Sahih Muslim Book - 13, Hadith - 2774

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ خَلاَّدٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ عَنْ أَبِى نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِى سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِىِّ - رضى الله عنه - قَالَ اعْتَكَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- الْعَشْرَ الأَوْسَطَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ يَلْتَمِسُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُبَانَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا انْقَضَيْنَ أَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَقُوِّضَ ثُمَّ أُبِينَتْ لَهُ أَنَّهَا فِى الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ فَأَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَأُعِيدَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ « يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ أُبِينَتْ لِى لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ وَإِنِّى خَرَجْتُ لأُخْبِرَكُمْ بِهَا فَجَاءَ رَجُلاَنِ يَحْتَقَّانِ مَعَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ فَنُسِّيتُهَا فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِى الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ الْتَمِسُوهَا فِى التَّاسِعَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ ». قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ إِنَّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِالْعَدَدِ مِنَّا. قَالَ أَجَلْ. نَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ. قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا التَّاسِعَةُ وَالسَّابِعَةُ وَالْخَامِسَةُ قَالَ إِذَا مَضَتْ وَاحِدَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِى تَلِيهَا ثِنْتَيْنِ وَعِشْرِينَ وَهْىَ التَّاسِعَةُ فَإِذَا مَضَتْ ثَلاَثٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِى تَلِيهَا السَّابِعَةُ فَإِذَا مَضَى خَمْسٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِى تَلِيهَا الْخَامِسَةُ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ خَلاَّدٍ مَكَانَ يَحْتَقَّانِ يَخْتَصِمَانِ.

It was narrated from Abu Nadrah, that Abu Sa’eed Al-khudri [may Allah be pleased with him] said: “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) observed I’tikaf during the middle ten days of Ramadan, seeking Lailat Al-Qadar before it was shown to him. When they were over, he ordered that the tent be taken down, then he was shown that it (Lailat Al-Qadar) was in the last ten nights, so he ordered that the tent be put back, then he came out to the people and said: ‘O people, Lailat Al-Qadar was shown to me, and I came out to tell you about it, but two men came disputing, and the Shaitan was with them, and I was caused to forget it. So seek it in the last ten nights of Ramadan, seek it on the ninth, the seventh and the fifth.”’ I (Abu Nadrah) said: “O Abu Sa’eed, you know more about numbers than I do.” He said: “Yes we are bound to.” I said: “What are the ninth, the seventh and the fifth?” He said: “when twenty-one nights have passed and the next night is twenty-second, that it is the ninth. When twenty-three have passed, the next night is the seventh. And when twenty-five have passed, the next night is the fifth.”