Narrated Ubayy ibn Kab: The Prophet ﷺ used to observe Itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. One year he did not observe Itikaf. When the next year came, he observed Itikaf for twenty nights (i. e. days).

Aishah said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to observe Itikaf, he prayed the fajr prayer and then entered his place of seclusion. Once he intended to observe Itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. She said: He ordered to pitch a tent for him, and it was pitched. She said: The other wives of the Prophet ﷺ also ordered to pitch tents for them and they were pitched. When he offered the fajr prayer, he saw the tents, and said: What is this ? Did you intend to do an act of virtue ? She said: He then ordered to demolish his tent, and it was demolished. Then his wives also ordered to demolish their tents and they were demolished. He then postponed Itikaf till the first ten days, that is of Shawwal. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Ibn Ishaq and al-Auzai from Yahya bin Saeed in a similar manner, and Malik narrated it from Yahya bin Saeed, saying: He observed Itikaf during twenty days of Shawwal.

Ibn Umar said: The Prophet ﷺ used to observe Itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. Nafi said: Abdullah (bin Umar) showed me the place in the mosque where Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe Itikaf.

Abu Hurairah said: The Prophet ﷺ used to observe Itikaf during ten days of Ramadan every year. But when the year in which he died, he observed Itikaf for twenty days.

Aishah said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed Itikaf, he would put his head near me, and I would comb it. and he entered the house only to fulfill human needs (i. e. to urinate or to relieve himself).

A similar tradition has been transmitted by Aishah from the Prophet ﷺ through a different chain of narrators. Abu Dawud said: And Yunus also narrated in a similar way from al-Zuhri, and no one supported Malik in his narration from Urwah from Umrah ; and Mamar, Ziyad bin Sad and others have also narrated it from al-Zuhri from Urwah on the authority of Aishah.

Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe Itikaf in the mosque and put his head near me through the opening of the apartment, and I would wash his head. Musaddad said: "And I would comb it while I was menstruating. "

Safiyyah said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was observing Itikaf (in the mosque), I would come to him to visit him. I had a talk with him and then stood up. I then returned and he (the Prophet) also stood up to accompany me (to my house). Her dwelling place was in the house of Usamah bin Zaid. Two men from the Ansar (helpers) passed (by him at the moment). When they saw the Prophet ﷺ, they walked quickly. The Prophet ﷺ said: Be at ease, she is Safiyyah daughter of Huyayy. They said: Be glory to Allah, Messenger of Allah! He said: Satan runs in man like blood. I feared he might inspire something in your mind, or he said: evil (the narrator doubted).

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Al Zuhri through a different chain of narrators. In this version she said “When he was at the gate of the mosque which was near the gate of Umm Salamah, two men passed them. The narrator then transmitted the tradition to the same effect.

According to the version of Al Nufaili, Aishah said “The Prophet ﷺ used to pass by a patient while he was observing I’tikaf (in the mosque) but he passed as usual and did not stay asking about him. ” According to the version of Ibn Isa she said “The Prophet ﷺ would visit a patient while he was observing I’tikaf. ”