The Night of Eid

By Amreen Pathan

In a tradition of the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Night before Eid has also been referred to as:

‘Laylatul Jaa’izah’               

‘Laylah’ refers to ‘night’ in Arabic whilst ‘Jaa’izah’ refers to reward or compensation. In Arabic, the grammatical positioning of the words above denotes the proprietorship of the latter by the former. Literally, then, the term can be defined as:

 ‘The night of reward or prize-giving.’

The beauty of Ramadan can never fail to inspire awe. Filled to the brim with sacred nights, not one moment is left deficient in Allah’s Grace and Favour. The first set of ten nights are those of Mercy, the second of forgiveness and the third of emancipation from the Hell-fire and entry into Paradise. Then we have the Night of Power and finally the Night of Prize-giving.

Allah’s Love truly knows no bounds.

The night I’d like to discuss a little more today though is the Night of Prize-giving.

Bearing in mind the name attributed to this night, it follows that some sort of prize is awarded during this night. However, prizes have to be won and this prize is no different.  It comes with its own set of rules, simple enough in nature but perhaps challenging in practice.

Terms and Conditions

The rule?

Value the night of Eid.

Preparations for Eid are inevitable; decorations are put up, presents are purchased, clothing is organised, cakes are baked and feasts are pre-provisioned. Further, when the announcement of Eid is made, fatigue hits even the most eager of worshippers.

This is why despite the simplicity of the rule, the act of winning the prize becomes challenging. However, like all forms of worship, sweetness is attained from some endurance of ‘hardship’ and without it, can one truly be worthy of the prize?

How to value the night of Eid

The noble Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

‘Whoever stays awake for ibadah (worship) on the night preceding either Eid, with the aim of gaining reward, his heart shall not die on that day when hearts shall wither.’ (Ibn Majah)

Before we discuss the prize, let us look at the means of valuing the night before Eid. In the above tradition, the Prophet (peace be upon him) refers to staying awake for the purpose of worship.

As an example, this could take any of the following forms:

  • Qiyam-ul-layl or other nafl (voluntary) prayers  
  • Recitation of the Qur’an
  • Engaging in some form of dhikr (remembrance)
  • Engaging in the act of Du’a
  • Seeking repentance and forgiveness.

Worshipping one’s Creator need not be complicated and that is why the interpretation of worship is left open-ended in the beloved Prophet’s hadith. Whatever one can do, they should do and even an iota of sacrifice at the expense of Eid preparations or just sleep, will not go unnoticed by Allah Almighty.

The Prize

In the aforementioned hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) mentions:

‘… his heart shall not die on that day when hearts shall wither.’ (Ibn Majah)

In his book, Faza’il-e-A’mal, Shaikhul Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Khandalwi (may Allah have mercy upon him) offers two meanings for this:

  1. When the trumpet will be blown to announce the Day of Judgement, the souls of all living things will become unconscious. The soul of a worshipper however will be exempt from this.
  2. There will come a time near to the Day of Judgement when evil will have taken possession of all. The heart of this believer however will stay alive i.e. guarded against evil.[1]

Even without the promise of the above two explanations, remembering Allah Almighty on a night like this will only bring life and light and tranquillity to one’s heart especially when so many hearts are devoid from the remembrance of Allah.

Similarly, the Prophet (peace be upon him) is also reported to have mentioned the night preceding Eid-ul-Fitr to be included amongst those five nights in which staying awake for the purpose of worship makes entrance into Paradise compulsory for such a person.[2]

The imminent departure of Ramadan feels bittersweet and sorrowful. I honestly cannot think of a better way to bid Ramadan farewell than spending the night in a manner encouraged throughout and inspired by the blessed fasting month.

As is the Sunnah to recite with the advent of Eid: may Allah Almighty accept this worship from us and from you.

Ameen

#EidulFitr #Ramadan #Prize-giving

Tags: hearts; reward; worship; Ramadan; Eid; forgiveness; Paradise


[1] Faza’il-e-A’maal, Vol.1, (ed.2004), Shaikhul Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Khandalwi (Rah.), p.83

[2] Faza’il-e-A’maal, Vol.1, (ed.2004), Shaikhul Hadith Mawlana Muhammad Zakariyya Khandalwi (Rah.), p.83

(2) Comments

  • Ayesha May 22, 2021 @ 2:41 pm

    I found this very beneficial. I appreciate the writer’s gentle approach without taking away the significance of the night. It is inviting Mashallah

  • Khadija G June 6, 2021 @ 3:36 pm

    Food for thought that everything holds purpose in Islam in its own way. Definitely a must read for all. This ones a favourite.

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