It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) performed i'tikaf during the first ten days of Ramadan. Then he performed i'tikaf during the second ten days as well, in a Turkish tent, at the door of which a mat was hung. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) took hold of that mat with his blessed hand, removed it, and placed it in the corner of the tent. Then he put his blessed head outside and spoke to the people, so they came close to him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Indeed, I performed i'tikaf in the first ten days seeking Laylat al-Qadr, then I performed i'tikaf in the middle ten days. Then an angel came to me in a dream and I was informed that Laylat al-Qadr is in the last ten nights. Therefore, whoever among you wishes to perform i'tikaf, let him do so." Thus, the people performed i'tikaf with him (in the last ten days). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Indeed, I was shown that night in the odd nights, and on its morning I prostrated in mud." Then, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) reached the morning of the twenty-first night, and he had performed voluntary prayers until morning, it rained and the roof of the mosque began to leak. Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I saw the mud. Then, when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) finished the morning prayer and came out, there was mud on his forehead and nose, and that was the twenty-first night in the last ten days. This hadith is of the highest rank.

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to call me along with the companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and instructed me not to speak until the companions had finished their conversation. He says that he called the companions and asked them about Laylat al-Qadr and said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights." Tell me, in your opinion, which night is it? Some said it is the twenty-first night. Some said it is the thirtieth night, and some said it is the twenty-fifth night. During this, I remained silent. Then he said to me, "Why do you not speak?" I said, "O Commander of the Faithful, if you permit me, I will speak." He said, "I have called you only so that you may speak." So I said, "Shall I state it according to my opinion?" Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "We have asked for your opinion." So I said, "It is the twenty-seventh night. I have observed that Allah Almighty has mentioned seven heavens and seven earths. Man was created from seven, and the plants of the earth are also of seven kinds." Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You have told me things that I know. Tell me something that I do not know. The plants of the earth are of seven kinds—what do you mean by this?" I said, "Indeed, Allah Almighty says: «‏‏‏‏ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا۔۔۔ وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا» ‏‏‏‏ [ سورة عبس: 31۔ 26 ] 'Then We split the earth in clefts, then We caused to grow therein grain, and grapes and herbs, and olives and date-palms, and dense gardens, and fruits and pastures.' And by 'abb' is meant the fodder which animals eat and humans do not eat." So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Are you even unable to explain like that child whose intellect has not yet matured? By Allah, my opinion is also in agreement with yours." And he said, "I had instructed you not to speak until these companions had finished their conversation, and now I instruct you to converse along with them."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to consult me along with the senior Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), and he used to say to me: "Do not speak until the elder Companions have spoken." So Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) asked them about Laylat al-Qadr, and they said, "Surely you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'Seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten nights.'" Then he narrated the incident of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) with Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

A narration similar to the above is reported from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), but in it are these words: "al-ab" refers to the grass and fodder which animals eat and humans do not eat.

Abdur Rahman narrates that I mentioned the Night of Qadr to Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him), so he said: After hearing the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), I only seek it in the last ten nights. I heard him say: "Seek the Night of Qadr in the last ten nights, when nine nights remain, or when seven remain, or five remain, or three remain, or in the last night." Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pray in the first twenty nights according to his routine for the whole year, then when the last ten nights began, he would exert himself greatly in worship and devotion.

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed i'tikaf in the middle ten days of Ramadan, and he was searching for Laylat al-Qadr, while the matter had not yet been made clear to him. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the tents to be taken down, so they were taken down. Then the indication was given to him in the last ten days, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered and the tents were set up again. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us and said: "The situation is that I was shown Laylat al-Qadr, and I came out to inform you, but two men were arguing, so it was made to be forgotten by me. Therefore, seek it in the ninth, seventh, and fifth nights." Abu Nazrah says, I said: "O Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him), surely you know counting better than us, so which are the ninth, seventh, and fifth nights?" He replied: "Yes, and we are more deserving of it. When it is the twenty-first night, the next night is the ninth. Then skip one night, the next is the seventh. Then skip one night, and the next is the fifth. The ones you call the twenty-fourth, twenty-sixth, and twenty-second (leave those)."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: He narrated as mentioned above and added the third night.

Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) separated himself from his pure wives (for one month), I said, "O Messenger of Allah, you have stayed in the upper room for twenty-nine days (the month has not yet been completed)." So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, a month can also be of twenty-nine days."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that we mentioned the Night of Qadr in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), so he said: "How many days of the month have passed?" We replied that twenty-two days have passed and eight days remain. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, rather seven days remain." The companions said: "No, rather eight days remain." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, rather seven days remain; the month can also be of twenty-nine days." Then he counted twenty-nine days with his blessed hand and then said: "Seek the Night of Qadr tonight."