The Ruling on I'tikaf (Spiritual Retreat) for Less Than a Day

Question:
He asks: Is it possible to perform i'tikaf for less than a day?

Answer:
I'tikaf is permissible; it has no limit, neither a maximum nor a minimum. However, what is called i'tikaf is the entire day or the entire night. This is because 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he had vowed to perform i'tikaf for one night in the Sacred Mosque during the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: This indicates that i'tikaf for a night, a day, or a few hours yields reward in proportion to its duration. The more one performs i'tikaf, the better. Yes.