I said to Ubayy b. Ka'b: Tell me about lailat al-qadr, O Abu al-Mundhir, for our companion (Ibn Mas'ud) was questioned about it, and he said: Anyone who gets up for prayer every night all the year round will hit upon it (i.e. lailat al-qadr). He replied: May Allah have mercy on Abu 'Abd al-Rahman. By Allah, he knew that it was in Ramadan, (Musaddad's version goes) but he disliked that the people should content themselves (with that night alone); or he liked that the people should not content themselves (with the night alone). According to the agreed version: By Allah, it is the twenty-seventh night of Ramadan, without any reservation. I said: How did you know that, Abu al-Mundhir? He replied: By the indication (or sign) of which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ informed us. I asked Zirr: What is the sign ? He replied: The sun rises like a vessel of water in the morning following that night; it has no rays until it rises high up.  

أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ يَا أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ فَإِنَّ صَاحِبَنَا سُئِلَ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ مَنْ يَقُمِ الْحَوْلَ يُصِبْهَا فَقَالَ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمَ أَنَّهَا فِي رَمَضَانَ زَادَ مُسَدَّدٌ وَلَكِنْ كَرِهَ أَنْ يَتَّكِلُوا أَوْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ لاَ يَتَّكِلُوا ثُمَّ اتَّفَقَا وَاللَّهِ إِنَّهَا لَفِي رَمَضَانَ لَيْلَةُ سَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ لاَ يَسْتَثْنِي قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ أَنَّى عَلِمْتَ ذَلِكَ قَالَ بِالآيَةِ الَّتِي أَخْبَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ لِزِرٍّ مَا الآيَةُ قَالَ تُصْبِحُ الشَّمْسُ صَبِيحَةَ تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ مِثْلَ الطَّسْتِ لَيْسَ لَهَا شُعَاعٌ حَتَّى تَرْتَفِعَ  

I was present at the gathering of Banu Salamah, and I was the youngest of them. They (the people) said: Who will ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for us about Laylat al-Qadr? That was the twenty-first of Ramadan. I went out and said the sunset prayer along with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I then stood at the door of his house. He passed by me and said: Come in. I entered (the house) and dinner was brought for him. I was prevented from taking food as it was scanty. When he finished his dinner, he said to me: Give me my shoes. He then stood up and I also stood up with him. He said: Perhaps you have some business with me. I said: Yes. Some people of Banu Salamah have sent me to you to ask you about Laylat al-Qadr. He asked: Which night: Is it tonight? I said: Twenty-second. He said: This is the very night. He then withdrew and said: Or the following night, referring to the twenty-third night.  

كُنْتُ فِي مَجْلِسِ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ وَأَنَا أَصْغَرُهُمْ فَقَالُوا مَنْ يَسْأَلُ لَنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ وَذَلِكَ صَبِيحَةَ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَخَرَجْتُ فَوَافَيْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَلاَةَ الْمَغْرِبِ ثُمَّ قُمْتُ بِبَابِ بَيْتِهِ فَمَرَّ بِي فَقَالَ ادْخُلْ فَدَخَلْتُ فَأُتِيَ بِعَشَائِهِ فَرَآنِي أَكُفُّ عَنْهُ مِنْ قِلَّتِهِ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ نَاوِلْنِي نَعْلِي فَقَامَ وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ كَأَنَّ لَكَ حَاجَةً قُلْتُ أَجَلْ أَرْسَلَنِي إِلَيْكَ رَهْطٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ فَقَالَ كَمِ اللَّيْلَةُ فَقُلْتُ اثْنَتَانِ وَعِشْرُونَ قَالَ هِيَ اللَّيْلَةُ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ أَوِ الْقَابِلَةُ يُرِيدُ لَيْلَةَ ثَلاَثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ  

I said to the Messenger of Allah: I have a place in the desert where I live and in which I pray, with the praise of Allah; but give me command about a night when I come to this mosque. He replied: Come on the twenty third night. I (a sub-narrator, Muhammad ibn Ibrahim) said to his (Abdullah ibn Unays's) son: How would your father act? He replied: He used to enter the mosque when he had offered the afternoon prayer, and did not leave it for any purpose till he prayed the morning prayer. Then when he had prayed the morning prayer, he found his riding beast at the door of the mosque, mounted it and got back to his desert.  

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ لِي بَادِيَةً أَكُونُ فِيهَا وَأَنَا أُصَلِّي فِيهَا بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ فَمُرْنِي بِلَيْلَةٍ أَنْزِلُهَا إِلَى هَذَا الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَالَ انْزِلْ لَيْلَةَ ثَلاَثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ فَقُلْتُ لاِبْنِهِ كَيْفَ كَانَ أَبُوكَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ كَانَ يَدْخُلُ الْمَسْجِدَ إِذَا صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ فَلاَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ لِحَاجَةٍ حَتَّى يُصَلِّيَ الصُّبْحَ فَإِذَا صَلَّى الصُّبْحَ وَجَدَ دَابَّتَهُ عَلَى بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ فَجَلَسَ عَلَيْهَا فَلَحِقَ بِبَادِيَتِهِ  

The Prophet ﷺ as saying: Seek laitat al-Qadr in the last ten night of Ramadan. When nine (nights) remain (i.e. on the twenty first) , when seven (night) remain (i.e. on the twenty third), and when five (nights) remain (i.e. on the twenty fifth).  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ الْتَمِسُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فِي تَاسِعَةٍ تَبْقَى وَفِي سَابِعَةٍ تَبْقَى وَفِي خَامِسَةٍ تَبْقَى