Retreat in the Mosque (i`atikaf) الاعتِكافُ

1ـ كنز العمّال: كانَ [ النَّبِيُّ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) ] إذا كانَ مُقيماً اعتَكَفَ العَشرَ الأواخِرَ مِن رَمَضانَ ، وإذا سافَرَ اعتَكَفَ مِنَ العامِ المُقبِلِ عِشرينَ.

1– Anas narrated ‘The Prophet (SAWA), if he was in town, would retreat in the mosque the last ten nights of the month of Ramadhan, and if he was travelling, would retreat in the mosque twenty nights the following year.’ [Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 18091]
 

2ـ كتاب من‏لا يحضره الفقيه عن‏مَيمون بنِ مِهرانَ: كُنتُ جالِساً عِندَ الحَسَنِ ابنِ عَلِيٍّ ’ فأتاهُ رَجُلٌ فقالَ لَهُ: يَابنَ رَسولِ اللّه‏ِ ، إنَّ فُلاناً لَهُ عَلَيَّ مالٌ ويُريدُ أن يَحبِسَني ، فقالَ: وَاللّه‏ِ ما عِندي مالٌ فأقضِيَ عَنكَ . قالَ: فَكَلِّمْهُ ، قالَ: فلَبِسَ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) نَعلَهُ ، فقُلتُ لَهُ: يَابنَ رَسولِ اللّه‏ِ ، أنَسِيتَ اعتِكافَكَ ؟ فقالَ لَهُ: لَم أنسَ ، ولكِنّي سَمِعتُ أبي (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) يُحَدِّثُ عَن (جَدّي) رَسولِ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) أنَّهُ قالَ: مَن سَعى في حاجَةِ أخيهِ المُسلِمِ فَكَأنَّما عَبَدَ اللّه‏َ عَزَّوجلَّ تِسعَةَ آلافِ سَنَةٍ ، صائماً نَهارَهُ ، قائماً لَيلَهُ.

2– Maymun b. Mihran narrated ‘I was once sitting in the presence of al-Hasan b. Ali (AS) when a man came to him, saying, ‘O son of the Prophet of Allah, verily x is claiming money from me that I owe him and wants to arrest me.’ So he replied, ‘By Allah, I do not have money to pay your debt on your behalf.’ So he asked, ‘Then talk to him.’ So he (AS) put on his sandals, whereupon I asked him, ‘O son of the Prophet of Allah, have you forgotten the fact that you are in a state of retreat’ So he replied, ‘No, I have not forgotten, but I have heard my father (SAWA) narrating on the authority of my grandfather, the Prophet of Allah (AS) that he had said, ‘He who strives to fulfil a fellow Muslim brother’ s need is as if he has worshipped Allah, Mighty and Exalted, for nine thousand years, fasting during the day and standing in prayer at night.’ [al-Faqih, v. 2, p. 189, no. 2108]
 

3ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): كانَ رَسولُ اللّه‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) إذا كانَ العَشرُ الأواخِرُ [ يَعني مِن رَمَضانَ]اعتَكَفَ في المَسجِدِ ، وضُرِبَت لَهُ قُبَّةٌ مِن شَعرٍ ، وشَمَّرَ الميزَرَ وطَوى فِراشَهُ.

3– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The Prophet (SAWA) used to retreat in the mosque the last ten nights [of Ramadhan], when a tent of fur would be pitched for him, and he would roll up the skirting and lay out his bedding.’ [al-Tahdhib, v. 4, p. 287, no. 869]
 

4ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لاَ اعتِكافَ إلّا في مَسجِدِ جَماعَةٍ قَد صَلّى فيهِ إمامُ عَدلٍ بِصَلاةِ جَماعَةٍ.

4– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Retreat can only be in a congregational mosque wherein the congregational prayer is led by a just imam.’ [al-Kafi, v. 4, p. 176, no. 1]