Is there any special virtue or reward for worship on the night before Eid?

by Asma bint Shameem

🌿ANSWER🌿

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

Why not?

That’s because there’s NO PROOF of any SPECIAL VIRTUES for Ibaadah on the night before Eid.

The Prophet ﷺ did NOT stay up on the night before Eid for any extra ibaadaat or special prayers.

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”.

They are two DIFFERENT nights.

🍃 The Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said:

“Those fasting will be forgiven the last night in Ramadhaan.

The people said:

Oh Messenger of Allaah, will this take place on Laylatul Qadr?

The Messenger Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said:

“No, verily the worker receives his pay upon completion of his duties.” (Musnad Ahmad)

So the Prophet ﷺ is clearly telling us that Allaah forgives people on the last night of Ramadhaan, which would be either the 29th night or 30th night of Ramadhaan, depending on the sighting of the moon.

That’s NOT the night before Eid.

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

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

So when Allaah forgives people in the last night of Ramadhaan, that forgiveness happens in the LAST NIGHT of RAMADHAAN, which is the night BEFORE the last day of fasting.

And it’s NOT the night when the moon for Shawwaal is 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.

The hadeeth that is reported about Laylatul Jaa’izah and spending the night in special worship is NOT AUTHENTIC.

The scholars have classified it as 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.

Shaykh al-Albaani classified it as FABRICATED in Da’eef Ibn Maajah and as Dha’eef jiddan (very weak) in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da’eefah (521).

🍃Al-Nawawi said:

“It is a da’eef hadeeth which we have narrated from Abu Umaamah in both marfoo’ and mawqoof reports, both of which are da’eef.”

(al-Adhkaar)

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)."

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 night for Qiyaam or Tahajjud and it is part of you NORMAL nightly routine to pray and worship at this time, then there’s nothing wrong with that.

But to specifically PICK OUT the night before Eid, 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 all acts of ibaadah.

🍃 The scholars of the Standing Committee said:

"Specifying the night of ‘Eid with standing (for prayer), apart from all other nights, is considered a Bid‘ah.

This is because it is not from the Sunnah of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam and he Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam said:

“Whoever performed a deed not from our affair (Islaam), then it will be rejected.”

The same applies whether praying alone or with a congregation.

As for the one who normally stands (for prayer) in the other nights, then there is nothing wrong with him doing so on the night of ‘Eid, but it should not be in congregation."

(Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah)

🍃 Shaykh Ibn Jibreen said:

"As for the night of ‘Eid, then no merit has (authentically) been reported regarding keeping awake at it (for prayer)  and the Sharee‘ah never encouraged it to be distinguished with prayer or recitation.

Whoever singles it out for prayer, neglecting what comes before it and what comes after it, has invented a Bid‘ah and initiated something in the religion that Allaah has not permitted, due to his believing he has preceded the Companions and the people of the Sunnah, surpassing the righteous predecessors of the Ummah (by receiving a special reward that they never received). Such a person is included in the saying of the Prophet Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam:

“Whoever invented in our affair (Islaam) that which is not from it, it will be rejected.”

However, if this person normally stands and prays at night all year long or most of the year, then the night of ‘Eid is part of that (i.e., he is praying it without distinction)."

And Allaah knows best