Aishah said: When the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم intended to observe Itikaf, he prayed the fajr prayer and then entered his place of seclusion. Once he intended to observe Itikaf during the last ten days of Ramadan. She said: He ordered to pitch a tent for him, and it was pitched. She said: The other wives of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم also ordered to pitch tents for them and they were pitched. When he offered the fajr prayer, he saw the tents, and said: What is this ? Did you intend to do an act of virtue ? She said: He then ordered to demolish his tent, and it was demolished. Then his wives also ordered to demolish their tents and they were demolished. He then postponed Itikaf till the first ten days, that is of Shawwal. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been transmitted by Ibn Ishaq and al-Auzai from Yahya bin Saeed in a similar manner, and Malik narrated it from Yahya bin Saeed, saying: He observed Itikaf during twenty days of Shawwal.