42. NO Such Thing As “Laylatul Jaa’izah”

By Asma bint Shameem

Do NOT pick out the NIGHT BEFORE EID as something “special” or “virtuous” and do NOT make any SPECIAL ibaadaat on it.

Why not?

Because there’s NO PROOF of any SPECIAL VIRTUES for the night before Eid from the Qur’aan OR from the authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.

And there’s NO SUCH THING as “Laylatul Jaa’izah” that’s proven from the authentic ahaadeeth of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam.

Although it is true that Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala frees people from the fire of Hell at the end of Ramadhaan, the hadeeth talks about
“the last NIGHT of RAMADHAAN”.

And NOT “the night of EID”. 

You see, the “night” in Islam begins BEFORE the day.

Thus, the night starts at MAGHRIB and lasts till Fajr. Then the day starts AFTER Fajr and lasts till the next Maghrib.

So when Allaah forgives people in the *last night of Ramadhaan*, that forgiveness happens in the NIGHT BEFORE the last DAY of fasting.

And it’s NOT the night when the moon for Shawwaal has been sighted and the next day is Eid. 

So DO NOT think that the night before Eid should be spent in special ibaadaat or that this night has extra virtues.

There’s NO PROOF of that from the Sharee’ah. 

The hadeeth that is reported about Laylatul Jaa’izah and spending the night in special worship is either EXTREMELY WEAK or even FABRICATED.

The “so-called” hadeeth says:
"Whoever stays up on the night of Eid, his heart will not die on the day when hearts die."

This hadeeth is NOT saheeh.

And it was classified as *FABRICATED* by Shaykh al-Albaani.
(Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da'eefah wa'l-Mawdoo'ah by Sheikh al-Albaani)

That means that the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam DID NOT spend the night of Eid in any SPECIAL ibaadaat and he DID NOT TEACH the Sahaabah to do that either.

They spent the night of Eid, as they USUALLY spent the rest of the nights of the year.

Ibn Taymiyah said:

"The ahaadeeth in which the nights before the two Eids are mentioned are *FALSELY attributed* to the Prophet (sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam)."

Ibn al-Qayyim said regarding the actions of the Prophet sal Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam in the night of Eid:

“Then he Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam *SLEPT until morning, and did NOT pray any night prayers that night*, and NOTHING is established from him regarding night prayers during both nights of Eids.”
[Zad al-Ma’ad 2/247]

So don’t think this night has ‘special virtue’ and don’t pick this night out for any specific ibaadaat.

HOWEVER , if you wake up every day for Qiyaam or Tahajjud and it is part of you NORMAL nightly routine to pray and worship at this time, then it is okay to do so.

But to specifically PICK OUT this night thinking there is extra reward and special status to worship this night is not correct.

We should only go by PROOFS from the authentic sources when it comes to acts of ibaadah.

Otherwise we’re guilty of ADDING to the Deen and thus be SINFUL of bid’ah.

Remember Bid’ah is a VERY SERIOUS MAJOR SIN.

And Allaah knows best