Proof for Ereating Tents In the Masjid for I'tikaaf

Q: It'kaaf-10: what do the ulema of Deen and the Muftis have to say about concealing oneself in the corner of the Masjid in I'tikaaf for the last ten days of Ramadhaan? is it an act of Sunnah or Bid'ah to conceal oneself. Please reply with references.

Answer: It is Mustahab for the person in I'tikaaf to erect a tent for himself in the corner of the Masjid, using sheets or something else. It serves the purpose of allowing him privacy together with other benefits. It is not an act of Bid'ah because it has been established that Rasulullaah SAW. erected a tent using straw mats.

The people in I'tikaaf must however bear in mind that they do not occupy more space than is necessary and that they cause no inconvenience to the people performing salaah. They should also not present an obstacle to forming the rows Lf salaah. A narration of Bukhaari and Muslim also makes it apparent that Rasulullaah SAW. erected a Turkish tent in the Masjid, in which he spent his days in I'tikaaf. Erecting a tent in the Masjid for I'tikaaf is therefore an act of Sunnah and not a Bid'ah' And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.3