The twenty-seventh night
“I [Zirr bin Hubaish (ra)] asked Ubayy bin Ka’b [ra], ‘Your brother Ibn Mas’ud [ra] says that whoever prays Qiyam all year he will find Lailat Al-Qadr.’ He said, ‘May Allah [swt] have mercy on him he intended that the people should not rely [on just one night]. But he knew that it is in Ramadan and that it is in the last ten nights and that it is the night of the twenty-seventh.’ Then he swore unequivocally that it is the twenty-seventh. I said, ‘On what basis do you say that O Abu Al-Mundhir [ra]?’ He said, ‘By the sign of which the Messenger of Allah [saws] told us, ‘On that day the sun rises with no rays.’”[25]
In the last three nights
“My father narrated to me, ‘The Night of Al-Qadr was mentioned in the presence of Abu Bakrah (ra) so he said, “I do not search for it due to something that I heard from the Messenger of Allah [saws] except for during the last ten [nights]; for indeed I heard him say, ‘Search for it when nine remain or when seven remain or when five remain or during the last three nights.’ During the twenty [nights] of Ramadan Abu Bakrah [ra] used to perform salah just as he performed salah during the rest of the year. But when the [last] ten began he would struggle [performing more salah during the night].”’”[26]
To seek Lailat Al-Qadr in prayer
“With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan the Prophet [saws] used to tighten his waist belt and used to keep awake all the night and perform salah [prayer] and also used to keep his family awake for the salah [prayer].”[27]
“We fasted with the Prophet [saws] so he did not pray [the night prayer] with us until seven [nights] of the month remained. Then he led us in prayer until a third of the night had gone then he did not lead us in prayer on the sixth. Then he led us in prayer on the fifth until half of the night had gone. We said to him, ‘O Messenger of Allah [saws]! Wouldn’t you lead us in prayer for the remainder of the night?’ He said, ‘Indeed whoever stands [praying] with the Imam until he finishes then it is recorded for him that he prayed the whole night.’ Then he did not lead us in prayer until three [nights] of the month remained. Then he led us in prayer on the third and he called his family and his women to pray with us until we feared missing the falah.” I [Jubair bin Nufair (ra)] said to him, “What is the falah?” He said, “The suhur.”[28]
With supplication
“O Messenger of Allah [saws] what do you think I should say in my supplication if I come upon Lailat Al-Qadr?” He said “Say,
اللهم انك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عنى
“O Allah [swt] indeed You are Forgiving and love forgiveness so forgive me.”’”[29]
[1] Surah Al-Qadr Chapter 97 Verses 1-5
[2] Sunan An-Nasa’i Sahih 2204, 2208, 2209
[3] Sahih Al-Bukhari 1901, 2014
[4] Sahih Muslim 2777 [220/762]
[5] Sahih Muslim 2779 [222/1170]
[6] Sahih Al-Bukhari 2019
[7] Sahih Al-Bukhari 2020; Jami’ At-Tirmidhi Sahih 792
[8] Sahih Muslim 2776 [219/169]
[9] Sahih Muslim 2766 [210/1165]
[10] Sahih Muslim 2764 [208/1165]
[11] Sahih Muslim 2768 [212/1166]
[12] Sahih Muslim 2765 [209/1165]
[13] Sahih Al-Bukhari 2015; Sahih Muslim 2761 [205/1165
[14] Sunan Ibn Majah Sahih 1766
[15] Sahih Al-Bukhari 2017
[16] Sahih Muslim 2763 [207/1165]
[17] Sahih Muslim 2771 [215/1167], 2769 [213/1167]; Sahih Al-Bukhari 2018, 2027
[18] Sahih Muslim 2772 [216/1167]; Sahih Al-Bukhari 2016
[19] Sahih Al-Bukhari 2021
[20] Jami’ At-Tirmidhi Sahih 794
[21] Sahih Muslim 2774 [217/1167]
[22] Sahih Muslim 2775 [218/1168]
[23] Sahih Al-Bukhari 2022
[24] Sahih Al-Bukhari 2023
[25] Sahih Muslim 2777 [220/762]; Jami’ At-Tirmidhi Sahih 793
[26] Jami’ At-Tirmidhi Sahih 794
[27] Sahih Al-Bukhari 2024
[28] Jami’ At-Tirmidhi Sahih 806
[29] Sunan Ibn Majah Sahih 3850; Jami’ At-Tirmidhi Sahih 3513