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 used to retreat for worship in the middle ten days of Ramadan, seeking Laylat al-Qadr (the Night of Decree) before it was revealed to him. When the middle ten days were over, he commanded for the construction of the mosque to be halted, and it was demolished. Then it was revealed to him in the last ten days, so he commanded for the mosque to be reconstructed in its original place, and he retreated for worship in the last ten days. He came out to us and said, "O people, I was informed about the Night of Decree, so I came out in order to inform you or be informed by you about it. However, two men quarreled with each other, and Satan made me forget it. So seek it in the ninth, seventh, and fifth nights." Abu Nadrah said, "So I said to Abu Sa'id, 'You, the Sahaba (companions) of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, are the most knowledgeable about our number, so how should we count it?' He said, 'Indeed, we are more knowledgeable about that than you. When the twenty-first night passes, the ninth follows it. Then when the one after has passed, the seventh follows it. Then when the one after has passed, the fifth follows it.'" Abu Mas'ud said, "Abu Al-'Ala' informed me by way of Mu'attib, who narrated from Mu'awiyah, that he said, 'And on the third night...'"  

اعْتَكَفَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْعَشْرَ الْأَوْسَطَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ يَلْتَمِسُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُبَانَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا انْقَضَيْنَ أَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَنُقِضَ وَرُفِعَ ثُمَّ أُبِينَتْ لَهُ فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ فَأَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَأُعِيدَ مَكَانَهُ وَاعْتَكَفَ فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ وَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي أُنْبِئْتُ بِلَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ فَخَرَجْتُ كَيْمَا أُحَدِّثُكُمْ بِهَا أَوْ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِهَا فَتَلَاحَى رَجُلَانِ يَحْتَقَّانِ مَعَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ فَأُنْسِيتُهَا فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ 8532 قَالَ أَبُو نَضْرَةَ فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي سَعِيدٍ إِنَّكُمْ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَعْلَمُ بِالْعَدَدِ مِنَّا فَكَيْفَ نَعُدُّهُنَّ؟ قَالَ أَجَلْ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ إِذَا مَضَتْ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا التَّاسِعَةُ فَإِذَا مَضَتِ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا السَّابِعَةُ فَإِذَا مَضَتِ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا الْخَامِسَةُ قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ وَأَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ