اَلۡـحَـمۡـدُ   لِـلّٰـہِ  رَبِّ  الۡـعٰـلَـمِیۡنَ   وَ  الـصَّـلٰـوۃُ   وَ  الـسَّـلَامُ  عَـلٰی   خَاتَمِ النَّبِیّٖن

اَمَّـا  بَــعۡـدُ   فَـاَعُـوۡذُ   بِـا لـلّٰـہِ   مِـنَ   الـشَّـیۡـطٰنِ   الـرَّجِیۡمِؕ    بِـسۡمِ   الـلّٰـہِ   الـرَّحۡـمٰنِ   الـرَّحِـیۡمِؕ

The Wise Words of Shaykh ꜤAbd al-Qādir al-Jīlānī

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

نَوَيۡتُ سُنَّتَ الۡاِعۡتِكَافِ

I intend to perform the Sunnah of iꜤtikāf.

Dear Islamic brothers! Whenever you enter a masjid, make and intention of performing iʿtikāf, whenever you remember to do so. If you do this, then for as long as you stay inside, you will earn the reward of iʿtikāf.

Remember! Normally in masjids, Islamic law does not give us permission to eat, drink, sleep, partake in suḥūr or ifṭār, or even drink Zamzam water. Yet, if one makes the intention of iʿtikāf, he will be allowed to do these actions in the masjid. It is also important that one shouldn’t make this intention of iʿtikāf just to eat, drink, or sleep. It should be done only to please Allah Almighty.

As mentioned in Fatāwā Shāmī, “If someone wants to eat, drink, or sleep in a masjid, he should intend iʿtikāf, perform dhikr of Allah Almighty, and then do what he desires.