ḤADĪTH OF THE DAY

While the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, was sitting with his companions in the mosque one day, a man who looked like a Bedouin came in. He prayed swiftly then greeted the Prophet peace and blessings of God be upon him, who returned the greeting and said, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed." The Bedouin went back and prayed, then returned, and greeted the Prophet. The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, greeted him back and said, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed." He did that two or three times; each time he would come and greet the Prophet, and the Prophet would return the greeting and say, "Go back and pray for you have not prayed." People (1) became alarmed and were distressed [by the fact] that if a prayer is performed quickly, it would not be accepted. The man finally said, "Then show me and teach me for indeed I am human, I do right and I do wrong." The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said, "Indeed. When you get up to pray, perform ablution as God commanded you to do, perform the call to prayer and then perform the prayer. If you have memorized some Qur'ān, recite it or praise God, testify to His Greatness, and bear witness that there is no god except He. Then, bow down and settle in your bow, then stand up straight (3), then prostrate and settle in your prostration, then sit up and settle in your sitting position and get up [to start the next unit of prayer]. If you do that, your prayer is complete; if you leave out any part of it, your prayer will be deficient." This was easier on the Companions than the first [statement made by the Prophet] (4) for it meant that whoever left out a component of the prayer would have that deficiency in his prayer but the whole prayer would not be invalid. Footnotes: (1) The Companions who were sitting in the mosque and witnessing this incident. (2) The opening chapter of the Qur'ān (al-Fāti ḥah) must be recited in every unit of prayer, and an additional section of Qur'ān may be recited afterwards. (3) Similarly, until your bones in your have settled. (4) "Go back and pray for you have not prayed"

Sunan at-Tirmithiy كتاب الصوم باب ما جاء فى ليلة القدر

حَدَّثَنَا وَاصِلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى الْكُوفِىُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَيَّاشٍ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ زِرٍّ قَالَ قُلْتُ لأُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ أَنَّى عَلِمْتَ أَبَا الْمُنْذِرِ أَنَّهَا لَيْلَةُ سَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ قَالَ بَلَى أَخْبَرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهَا لَيْلَةٌ صَبِيحَتُهَا تَطْلُعُ الشَّمْسُ لَيْسَ لَهَا شُعَاعٌ. فَعَدَدْنَا وَحَفِظْنَا وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّهَا فِى رَمَضَانَ وَأَنَّهَا لَيْلَةُ سَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ وَلَكِنْ كَرِهَ أَنْ يُخْبِرَكُمْ فَتَتَّكِلُوا. قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Zirr Ibn-Hubaysh said, "I asked Ubaī Ibn-Ka'b, 'How did you know, Abā al-Munthir (1), that it (the Glorious Night of Determination) (2) is the twenty-seventh night [of Ramaḍān]?' He replied, 'Indeed, the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, informed us that, "On the morning following that night, the sun rises without emitting any rays." So we counted (3) and memorized it. By God, Ibn-Mas'ūd certainly knew that it is in Ramaḍān and that it is the twenty-seventh night; however, he disliked to inform you of that, lest you rely upon it (4).'"
(1) This was the nickname of Ubaī Ibn-Ka'b. (2) The night during which the Qur'ān was first revealed to prophet Muhammad. It occurs on one of the last ten nights of Ramadan, though God only knows which. The Qur'ān states that on this night, God determines the course of the world and all human affairs for the coming year. (3): To make sure of exactly which morning he had seen this sign. (4): And thus lose out on reward by limiting your performance of special voluntary acts of worship and supplications to that night alone.