The Book of Fasting
كتاب الصيام
Chapter 37: Fasting at the end of Sha'ban
This hadith is narrated by 'Abdullah b. Hani b. Akhi Mutarrif with the same chain of transmitters.
Chapter 38: The virtue of fasting Muharram
The most excellent fast after Ramadan is God's month. al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night.
Prayer offered in the middle of the night and the most excellent fast after (fasting) in the month of Ramadan is the fast in God's month al-Muharram.
A hadith like this has been reported from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) by 'Abd al-Malik with the same chain of transmitters in connection with fast.
Chapter 39: It is recommended to fast Six Days in Shawwal following Ramadan
He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal. it would be as if he fasted perpetually.
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying like this.
Abu Ayyub reported a hadith like this (through another chain of transmitters).
Chapter 40: The virtue of Lailat Al-Qadr and the Exhortation to seek it; When it is and the most likely times to seek it
I see that your dreams agree regarding the last week; so he who wants to seek it should seek it in the last week (during the night).
Seek Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last week (of Ramadan).
I see that your dreams agree regarding the last ten (nights of Ramadan). So seek it on an odd number (of these ten nights).
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: So far as Lailat-ul-Qadr is concerned. some persons among you have seen it (in a dream) in the first week and some persons among you have been shown that it is in the last week; so seek it in the last ten (nights).
Seek it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) in the last (ten nights). If one among you shows slackness and weakness (in the earlier part of Ramadan), it should not be allowed to prevail upon him in the last week.
He who is anxious to seek it (Lailat-ul-Qadr) should seek it in the last ten (nights of Ramadan).
Seek the time of Lailat-ul-Qadr in the last (ten nights), or he said: in the last nine (nights).
I was shown Lailat-ul-Qadr; then some members of my family awoke me up, then I was caused to forget it. So seek it in the last week. Harmala said: (The Prophet did not say:" I was made to forget," but he stated):" But I forgot it."
I used to devote myself (observe i'tikaf) during these ten (nights). Then I started devoting myself in the last ten (nights). And he who desires to observe i'tikaf along with me should spend the night) at his place of i'tikaf. And I saw this night (Lailat-ul-Qadr) but I forgot it (the exact night) ; so seek it;In the last ten nights on odd numbers. I saw (the glimpses of that dream) that I was prostrating in water and mud. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri said: It rained on the twenty-first night and the water dripped (from the roof) of the mosque at the place where the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed prayer. I looked at him and as he completed the dawn prayer, (I found) his face was wet with mud and water.
" That he adhered to his place of i'tikaf and his forehead was besmeared with mud and water."
I observed i'tikaf in the first ten (nights and days) in order to seek that night (Lailat-ul-Qadr). I then observed i'tikaf in the middle ten days. Then (an angel) was sent to me and I was told that this (night) is among the last ten (nights). He who among you likes to observe i'tikaf should do so; and the people observed it along with him, and he (the Holy Prophet) said: That (Lailat-ul-Qadr) was shown to me on an odd (night) and I (saw in the dream) that I was prostrating in the morning in clay and water. So in the morning of the twenty-first night when he (the Holy Prophet) got up for dawn (prayer). there was a rainfall and the mosque dripped, and I saw clay and water. When he came out after completing the morning prayer (I saw) that his forehead and the tip of his nose had (traces) of clay and water, and that was the twenty-first night among the last ten (nights).
'We discussed amongst ourselves Lailat-ul-Qadr. I came to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) who was a friend of mine and said to him: Would you not go with us to the garden of date trees? He went out with a cloak over him. I said to him: Did you hear the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) making mention of Lailat-ul-Qadr? He said: Yes, (and added) we were observing i'tikaf with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the middle ten days of Ramadan, and came out on the morning of the twentieth and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) addressed us and said: I was shown Lailat-ul-Qadr, but I forgot (the exact night) or I was caused to forget it, so seek it in the last ten odd (nights), and I was shown that I was prostrating in water and clay. So he who wanted to observe i'tikaf with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) should return (to the place of i'tikaf). He (Abu Sa'id al-Khudri) said: And we returned and did not find any patch of cloud in the sky. Then the cloud gathered and there was (so heavy) a downpour that the roof of the mosque which was made of the branches of date-palms began to drip. Then there was prayer and I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prostrating in water and clay till I saw the traces of clay on his forehead.
I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) after he had completed (the prayer) and there was a trace of clay on his forehead and tip (of the nose).