13/40. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1167d — Seek Laylatul Qadr on Odd Nights
The virtue of Lailat Al-Qadr and the Exhortation to seek it; When it is and the most likely times to seek it
Laylatul Qadr on the Last Ten Odd Nights
Sahih Muslim : 1167d
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1167d
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ تَذَاكَرْنَا لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ فَأَتَيْتُ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيَّ - رضى الله عنه - وَكَانَ لِي صَدِيقًا فَقُلْتُ أَلاَ تَخْرُجُ بِنَا إِلَى النَّخْلِ فَخَرَجَ وَعَلَيْهِ خَمِيصَةٌ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ سَمِعْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَذْكُرُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ اعْتَكَفْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْعَشْرَ الْوُسْطَى مِنْ رَمَضَانَ فَخَرَجْنَا صَبِيحَةَ عِشْرِينَ فَخَطَبَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " إِنِّي أُرِيتُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ وَإِنِّي نَسِيتُهَا - أَوْ أُنْسِيتُهَا - فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الأَوَاخِرِ مِنْ كُلِّ وِتْرٍ وَإِنِّي أُرِيتُ أَنِّي أَسْجُدُ فِي مَاءٍ وَطِينٍ فَمَنْ كَانَ اعْتَكَفَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلْيَرْجِعْ " . قَالَ فَرَجَعْنَا وَمَا نَرَى فِي السَّمَاءِ قَزَعَةً قَالَ وَجَاءَتْ سَحَابَةٌ فَمُطِرْنَا حَتَّى سَالَ سَقْفُ الْمَسْجِدِ وَكَانَ مِنْ جَرِيدِ النَّخْلِ وَأُقِيمَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَرَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَسْجُدُ فِي الْمَاءِ وَالطِّينِ قَالَ حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ أَثَرَ الطِّينِ فِي جَبْهَتِهِ .
Abu Salama Narrated from:
We discussed amongst ourselves Lailat-ul-Qadr. I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) who was a friend of mine and said to him: Would you not go with us to the garden of date trees? He went out with a cloak over him. I said to him: Did you hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) making mention of Lailat-ul-Qadr?He said: Yes, (and added) we were observing i'tikaf with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the middle ten days of Ramadan, and came out on the morning of the twentieth and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us and said: I was shown Lailat-ul-Qadr, but I forgot (the exact night) or I was caused to forget it, so seek it in the last ten odd (nights), and I was shown that I was prostrating in water and clay. So he who wanted to observe i'tikaf with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) should return (to the place of i'tikaf).He (Abu Sa'id al-Khudri) said: And we returned and did not find any patch of cloud in the sky. Then the cloud gathered and there was (so heavy) a downpour that the roof of the mosque which was made of the branches of date-palms began to drip. Then there was prayer and I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrating in water and clay till I saw the traces of clay on his forehead.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1167dIn-book reference : Book 13, Hadith 278USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 6, Hadith 2628
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1167d
This hadith shows the companions discussing Laylatul Qadr and asking someone who heard about it directly. Abu Salama asked Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, who said that they had observed i'tikaf with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in the middle ten days of Ramadan. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then addressed them and said that he had been shown Laylatul Qadr but had forgotten it, or was caused to forget it. He told them to seek it in the last ten odd nights. He also mentioned being shown that he would prostrate in water and clay. The report then describes rain, the mosque roof dripping, and the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم prostrating in water and clay, with traces on his forehead.
What we learn from this hadith
- Questions about Laylatul Qadr should be answered through reliable reports.
- The last ten odd nights are singled out for seeking Laylatul Qadr.
- The companions returned to i'tikaf when the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم directed them.
