Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman that when A'isha was doing itikaf she would only ask after sick people if she was walking and not if she was standing still. Malik said, "A person doing itikaf should not carry out obligations of his, nor leave the mosque for them, nor should he help anyone. He should only leave the mosque to relieve himself. If he were able to go out to do things for people, visiting the sick, praying over the dead and following funeral processions would be the things with the most claim on his coming out." Malik said, "A person doing itikaf is not doing itikaf until he avoids what some one doing itikaf should avoid, namely, visiting the sick, praying over the dead, and entering houses, except to relieve himself."  

أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ كَانَتْ إِذَا اعْتَكَفَتْ لاَ تَسْأَلُ عَنِ الْمَرِيضِ إِلاَّ وَهِيَ تَمْشِي لاَ تَقِفُ. قالَ يَحْيى، قالَ مالِكٌ: لاَ يَأْتِي المُعْتَكِفُ حاجَةً. ولاَ يَخْرُجُ لَها. ولاَ يُعِينُ أحَدًا. إلاَّ أنْ يَخْرُجَ لِحاجَةِ الإنْسانِ. ولَوْ كانَ خارِجًا لِحاجَةِ أحَدٍ، لَكانَ أحَقَّ ما يُخْرَجُ إلَيْهِ، عِيادَةُ المَرِيضِ، والصَّلاَةُ عَلى الجَنائِزِ واتِّباعُها. قالَ يَحْيى، قالَ مالِكٌ: ولاَ يَكُونُ المُعْتَكِفُ مُعْتَكِفًا، حَتّى يَجْتَنِبَ ما يَجْتَنِبُ المُعْتَكِفُ. مِن عِيادَةِ المَرِيضِ، والصَّلاَةِ عَلى الجَنائِزِ، ودُخُولِ البَيْتِ، إلاَّ لِحاجَةِ الإنْسانِ.