and-twenty, and the fifth is the twenty-fifth night. It has also been said that these nights are counted from the end of the ten: the ninth is the twenty-first night, the seventh is the twenty-third, and the fifth is the twenty-fifth. This was Mālik’s view—may Allah have mercy on him. His argument is that the conjunction “and” most naturally indicates sequence, although it may also join things without indicating their order. This does not differ according to whether the month has twenty-nine or thirty days. Those who reckon on a twenty-nine-day month count the ninth, seventh, and fifth, whereas those who reckon on a thirty-day month do not count the ninth, seventh, and fifth, but understand the wording to mean “when nine nights remain,” “when seven nights remain,” and “when five nights remain.” Reckoning on a twenty-nine-day month is more evident, because the month is twenty-nine days, while the thirtieth day is not certainly part of it: it may occur or it may not.

It cannot be understood that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, intended this reckoning to assume a thirty-day month, or to depend on whether the month ultimately proves to have twenty-nine or thirty days. Had he intended it to assume thirty days, he would have been urging people to seek it on nights other than the odd-numbered ones, whereas he urged them to seek it on every odd-numbered night, as related in other hadiths. Had he intended the reckoning to depend on whether the month ultimately proves to have twenty-nine or thirty days, he would have commanded something that could not properly be carried out until its time had passed. The only remaining possibility, therefore, is that he intended the reckoning to assume twenty-nine days—unless we say that he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, left his intention unclear so that the night would be sought throughout all ten nights. This, however, is a far-fetched interpretation, since his words, “Seek it on the ninth, seventh, and fifth,” must convey some additional benefit beyond his words, “Seek it during the last ten nights.” And Allah Most High knows best.

Ibn Habīb held that the night should be sought throughout all ten nights, allowing for both a twenty-nine-day and a thirty-day month. This is far-fetched for the reasons we have given. Allah Most High knows best and is most wise. This was also related from Ibn Abbās: on this basis, he would spend both the twenty-third and twenty-fourth nights in worship. He said, “It falls when seven nights remain, counting the month as complete.” By “when seven nights remain, counting the month as complete,” he meant the twenty-fourth night, which he also spent in worship.

Section

The words of Allah, mighty and majestic,

“The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter” [al-Qadr: 4],

mean: [The angels descend, with Gabriel among them, for Gabriel is the Trustworthy Spirit. His words, “for every matter”