The Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed i'tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan to seek Lailat-ul-Qadr before it was made manifest to him. When (these nights) were over, he commanded to strike the tent. Then it was made manifest to him that (Lailat-ul-Qadr) was in the last ten nights (of Ramadan), and commanded to pitch the tent (again). He then came to the people and said: O people, Lailat-ul-Qadr was made manifest to me and I came out to inform you about it that two persons came contending with each other and there was a devil along with them and I forgot it. So seek it in the last ten nights of Ramadan. Seek it on the ninth, on the seventh and on the fifth. I (one of the narrators) said: Abu Sa'id, you know more than us about numbers. He said: Yes, indeed we have better right than you. I said: What is this ninth, seventh, and fifth? He said: When twenty-one (nights are over) and the twenty-second begins, it is the ninth, and when twenty-three (nights) are over, that which follows (the last night) is the seventh, and when twenty-five nights are over, what follows it is fifth. Ibn Khallad said: Instead of the word Yahliqan (contending), he said Yakhtasiman, (they are disputing).  

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ؓ قَالَ اعْتَكَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْعَشْرَ الأَوْسَطَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ يَلْتَمِسُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُبَانَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا انْقَضَيْنَ أَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَقُوِّضَ ثُمَّ أُبِينَتْ لَهُ أَنَّهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ فَأَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَأُعِيدَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّهَا كَانَتْ أُبِينَتْ لِي لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ وَإِنِّي خَرَجْتُ لأُخْبِرَكُمْ بِهَا فَجَاءَ رَجُلاَنِ يَحْتَقَّانِ مَعَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ فَنُسِّيتُهَا فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ الْتَمِسُوهَا فِي 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 فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا ثِنْتَيْنِ وَعِشْرِينَ وَهْىَ التَّاسِعَةُ فَإِذَا مَضَتْ ثَلاَثٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا السَّابِعَةُ فَإِذَا مَضَى خَمْسٌ وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا الْخَامِسَةُ وَقَالَ ابْنُ خَلاَّدٍ مَكَانَ يَحْتَقَّانِ يَخْتَصِمَانِ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed Itikaf during the middle ten days of Ramadan, seeking Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) before it was revealed to him. When those ten days were complete, he commanded for a structure to be built, and it was built but then collapsed. Then it was revealed to him that Laylat al-Qadr was in the last ten days, so he commanded for it to be rebuilt. He then performed Itikaf during the last ten days, and then he emerged to address the people. He said, "O people, it has been revealed to me that Laylat al-Qadr was made known to me, but two feeble men with the devil made me forget it. So seek it in the ninth, seventh, and fifth nights." I (Abu Sa'id) said, "Indeed, you know the number of us better." He replied, "I am more entitled to do that than you. So leave aside the twenty-first night, and the ninth night follows it, and leave aside the twenty-third night, and the seventh night follows it, and leave aside the twenty-fifth night, and the fifth night follows it."  

اعْتَكَفَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْعَشْرَ الْأَوْسَطَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ وَهُوَ يَلْتَمِسُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُبَانَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا تَقَضَّيْنَ أَمَرَ بِبُنْيَانِهِ فَنُقِضَ ثُمَّ أُبِينَتْ لَهُ أَنَّهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِفَأَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَأُعِيدَ ثُمَّ اعْتَكَفَ الْعَشْرَ الْأَوَاخِرَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَى النَّاسِ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّهَا أُبِينَتْ لِي لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ فَخَرَجْتُ لِأُخْبِرَكُمْ بِهَا فَجَاءَ رَجُلَانِ يَحِيفَانِ مَعَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ فَنُسِّيتُهَا فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ إِنَّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِالْعَدَدِ مِنَّا قَالَ أَنَا أَحَقُّ بِذَاكَ مِنْكُمْ فَمَا التَّاسِعَةُ وَالسَّابِعَةُ وَالْخَامِسَةُ؟ قَالَ تَدَعُ الَّتِي تَدْعُونَ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ وَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا التَّاسِعَةُ وَتَدَعُ الَّتِي تَدْعُونَ ثَلَاثَةً وَعِشْرِينَ وَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا السَّابِعَةُ وَتَدَعُ الَّتِي تَدْعُونَ خَمْسَةً وَعِشْرِينَ وَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا الْخَامِسَةُ  

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ observed the middle ten nights of Ramadan while seeking Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Decree), then he commanded the construction (of a shelter), but it collapsed. Then it was revealed to him during the last ten nights, so he commanded its construction again. He came out to us and said, "Indeed, it has been revealed to me that Laylat al-Qadr is in one of the odd nights of the last ten nights. So seek it in the ninth, seventh, and fifth nights." I said, "O Abu Sa'id, you are more knowledgeable about our number, so which night is the ninth, seventh, and fifth?" He said, "If it is the twenty-first night, then leave (for seeking it) on the next night, then the seventh night is the one after it, and then leave on the next night; the fifth night is the one after it." Al-Ruwairi said: Al-Mutarraf reported to me from Abu al-'Ala' that he heard Mu'awiyah say, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'And the third (night)'"  

اعْتَكَفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْعَشْرَ الْأَوْسَطَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ وَهُوَ يَلْتَمِسُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَنُقِضَ ثُمَّ أُبِينَتْ لَهُ فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَأُعِيدَ فَخَرَجَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَالَ «إِنَّهَا أُبِينَتْ لِي لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ وَإِنِّي خَرَجْتُ لِأُبِينَهَا لَكُمْ فَتَلَاحَى رَجُلَانِ فَنُسِّيتُهَا فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ» قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا سَعِيدٍ إِنَّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِالْعَدَدِ مِنَّا فَأَيُّ لَيْلَةٍ التَّاسِعَةُ وَالسَّابِعَةُ وَالْخَامِسَةُ قَالَ إِذَا كَانَ لَيْلَةُ وَاحِدٍ وَعِشْرِينَ ثُمَّ دَعْ لَيْلَةً ثُمَّ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا هِيَ السَّابِعَةُ ثُمَّ دَعْ لَيْلَةً وَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا هِيَ الْخَامِسَةُ قَالَ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ مُعَاوِيَةَ يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «وَالثَّالِثَةِ»