The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, was asked about Laylat al-Qadr, and he said: “It is in the last ten nights of Ramadān, or in the fifth, or in the third.”
Narrated by Ahmad (no. 22043), al-Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr (no. 177), and in Musnad al-Shāmiyyīn (no. 1160), with the addition: “in the last ten nights, in the seventh…” from the narration of Mu‘ādh ibn Jabal -may Allah be pleased with him-.
Authenticated in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Jāmi‘ (no. 5471), and Silsilat al-Aḥādīth al-Ṣaḥīḥah (no. 1471).
Al-Būsīrī comments in Itḥāf al-Khayrah (3/134) regarding al-Ṭabarānī’s addition: “its chain is composed of trustworthy narrators.”
Brief Explanation of the Hadith
It is among the favors of Allah, may He be exalted, upon this Ummah that He has designated for it great seasons of worship, in which good deeds are multiplied, and sins are forgiven. Among the greatest of which is Laylat al-Qadr, which is the best and most blessed night of a lifetime.
In this ḥadīth, the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, informs that Laylat al-Qadr occurs in the last ten nights of Ramadān, in the fifth or the third night; and in another narration, “or the seventh.” It is called Laylat al-Qadr due to its great status and virtue, for therein Allah, may He be exalted, decrees the provisions, lifespans, and destinies for the year, and the angels descend with goodness, blessings, and mercy.
The Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, encouraged seeking Laylat al-Qadr in the last ten nights of Ramadān, as in his statement: “Seek it in the last ten nights.” This is also indicated in the narration of his iʿtikāf—first in the early, then the middle, and finally the last ten nights—until it became clear to him that it occurs in the last ten nights.
Scholars have differed regarding the precise night of Laylat al-Qadr due to the multiple narrations. Some say it is the twenty-third night, others the twenty-seventh, and some propose other nights. A number of scholars hold that it is not fixed to a single night, but may vary within the last ten nights —being the twenty-first in one year, the twenty-third in another, the twenty-seventh in another, and so on.
The wisdom behind concealing its exact night is to encourage Muslims to strive in worship throughout all the last ten nights, thereby attaining its blessings, virtues, and the greatest possible share of reward.