Some restrict i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) to the three mosques, citing the hadith: “There is no i'tikaf except in the three mosques!”

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. In yesterday’s lesson on i'tikaf, you mentioned that it is performed in a mosque where the congregation is held. However, some restrict i'tikaf to only the three mosques, stating that it is not general for all mosques, citing the hadith: “There is no i'tikaf except in the three mosques.” Is this view correct?

Answer:
No, this is an anomalous view, and the majority of scholars hold that i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) is valid in all the mosques of the earth, provided that congregational prayer is held in them and they are not abandoned. And Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: He did not say this regarding the three mosques. This is a general statement. The statement that there is no i'tikaf except in the three mosques is not a restriction; rather, it is to indicate what is best. That is, there is no i'tikaf better than i'tikaf in the three mosques; it is not a restriction. Yes.