Arabic (Original)
أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ وَأَبُو سَعِيدِ بْنُ أَبِي عَمْرٍو قَالَا ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ أنبأ عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ بْنُ عَطَاءٍ أنبأ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ يَعْنِي الْجُرَيْرِيَّ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ اعْتَكَفَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ الْعَشْرَ الْأَوْسَطَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ يَلْتَمِسُ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُبَانَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا انْقَضَيْنَ أَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَنُقِضَ وَرُفِعَ ثُمَّ أُبِينَتْ لَهُ فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ فَأَمَرَ بِالْبِنَاءِ فَأُعِيدَ مَكَانَهُ وَاعْتَكَفَ فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ وَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي أُنْبِئْتُ بِلَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ فَخَرَجْتُ كَيْمَا أُحَدِّثُكُمْ بِهَا أَوْ أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِهَا فَتَلَاحَى رَجُلَانِ يَحْتَقَّانِ مَعَهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ فَأُنْسِيتُهَا فَالْتَمِسُوهَا فِي التَّاسِعَةِ وَالسَّابِعَةِ وَالْخَامِسَةِ 8532 قَالَ أَبُو نَضْرَةَ فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي سَعِيدٍ إِنَّكُمْ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَعْلَمُ بِالْعَدَدِ مِنَّا فَكَيْفَ نَعُدُّهُنَّ؟ قَالَ أَجَلْ نَحْنُ أَعْلَمُ بِذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ إِذَا مَضَتْ إِحْدَى وَعِشْرُونَ فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا التَّاسِعَةُ فَإِذَا مَضَتِ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا السَّابِعَةُ فَإِذَا مَضَتِ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا فَالَّتِي تَلِيهَا الْخَامِسَةُ قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ وَأَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ وَفِي الثَّالِثَةِ
English Translation
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported: 'The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) performed i'tikaf during the middle ten days of Ramadan seeking the Night of al-Qadr before it was made known to him. When they passed, he ordered the structure to be taken down. Then it was shown to him that it was in the last ten nights, so he ordered the structure to be rebuilt, and he observed i'tikaf in the last ten nights. He came out to us and said: O people, I was informed of the Night of al-Qadr and I came out to tell you about it, but two men were disputing — the devil was with them — and I was made to forget it. So seek it on the ninth, the seventh, and the fifth.' Abu Nadrah said: 'I said to Abu Sa'id: You Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) know numbers better than us. How do we count them?' He said: 'Indeed, we know better than you about that. When twenty-one has passed, the one that follows is the ninth. When that one has passed, the one that follows is the seventh. When that one has passed, the one that follows is the fifth.' Abu Mas'ud said: 'And Abu al-'Ala informed me from Mutarrif from Mu'awiyah who said: and the third.'