Hadith record

8. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn Ahmad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from abu ‘Abd Allah al-Mu’min from Ishaq ibn ‘Ammar who has said the following: “I heard him (the Imam) say- when people said, “Sustenance is divided during the night in the middle of the month of Sha‘ban”-, ‘No, by Allah, that is in no other time besides the nineteenth night of the month of Ramadan, or the twenty-first or twenty-third night of this month. During the nineteenth night of this month, two groups meet; in the twenty-first night, all matters of wisdom are differentiated; and in the twenty-third night, whatever Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, wishes of such matters is approved. It is the night of destiny about which Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has said, . . the night of destiny is better than one thousand months.’” He (the narrator) has said, ‘I then asked about the meaning of his words, “Two groups meet”?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘Allah brings together in that night what He has decided, in matters to be brought forward or delayed, to decide or to approve it.’ I then said, ‘What is the meaning of, “approves it during the twenty-third night”?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘During the twenty-first night, He differentiates the rule. Then al- Bada’ may take place, therefore, in the twenty-third night is the approval and thus it becomes inevitable in such issues where al-Bada’ does not happen, Allah is most Blessed, the most High.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.