I'tikaf, Its Time, and Its Manner

The Shaykh : As for i'tikaf (spiritual retreat in the mosque), it is a recommended practice (sunnah), but it is not for the entire month of Ramadan; rather, it is only for the last ten days. This is because the purpose of i'tikaf is to remain in the mosque for the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, in order to seek out the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr). The evidence for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed i'tikaf in the first ten days to seek the Night of Decree, because the Night of Decree is in Ramadan. Then he did it in the middle ten days, and when he completed the middle ten days, it was said