It is clarified that it is not recommended for one who enters the mosque for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) to intend a specific duration for his stay.
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The Shaykh : And with this, we know the weakness of the statement of some scholars who said that it is recommended for one who enters the mosque to intend i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) for the duration of his stay. That is, some scholars said: If you enter the mosque for the obligatory prayer, or to study knowledge, or for something else, then intend i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) for the duration of your presence in the mosque. We say this is not correct and it is not prescribed (mashru') for a person to intend that. Because if this had been prescribed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it for the Ummah (the Muslim community). And it is not reported from him (peace and blessings be upon him) in his actions that he used to intend when entering the mosque that he was in i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), nor did he guide the Ummah to that. That is, he did not say to the Ummah: "When you enter the mosque, intend i'tikaf as long as you are in it." And if he did not say that to the Ummah and did not do it himself, then establishing it as a religious prescription is not valid. Is that clear, everyone? Good. Because no person can say "this is a Sunnah (recommended practice)" or "this is prescribed" unless it is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); otherwise, it is not accepted from him. But it is recommended for the student of knowledge to raise an objection to this statement. What is it? What is it? Yes.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Stand up so that the people can hear.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, that is not the objection. The objection you raised is that the place of intention is the heart, but I do not know how this serves as an objection to what I said. I say: If the intention of i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) upon entering the mosque had been prescribed, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it for the Ummah, either by his action or his speech.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Stand up so that the people can hear.
The student: ...
The Shaykh : No, that is not the objection. The objection you raised is that the place of intention is the heart, but I do not know how this serves as an objection to what I said. I say: If the intention of i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque) upon entering the mosque had been prescribed, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would have clarified it for the Ummah, either by his action or his speech.