Retreat in the Mosque

Anas narrated ‘The Prophet (SAWA), if he was in town, would retreat in the mosque the last ten nights of the month of Ramadhan, and if he was travelling, would retreat in the mosque twenty nights the following year.

I was once sitting in the presence of al-Hasan b. Ali (AS) when a man came to him, saying, ‘O son of the Prophet of Allah, verily x is claiming money from me that I owe him and wants to arrest me. So he replied, ‘By Allah, I do not have money to pay your debt on your behalf. So he asked, ‘Then talk to him. So he (AS) put on his sandals, whereupon I asked him, ‘O son of the Prophet of Allah, have you forgotten the fact that you are in a state of retreat So he replied, ‘No, I have not forgotten, but I have heard my father (SAWA) narrating on the authority of my grandfather, the Prophet of Allah (AS) that he had said, ‘He who strives to fulfil a fellow Muslim brother s need is as if he has worshipped Allah, Mighty and Exalted, for nine thousand years, fasting during the day and standing in prayer at night.

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The Prophet (SAWA) used to retreat in the mosque the last ten nights [of Ramadhan], when a tent of fur would be pitched for him, and he would roll up the skirting and lay out his bedding.

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Retreat can only be in a congregational mosque wherein the congregational prayer is led by a just imam.