Saudi Gazette report

MAKKAH — The General Authority for the Care of the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet's Mosque announced that the registration for itikaf at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah during the month of Ramadan, will start on Wednesday, March 5. Registration will start via the official website of the authority from11:00 AM on that day.

The authority said that the registration will end when the number of slots allotted for the ritual of itikaf is complete and itikaf will begin on Ramadan20, corresponding to March 20, and will continue until Ramadan 30. The authority will start issuing permits for those registered through its official website, and that will be in line with the specific conditions and set criteria.

Itikaf means a Muslim stays at a mosque for the sole purpose of worshipping and coming closer to Allah, following the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). The ritual is usually performed in the final 10 days of Ramadan, which began in Saudi Arabia this year on March 1.