Arabic (Original)
وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْجَبَّارِ الْعُطَارِدِيُّ ثنا ابْنُ فُضَيْلٍ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ كُلَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ عِنْدَ عُمَرَ وَعِنْدَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ فَسَأَلَهُمْ فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتُمْ قَوْلَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ الْتَمِسُوهَا فِي الْعَشْرِ الْأَوَاخِرِ وِتْرًا أِيُّ لَيْلَةٍ تَرَوْنَهَا فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَيْلَةُ إِحْدَى وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَيْلَةُ ثَلَاثٍ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَيْلَةُ خَمْسٍ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لَيْلَةُ سَبْعٍ فَقَالُوا وَأَنَا سَاكِتٌ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ لَا تَكَلَّمُ؟ فَقُلْتُ إِنَّكَ أَمَرْتَنِي أَنْ لَا أَتَكَلَّمَ حَتَّى يَتَكَلَّمُوا فَقَالَ مَا أَرْسَلْتُ إِلَيْكَ إِلَّا لِتَكَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ اللهَ يَذْكُرُ السَّبْعَ فَذَكَرَ سَبْعَ سَمَاوَاتٍ وَمِنَ الْأَرْضِ مِثْلَهُنَّ وَخَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ سَبْعِ وَنَبْتُ الْأَرْضِ سَبْعٌ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ هَذَا أَخْبَرْتَنِي مَا أَعْلَمُ أَرَأَيْتَ مَا لَمْ أَعْلَمْ قَوْلَكَ نَبْتُ الْأَرْضِ سَبْعٌ قَالَ قَالَ اللهُ ﷻ {ثُمَّ شَقَقْنَا الْأَرْضَ شَقًّا فَأَنْبَتْنَا فِيهَا حَبًّا وَعِنَبًا وَقَضْبًا وَزَيْتُونًا وَنَخْلًا وَحَدَائِقَ غُلْبًا} [عبس 27] قَالَ فَالْحَدَائِقُ الْغُلْبُ الْحِيطَانُ مِنَ النَّخْلِ وَالشَّجَرِ {وَفَاكِهَةً وَأَبًّا} [عبس 31] قَالَ فَالْأَبُّ مَا أَنْبَتَتِ الْأَرْضُ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُهُ الدَّوَابُّ وَالْأَنْعَامُ وَلَا يَأْكُلُهُ النَّاسُ قَالَ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ لِأَصْحَابِهِ أَعَجِزْتُمْ أَنْ تَقُولُوا كَمَا قَالَ هَذَا الْغُلَامُ الَّذِي لَمْ تَجْتَمِعْ شُئُونُ رَأْسِهِ إِنِّي وَاللهِ لَأَرَى الْقَوْلَ كَمَا قُلْتَ
English Translation
Ibn 'Abbas reported: 'I was with 'Umar and his companions were with him. He asked them: What do you think about the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) regarding the Night of al-Qadr: Seek it in the last ten nights in the odd nights? Which night do you think it is? Some said the twenty-first, some said the twenty-third, some said the twenty-fifth, and some said the twenty-seventh. They spoke while I was silent. He said: Why do you not speak? I said: You ordered me not to speak until they spoke. He said: I only sent for you so that you would speak. I said: I heard Allah mention the number seven. He mentioned the seven heavens, and of the earth the like thereof, and man was created from seven, and the plants of the earth are seven. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This you have told me about I already knew. But tell me what I do not know — your saying the plants of the earth are seven. He said: Allah the Almighty said: "Then We split the earth, splitting, and caused to grow therein grain, and grapes and herbage, and olive trees and palm trees, and gardens of dense shrubbery" [80:26-30]. The dense gardens are the walls of palm trees and trees. "And fruit and fodder" [80:31]. The fodder is what the earth grows that livestock and cattle eat but people do not. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said to his companions: Are you unable to say what this boy whose skull has not yet fused said? By Allah, I believe the opinion is as you said.'