It is mustahabb to seek it during Ramadan, especially in the last ten nights of the month. It was reported in Saheeh Muslim that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did I’tikaaf during the first ten days of Ramadan, then he did I’tikaaf during the middle ten days in a Turkish tent [the word qubbah, translated here as “tentâ€, refers to a tent or any circular structure] in which a mat was placed. He said: so he took the mat in his hand and put it at the side of the tent, then he raised his head to speak to the people, so they came closer to him. He said: “I did I’tikaaf during the first ten days, seeking this night, then I did I’tikaaf during the middle ten days. Then someone came to me and told me that it is in the last ten days, so whoever among you wants to do I’tikaaf, let him do so.†So the people did I’tikaaf with him. He said: “I was shown an odd-numbered night, in the morning of which I was prostrating in mud and waterâ€. Then in the morning of the twenty-first, he got up to pray Subh and it was raining; the roof of the mosque leaked, and there was mud and water. He came out when he had finished praying, and there was mud and water on his forehead and nose. That was the morning of the twenty-first, one of the last ten days.†[Saheeh Muslim, 1167]
In a report, Abu Sa’eed said: “It rained on the night of the twenty-first, and the roof of the mosque leaked over the place where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was praying. I looked at him, when he had finished praying Salaat al-Subh, and his face was wet with mud and water.†[Agreed upon].
Muslim narrated a hadeeth from ‘Abd-Allah ibn Unays (may Allah be pleased with him) that was similar to the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed, except that he said, “it rained on the night of the twenty-third.†According to a hadeeth narrated by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Seek it in the last ten days of Ramadan, when there are nine days left, and seven days left, and five days left.†(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 4/260).
Laylat al-Qadr is in the last ten days of Ramadan, as stated in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed quoted above, and as stated in the hadeeth of `A’ishah, and in the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar who said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten days of Ramadan.â€
(The hadeeth of `A’ishah was narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4/259; the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar was narrated by Muslim, 2/823. This wording is that of the hadeeth of `A’ishah).
It is more likely to be one of the odd-numbered nights, because of the hadeeth of `A’ishah who said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights.†(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 4/259)
We should seek it especially in the odd-numbered nights, i.e., on the twenty-first, the twenty-third, the twenty-fifth, the twenty-seventh and the twenty-ninth. It was reported in al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Seek it in the last ten nights, on the odd-numbered nights.†(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1912, see also, 1913. Also narrated by Muslim, 1167, see also 1165).
According to the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them both), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Seek it in the last ten nights of Ramadan, when there are nine left, when there are seven left, when there are five left.†(Narrated by al-Bukhari, 1917-1918). So it is more likely to be one of the odd-numbered nights.
In Saheeh al-Bukhari it was narrated that ‘Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit said: the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out to tell us when Laylat al-Qadr was, and two of the Muslims were arguing. He said: “I came out to tell you when Laylat al-Qadr was, and So and so and So and so were arguing, so it [the knowledge of when Laylat al-Qadr was] was taken away from me. Perhaps this is better for you. So seek it on the ninth and the seventh and the fifth†(al-Bukhari, 1919), i.e., on the odd-numbered nights.
This hadeeth indicates how bad it is to argue and fight, especially with regard to matters of religion, and that this is a cause of goodness being taken away or concealed.
Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyah said: “But odd-numbers have to do with what is past [i.e., when one starts counting from the beginning of the month], so it should be sought on the twenty-first, the twenty-third, the twenty-seventh or the twenty-ninth; or it may be with regard to what is left, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: ‘when there are nine left, or seven left, or five left, or three left.’ On this basis, if the month has thirty days, these will be even-numbered nights, so on the twenty-second there will be nine days left, on the twenty-fourth there will be seven days left. This is how it was explained by Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri in the saheeh hadeeth, and this is how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed qiyaam during this month. If this is the case, then the believer should seek it in all of the last ten days.†(al-Fataawaa, 25/284, 285)
Laylat al-Qadr is more likely to be in the last seven days. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man among the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was shown Laytal al-Qadr in a dream, and that it was one of the last seven nights. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It seems that your dreams agreed that it is one of the last seven nights, so whoever wants to seek it, let him seek it in the last seven nights.†(narrated by al-Bukhari, 1911; Muslim, 1165). Muslim reported: “Seek it in the last ten nights, and if any of you are weak or unable to do that, then let him not miss the last seven.â€
It is most likely to be on the night of the twenty-seventh. It was reported, in a hadeeth narrated by Ahmad from Ibn ‘Umar, and a hadeeth narrated by Abu Dawood from Mu’aawiyah, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Laylat al-Qadr is the night of the twenty-seventh.†(Musnad Ahmad and Sunan Abu Dawood, 1386). The view that it is the night of the twenty-seventh is the opinion of most of the Sahaabah and the majority of scholars, and Ubayy ibn Ka’b (may Allah be pleased with him) used to assert, without saying “inshaAllahâ€, that it was the night of the twenty-seventh. Zurr ibn Hubaysh said: “I said: What makes you say that, O Abu’l-Mundhir? He said: by the signs of which the Messengers of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) told us: that the sun rises that morning with no visible rays.†(Narrated by Muslim,2/268)
