the twenty-first, the twenty-third, the twenty-fifth, the twenty-seventh, the twenty-ninth, or the last night. Abu Qilabah said: It shifts among the nights of the last ten days. Al-Shafi'i said: This, in my view—and Allah knows best—is because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would answer according to what he was asked. Based on this, it was on the year that Abu Sa'id saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prostrating in water and mud on the night of the twenty-first; and in the year that he commanded 'Abd Allah b. Unays it was on the night of the twenty-third; and in the year that Ubayy b. Ka'b saw its sign, it was on the night of the twenty-seventh. Its sign may also be seen on nights other than these.

Some scholars of knowledge said: Allah the Almighty kept this night ambiguous to the Ummah so that they might exert themselves in seeking it and strive in worship throughout the entire month in hopes of attaining it, just as He concealed the hour of answer on Friday to encourage them to supplicate throughout the entire day, and concealed His Greatest Name among the Names, and His pleasure within acts of obedience, so that they might strive to attain all of them; and He concealed the appointed time [of death] and the coming of the Hour, so that people might strive in deeds out of caution against both.

Section: As for its sign, the most well-known regarding it is what Ubayy b. Ka'b narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that: "The sun rises on its morning white, having no rays" (35). In some narrations: "White, like a metal basin" (36). It was narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that it is (37): a night (38) [bright and pleasant] (39), neither hot nor cold, and the sun rises on its morning having no rays (40).