Tirmidhi Book 8, Hadith 794

حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُيَيْنَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ ذُكِرَتْ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ عِنْدَ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ، فَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ مَا أَنَا مُلْتَمِسُهَا لِشَيْءٍ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَّا فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ:‏‏‏‏ الْتَمِسُوهَا فِي تِسْعٍ يَبْقَيْنَ أَوْ فِي سَبْعٍ يَبْقَيْنَ أَوْ فِي خَمْسٍ يَبْقَيْنَ أَوْ فِي ثَلَاثِ أَوَاخِرِ لَيْلَةٍ . قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرَةَ يُصَلِّي فِي الْعِشْرِينَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ كَصَلَاتِهِ فِي سَائِرِ السَّنَةِ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَإِذَا دَخَلَ الْعَشْرُ اجْتَهَدَ. قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ.

Uyainah bin Abdur-Rahman narrated: My father narrated to me: 'The Night of Al-Qadr was mentioned in the presence of Abu Bakrah, so he said: I do not search for it due to something that I heard from the Messenger of Allah, except for during the last ten (nights); for indeed I heard him say: 'Search for it when nine remain, or; when seven remain, or; when five remain, or; during the last three nights.' He (Uyainah) said: During the twenty (nights) of Ramadan, Abu Bakrah used to perform Salat just as he performed Salat during the rest of the year. But when the (last) ten began, he would struggle (performing more Salat during the night).