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* al-`Allaamah Ibn Battaal al-Maalikee -rahimahullaah- said in his explanation of “Saheehul-Bukhaaree” (4/154-157), in explanation of the Chapter: Seeking the Night of Decree in the odd nights of the last ten [Book of the virtue of the Night of Decree: Chapter 3]:

“at-Tabaree said: The Companions and those who followed them upon good differed concerning pinpointing the actual night of Laylatul-Qadr; and they differed in what they narrated from the Prophet -`alaihis-Salaam- to pinpoint it.

Ibn Mas`ood said: “It is the seventeenth night of Ramadaan”; and

`Alee, Ibn Mas`ood, and Zayd ibn Thaabit said: “It is the nineteenth night”; and

some of them said: “It is the twenty (first night)”, based upon the hadeeth of Aboo Sa`eed: that is also related from `Alee and Ibn Mas`ood.

Others said: “It is the twenty third night”, based upon the hadeeth of Ibn `Umar and Ibn `Abbaas; that is related from Ibn `Abbaas, `Aa·ishah, and Bilaal; and it was said by Makhool; and

Ibn `Abbaas and Bilaal said: “It is the twenty fourth night”; and this was the saying of al-Hasan [i.e. al-Basree] and Qataadah; and I think that those who said that were basing it upon his -`alaihis-Salaam- saying: << Seek it when seven remain >>, understanding that the seventh is the first of the seven remaining nights; and that is the twenty fourth night if the month is full [1] And `Alee, Ibn `Abbaas, Ubayy ibn Ka`b, and Mu`aawiyah said: “It is the twenty seventh night”;

[1] i.e. consisting of thirty days; as opposed to “short”,when composed of twenty nine days.

and it is related from Ibn `Umar that he said: “It occurs within the whole of Ramadaan”;

and `Abdullaahibn Buraydah related: from Mu`aawiyah: from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) that he said:
<< It is the last night. >>

And Ayyoob said: from Aboo Qilaabah that it moves around throughout all the nights of the last ten.

at-Tabaree said: And the narrations reported about that from the Prophet – `alaihis-Salaam- are authentic, and they are in harmony, they do not contradict each other. this is because they all relate from him -`alaihis-Salaam- that it is within the last ten; and its moving around each year, to one of the last ten nights, is not to be denied. And it is known that he -`alaihis-Salaam- only said, with regard to each of the nights that he commanded his Companions to seek it in, that it was in that night in that (particular) year. So what is correct is that it is in the month of Ramadaan, to the exclusion of the other months of the year, because of the consensus of all those who inherited from the Prophet -`alaihisSalaam- that he said: << (It) is in the last ten; in the odd ones from them. >>

Then there is nothing specific to limit it to a particular night, such that it cannot move to a different night. So if it were restricted to a specific night, then the one having the most right to know that would be the Prophet -`alaihis-Salaam: along with how eager he was to know it, so that he could make his nation aware of it. So he did not make them aware of it, except by its signs: that it is a pleasant night: not hot, and not cold; and that the sun rises on its morning white (dull), with no rays. And the fact that he directed his nation towards it by means of signs, and not by stating a particular night, is a clear proof of the falsity of the saying of those who say that certain things appear that night which do not appear in the rest of the year: such as trees falling to the ground, and then returning to their places. So if that were true, then it would not be hidden from the eyes of one who stood throughout all the nights of the year; so what about the nights of Ramadaan?!

As for what this night has been singled out with, to the exclusion of the rest of the nights, then it is better than a thousand months: meaning that an action done in it : from those things which please Allaah, and which He loves: Prayer, Supplication, and the like, is better than an action done in a thousand months which do not contain the Night of Decree; and that supplication in it is responded to, as long as he does not supplicate for something sinful, nor for the cutting of ties of kinship.

And Maalik said regarding his -`alaihis-Salaam-: << Seek it on the ninth remaining >>: it is the night of the twenty first; and that << Seven remaining >> is the night of the twenty third night; and << Five remaining >> is the twenty fifth.

The author said: The meaning of this, and the Night of Decree occuring on an odd night will only be correct if the month is “short”[i.e. of twenty nine days]. If it is full [i.e. of thirty days], then it will not be except on an even night. So “nine remaining” will be the night of the twenty second; “five remaining” will be the night of the twenty sixth; “seven remaining” will be the night of the twenty fourth: based upon what al-Bukhaaree mentioned from Ibn `Abbaas: so none of them will conform to an odd night. So this proves that the Night of Decree moves around every year within the last ten: from being an odd night to being an even one, and from being an even one to being an odd one. This is because the Prophet -`alaihis-Salaam- did not command his nation to seek it in a full month, but not in a short one. Rather he left seeking it unrestricted, applying to all the months of Ramadaan: those which Allaah causes to be full sometimes, and short on other occasions. So it is established that it moves within all of the last ten nights, as Aboo Qilaabah said…”

[Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank]

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Imaam Muslim -rahimahullaah- reported in his “Saheeh” (The Book of Fasting: no. 762):

“And Muhammad ibn Haatim and Ibn Abee `Umar narrated to us, both of them: from Ibn `Uyainah. Ibn Haatim said: Sufyaan ibn `Uyainah narrated to us: from `Abdah and `Aasim ibn Abin-Nujood, who both heard Zirr ibn Hubaish say:

“I asked Ubayy ibn Ka`b, saying: Your brother Ibn Mas`ood says: Whoever stands in (Night) Prayer throughout the whole year will attain Laylatul-Qadr (The Night of Decree). So he said: “May Allaah have mercy upon him! He intended that the people should not just rely (upon a single night). Indeed he knew that it was in Ramadaan; and that it is in the last ten; and that it was the twenty seventh night.” Then he swore an oath, without exception that it was the twenty seventh night.” So I said: ” O Abul-Mundhir! Upon what basis do you say that?” He said: “Based upon the sign which Allaah”s Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم) informed us of: that it [i.e. the sun] will rise on that day having no rays“.”

Imaam an-Nawawee -rahimahullaah- said in his explanation of “Saheeh Muslim”: “…al-Qaadee `Iyaad said:

It is said that the meaning of its having no rays is that this was just a distinctive sign which Allaah -the Most High- made for it [that year]. He said: Or it is otherwise said: Rather it is on account of the great number of Angels coming and going on its night; and their descending to the earth, and their ascending, with that which they descended with. So their wings and their subtle/ethereal bodies screen the light of the sun and its rays, and Allaah knows best.”

Imaam Aboo Daawood -rahimahullaah- reported the hadeeth (The Book of the Prayer: Chapter 319: What occurs regarding the Night of Decree), (no. 1378), with the wording:

“…On the morning following that night the sun enters the morning like a brass dish, having no rays, until it has risen higher.”

[Declared “hasan saheeh” by Shaikh al-Albaanee -rahimahullaah.]

Imaam Ibn Khuzaymah -rahimahullaah- reported in his “Saheeh” (no. 2192): “ Bundaar narrated to us: Aboo `Aamir narrated to me: Zam`ah narrated to us: from Salamah -he is Ibn Wahraam-: from `Ikrimah: from Ibn `Abbaas: from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) that he said regarding the Night of Decree:

“It is a pleasant night, being neither hot nor cold. The sun enters the morning of its day being red and weak.”

-Shaikh al-Albaanee said: “A hadeeth which is “Saheeh” because of its witnesses…”

Imaam an-Nawawee -rahimahullaah- said in his explanation of “Saheeh Muslim” (The Book of Fasting: Chapter 40: The virtue of the Night of Decree):“al-Qaadee [`Iyaad] said:

They disagreed about its place. So a group said: It moves about, so in one year it will be one night, and in another year it will be a different night, and so on; and this harmonizes the ahaadeeth ; and it is said: Each hadeeth refers to one of its times, and there is no contradiction between them. He said: And the like of this was stated by Maalik, ath-Thawree, Ahmad, Ishaaq, Aboo Thawr, and others. They said: It moves about within the last ten nights of Ramadaan…”

al-Haafiz Ibn Hajr -rahimahullaah- said in “Fathul-Baaree” (4/260) in explanation of the chapter heading: “Seeking the Night of Decree in the odd nights of the last ten”:

“This title contains an indication of the preference of the saying that the Night of Decree is restricted to Ramadaan, then to the last ten nights of it, then to the odd nights from them, and that it is not one particular, fixed night. This is what is indicated by the collected narrations concerning it.”

-And he said (4/267):

“So the most correct saying out of all of them is that it is one of the odd nights from the last ten, and that it moves around – as can be understood from the ahaadeeth of this chapter.

So the most likely nights are the odd nights of the last ten; and the most likely night from the odd nights of the last ten in the view of the Shaafi`ees is the twenty-first night or the twenty-third night, in accordance with what occurs in the hadeeth of Aboo Sa`eed and `Abdullaah ibn Unays; whereas in the view of the majority the most likely (night) is the twenty-seventh night, and the evidences for that have preceded.

The scholars said: The wisdom behind Laylatul-Qadr being concealed is so that the people strive to seek it contrary to what would be the case if it were a certain known night – for then they would restrict themselves to that, as has been mentioned concerning the hour on the day of Jumu`ah….”

[Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank rahimahullaah]

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