhul-Hijja.