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 Importance and Excellence of Salah

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 gain the reward of iꜤtikāf as long as you stay in the masjid. Remember, inside a masjid, there is no sharꜤī permission to eat and drink, sleep or have suhoor and iftar, and not even to drink Zamzam water or the water on which dam has been performed. However, if the intention of iꜤtikāf is made, all these acts will become permissible. One should not make intention to observe iꜤtikāf only to eat, drink or sleep, but rather it should be made for pleasing Allah Almighty.

It is stated in Fatāwā Shāmī: “If a person wants to eat, drink or sleep in a masjid, he should make intention to observe iꜤtikāf and do the dhikr of Allah for some time. Then, he may proceed as he wishes (i.e. if he now wants to eat, drink or sleep, he can do so).”