اَلصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيۡكَ يَا رَسُوۡلَ اللّٰه                                                                         وَعَلٰى اٰلِكَ وَاَصۡحٰبِكَ يَا حَبِيۡبَ اللّٰه
اَلصَّلٰوةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيۡكَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللّٰه                                                                                    وَعَلٰى اٰلِكَ وَاَصۡحٰبِكَ يَا نُوۡرَ اللّٰه
نَوَيۡتُ سُنَّتَ الۡاِعۡتِكَافِ

I have made the intention of Sunna iꜤtikāf.

Dear Islamic brothers! whenever you enter a masjid, make the intention of iꜤtikāf, for you will then continuously gain the reward of iꜤtikāf as long as you stay inside. Normally, inside a masjid, Islamic law does not give permission for us to eat, drink, sleep, have suḥūr or ifṭār, and not even to drink Zamzam water or the water upon which prayers have been recited. Yet, if intention of iꜤtikāf is made, all these acts will become permissible. One should not make this intention only to eat, drink, or sleep. Instead, one should do so to please Allah.

As mentioned in Fatāwā Shāmī:

If somebody seeks to eat, drink, or sleep in a masjid, he should make an intention of iꜤtikāf and do the dhikr 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).”

The excellence of sending ṣalāt upon the beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

Allah’s final Prophet, our master Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: