“When the Prophet ﷺ wanted to start I’tikaf, he would pray the Subh, then he would enter the place where he wanted to observe I’tikaf. He wanted to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in I’tikaf, so he ordered that a tent be set up for him.” Then ‘Aishah ordered that a tent be set up for her, and Hafash ordered that a tent be set up for her. When Zainab saw their two tents, she also ordered that a tent be set up for her. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw that, he said: “It is righteousness that you seek?” Then he did not observe I’tikaf during Ramadan, and he observed I’tikaf during ten days of Shawwal.  

كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ الْمَكَانَ الَّذِي يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ فِيهِ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَعْتَكِفَ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَأَمَرَ فَضُرِبَ لَهُ خِبَاءٌ فَأَمَرَتْ عَائِشَةُ بِخِبَاءٍ فَضُرِبَ لَهَا وَأَمَرَتْ حَفْصَةُ بِخِبَاءٍ فَضُرِبَ لَهَا فَلَمَّا رَأَتْ زَيْنَبُ خِبَاءَهُمَا أَمَرَتْ بِخِبَاءٍ فَضُرِبَ لَهَا فَلَمَّا رَأَى ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ آلْبِرَّ تُرِدْنَ فَلَمْ يَعْتَكِفْ فِي رَمَضَانَ وَاعْتَكَفَ عَشْرًا مِنْ شَوَّالٍ