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. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 1379)  

كُنْتُ فِي مَجْلِسٍ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ وَأَنَا أَصْغَرُهُمْ فَقَالُوا مَنْ يَسْأَلُ لَنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ وَذَلِكَ صَبِيحَةَ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرِينَ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ؟ فَخَرَجْتُ فَوَافَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَاةَ الْمَغْرِبِ ثُمَّ قُمْتُ بِبَابِ بَيْتِهِ فَمَرَّ بِي فَقَالَ «ادْخُلْ» فَدَخَلْتُ فَأُتِيَ بِعَشَائِهِ فَرَأَيْتُنِي أَكُفُّ عَنْهُ مِنْ قِلَّتِهِ فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ قَالَ نَاوِلْنِي نَعْلِي فَقَامَ وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ قَالَ «كَأَنَّ لَكَ حَاجَةً؟» قُلْتُ أَجَلْ أَرْسَلَنِي إِلَيْكَ رَهْطٌ مِنْ بَنِي سَلِمَةَ يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنْ لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ قَالَ «كَمِ اللَّيْلَةُ؟» قُلْتُ اثْنَتَانِ وَعِشْرُونَ قَالَ «هِي اللَّيْلَةُ» ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ «أَوِ الْقَابِلَةُ» يُرِيدُ لَيْلَةَ ثَلَاثٍ وَعِشْرِينَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ خَالَفَهُ مُوسَى بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ