اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الْعٰلَمِیْنَ وَ الصَّلٰوۃُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلٰی سَیِّدِ الْمُرْسَلِیْنَ ^ط

اَمَّا بَعْدُ فَاَعُوْذُ بِاللّٰہِ مِنَ الشَّیْطٰنِ الرَّجِیْمِ ^ط  بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّ حِیْم ^ط

The pitfalls of self-indulgence  

اَلصَّلٰوۃُ وَ السَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا رَسُولَ اللہ                                                         وَعَلٰی اٰلِكَ وَ اَصْحٰبِكَ یَا حَبِیْبَ اللہ

اَلصَّلٰوۃُ وَ السَّلَامُ عَلَیْكَ یَا نَبِیَّ اللہ                                                                       وَعَلٰی اٰلِكَ وَ اَصْحٰبِكَ یَا نُوْرَ اللہ

نَـوَیْتُ سُنَّتَ الاعْتِکَاف  

Translation: “I have made the intention of Sunnah iꜤtikāf.”

Dear Islamic brothers, whenever you enter a masjid, make the intention of iꜤtikāf, for you will continuously gain the reward of spiritual retreat as long as you stay in the masjid. Remember, inside a masjid, there is no permission from Islamic law to eat, drink, sleep, have suḥūr or ifṭār, and not even to drink Zamzam water or the water which has been blown upon after the recital of the Quran or litanies. However, if the intention of spiritual retreat is made, all these acts will become permissible. One should not make the intention of spiritual retreat only to eat, drink or sleep, but rather he should do it for pleasing Allah Almighty.

It is stated in Fatāwā Shāmī:

“If someone wants to eat, drink or sleep in a masjid, he should make the intention to observe spiritual retreat and engage in the remembrance of Allah for some time. Then, he may proceed as he wishes (i.e. now if he wants to eat, drink or sleep, he can do so).”