Seeking Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to observe i'tikaf in Ramadan during the ten nights in the middle of the month. When evening came after twenty nights had passed and the twenty-first was beginning, he would return to his dwelling, and those who had been observing i'tikaf with him would return as well.
Then, in a month in which he was observing i'tikaf, he remained on the night on which he used to return. He addressed the people and instructed them as Allah willed, then said: "I used to observe i'tikaf during these ten, but it has now become apparent to me that I should observe i'tikaf during these last ten. So whoever was observing i'tikaf with me should remain in his place of i'tikaf. I was shown this night, then I was made to forget it, so seek it in the last ten, and seek it on every odd night. I saw myself prostrating in water and mud."
The sky then opened up with rain on that night, and it rained, so the mosque leaked at the prayer place of the Prophet ﷺ on the night of the twenty-first. My own eyes saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and I looked at him as he left from the morning prayer with his face full of mud and water.
كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُجَاوِرُ فِي رَمَضَانَ الْعَشْرَ الَّتِي فِي وَسَطِ الشَّهْرِ، فَإِذَا كَانَ حِينَ يُمْسِي مِنْ عِشْرِينَ لَيْلَةً تَمْضِي وَيَسْتَقْبِلُ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ رَجَعَ إِلَى مَسْكَنِهِ، وَرَجَعَ مَنْ كَانَ يُجَاوِرُ مَعَهُ.
وَأَنَّهُ أَقَامَ فِي شَهْرٍ جَاوَرَ فِيهِ اللَّيْلَةَ الَّتِي كَانَ يَرْجِعُ فِيهَا، فَخَطَبَ النَّاسَ، فَأَمَرَهُمْ مَا شَاءَ اللَّهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: «كُنْتُ أُجَاوِرُ هَذِهِ الْعَشْرَ، ثُمَّ قَدْ بَدَا لِي أَنْ أُجَاوِرَ هَذِهِ الْعَشْرَ الأَوَاخِرَ، فَمَنْ كَانَ اعْتَكَفَ مَعِي فَلْيَثْبُتْ فِي مُعْتَكَفِهِ، وَقَدْ أُرِيتُ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةَ ثُمَّ أُنْسِيتُهَا، فَابْتَغُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ، وَابْتَغُوهَا فِي كُلِّ وِتْرٍ، وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي أَسْجُدُ فِي مَاءٍ وَطِينٍ».
فَاسْتَهَلَّتِ السَّمَاءُ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ فَأَمْطَرَتْ، فَوَكَفَ الْمَسْجِدُ فِي مُصَلَّى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَيْلَةَ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ، فَبَصُرَتْ عَيْنِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ، وَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ انْصَرَفَ مِنَ الصُّبْحِ وَوَجْهُهُ مُمْتَلِئٌ طِينًا وَمَاءً.
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