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 Journey of Ascension and Beloved Prayer

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

Translation: I have made the intention of Sunnah iꜤtikāf.

Whenever you enter a Masjid, upon remembering, make the intention of iꜤtikāf because as long as you stay in the masjid you will keep getting the reward of iꜤtikāf. Remember! There is no sharꜤī permission to eat and drink, sleep or do sehri and ifṭārī, even to drink Zamzam water and the water on which dam has been made, in a masjid. 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 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 intention to observe IꜤtikāf, do dhikr of Allah Almighty for some time, then he may do whatever he wants (i.e., now if he wishes to eat, drink or sleep, he can do so.).