The Prophet (ﷺ) used to observe retirement (i'tikaf) to the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan till Allah took him, and then his wives observed retirement to the mosque after his death.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to observe I'tikaf during ten days of Ramadan every year. But when the year in which he died, he observed I'tikaf for twenty days.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was observing I'tikaf (in the mosque), I would come to him to visit him. I had a talk with him and then stood up. I then returned and he (the Prophet) also stood up to accompany me (to my house). Her dwelling place was in the house of Usamah b. Zaid. Two men from the Ansar (helpers) passed (by him at the moment). When they saw the Prophet (ﷺ), they walked quickly. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Be at ease, she is Safiyyah daughter of Huyayy. They said: Be glory to Allah, Messenger of Allah! He said: Satan runs in man like blood. I feared he might inspire something in your mind, or he said: evil (the narrator doubted).

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Al Zuhri through a different chain of narrators. In this version she said “When he was at the gate of the mosque which was near the gate of Umm Salamah, two men passed them. The narrator then transmitted the tradition to the same effect.

According to the version of Al Nufaili, A’ishah said “The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pass by a patient while he was observing I’tikaf(in the mosque) but he passed as usual and did not stay asking about him.” According to the version of Ibn Isa she said “The Prophet (ﷺ) would visit a patient while he was observing I’tikaf.”