Minimum Limits of I‘tikaf
Al-Kāfi|Volume 4|Book 2|Chapter 79
4ـ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم) قَالَ الْمُعْتَكِفُ لا يَشَمُّ الطِّيبَ وَلا يَتَلَذَّذُ بِالرَّيْحَانِ وَلا يُمَارِي وَلا يَشْتَرِي وَلا يَبِيعُ قَالَ وَمَنِ اعْتَكَفَ ثَلاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَهُوَ يَوْمَ الرَّابِعِ بِالْخِيَارِ إِنْ شَاءَ زَادَ ثَلاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ وَإِنْ شَاءَ خَرَجَ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ فَإِنْ أَقَامَ يَوْمَيْنِ بَعْدَ الثَّلاثَةِ فَلا يَخْرُجُ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ حَتَّى يُتِمَّ ثَلاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ أُخَرَ.
4. Ahmad ibn Muhammad from has narrated from ibn Mahbub from abu Ayyub from abu ‘Ubaydah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far عليه السلام, has said, ‘In the state of ’Ttikaf one must not smell perfumes, enjoy sweet basil, argue, buy or sell.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘After three days of ’Ttikaf one has the choice to remain in ’Ttikaf for another three days or leave the Masjid. If one remains for two days after the first three days, he must not leave the Masjid until after the second three days are complete.’”
- Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (16/433)
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 100