The Prophet ﷺ came out to inform us about Laylat al-Qadr, but two men from the Muslims were quarreling. He said, "I came out to inform you about Laylat al-Qadr, but so-and-so and so-and-so were quarreling, so it was taken away. Perhaps that is better for you. So seek it on the ninth, the seventh, and the fifth."
خرج النبي ﷺ ليخبرنا بليلة القدر، فتلاحى رجلان من المسلمين، فقال: خرجت لأخبركم بليلة القدر، فتلاحى فلان وفلان فرفعت، وعسى أن يكون خيرا لكم، فالتمسوها في التاسعة والسابعة والخامسة.
Bukhari narrated it in the Book on the Merit of Laylat al-Qadr (2023, 609) from Muhammad bin Muthanna, who said, Khalid bin Harith narrated to me, who said, Humayd narrated to us, who said, Anas narrated to us, from Ubada bin Samit, and he mentioned it.Abu Dawud Tayalisi narrated it (577) from Hammad, from Thabit and Humayd, from Anas, from Ubada bin Samit, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out... and said, "It was made obscure to me, so seek it in the last ten nights, on the seventh remaining, or the ninth remaining, or the fifth remaining."His saying, "So-and-so and so-and-so quarreled," comes from mulahat, which is disputing, raising voices, and exchanging words that are unfitting in a state of anger, and that was an ill omen.His saying, "So it was raised," indicates that it was not removed altogether, rather what was removed was only the knowledge of which night Laylat al-Qadr fell on that particular year.His saying, "It may well be better," refers to the fact that the Muslim will spend all of the last ten nights in prayer and strive hard in them in order to catch Laylat al-Qadr, whereas if it were known exactly, he would only stand in prayer on that one night.