Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na‘imi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il related to us; Ali ibn Abd Allah related to us; Sufyan related to us, from Abu Ya‘qub, from Abu al-Duha, from Masruq, from Aishah, may Allah the Exalted be pleased with her, who said: When the last ten nights of Ramadan began, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would tighten his waist-wrapper, stay awake through the night, and awaken his family. (1) (2)
They differed as to which night of the ten it is.
Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na‘imi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il related to us; Qutaybah ibn Sa‘id related to us; Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far related to us; Abu Sahl ibn Malik related to us, from his father, from Aishah, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Seek out the Night of Decree on the odd-numbered nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan.” (3)
Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Shurayhi informed us; Abu Ishaq al-Tha‘labi informed us; Abd Allah ibn Hamid al-Wazin informed us; Makki ibn Abdan informed us; Abd Allah ibn Hashim (4) ibn Hayyan related to us; Yahya ibn Sa‘id al-Qattan related to us; Uyaynah ibn Abd al-Rahman related to us; my father related to me, saying: I mentioned the Night of Decree in the presence of Abu Bakrah, and he said: “After something I heard from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, I do not seek it except during the last ten nights. I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Seek it in the last ten nights: when nine nights remain, or seven remain, or five remain, or three remain, or on the final night.’” (5) When Ramadan began, Abu Bakrah would pray as he prayed throughout the rest of the year; but when the final ten nights began, he would exert himself in worship. (6)
Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Na‘imi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma‘il related to us; Muhammad ibn al-Muthanna related to us; Khalid ibn al-Harith related to me; Humayd related to us; Anas ibn Malik related to us, from Ubadah ibn al-Samit, who said: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, came out to inform us about the Night of Decree, but two Muslim men quarreled. He said: “I came out,”