What Acts of Worship Should Be Performed During Bayram Nights?
In Islam, night precedes day. Therefore, the blessed nights begin with the evening adhan on the Day of ‘Arafah. This night, connecting the Day of ‘Arafah to the Eid day, is the first night of Eid and holds great significance. As Muslims, we should appreciate these precious times as opportunities (ganimat) and utilize them effectively.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Those who spend the nights of Ramadan Eid and Eid al-Adha in devotion, hoping for reward, their hearts will not die on the Day of Judgment.” (Ibn Maja, Sawm, 68)
Prayers and Acts of Worship Recommended to Be Performed During Bayram Nights
The days and nights of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha are blessed periods. A hadith states that these days have been designated as celebrations (Eid) by Allah Almighty for Muslims. (Abu Dawud, Salat, 244 [1134]). It is narrated that prayers offered during these nights will not be rejected. (Abdurrazzak, Musannef, 4/317 [7927]). Furthermore, the Prophet emphasized the importance of reviving Bayram nights. (Ibn Maja, Sawm, 68). Since it is forbidden to fast during these days due to being an Eid for believers (Bukhari, ‘Idayn, 66 [1990]), generosity, celebrations, and joy have been customary since the time of the rightly guided Caliphs. The Prophet advised people to be in solidarity with each other materially and spiritually on such occasions. (see Bukhari, ‘Idayn, 2 [949, 950], 3[952], 7 [961], 8 [964]; 9, 24 [986]). The Quran and Sunnah do not mention any specific prayer or act of worship specifically for Eid days and nights. Those close to Allah have also offered recommendations for being able to revive these blessed Bayram nights.
1. Performing Prayers
Righteous scholars advise performing voluntary (nafl) prayers, including Qada (missed) prayers, during Bayram nights.
The mother of the believers, Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with them), heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) say:
“A Muslim who performs twelve rak’ahs of prayer every day for the sake of Allah alone, other than obligatory prayers, Allah Almighty will build a pavilion for him in paradise.” (Muslim, Musafirun 103)
- Click here for the method of performing Qada prayers and all other prayers…
2. Reciting the Quran
Allah’s friends have advised reciting the Holy Quran abundantly during blessed days and nights.
It is narrated from Ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever reads a letter from the Holy Quran, he will receive a reward of goodness. And for every good deed, there is ten rewards. I do not say ‘alif, lam, meem’ is one letter; rather, alif is one letter, lam is one letter, and meem is one letter.” (Tirmidhi, Fazailul-Quran 16)
It is narrated from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“A house whose heart is not filled with a portion of the Quran is a ruined house.” (Tirmidhi, Fazailul-Quran 18)
- Hadiths related to the virtue of reciting the Holy Quran for more information…
3. Making Dua (Supplication)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) wanted us to make dua at every opportunity, and has given the good news that angels say “Amen” to our prayers. He advised us to ask for good and beautiful things from Allah in our prayers:
“Do not pray for anything but goodness. For the angels say ‘Amen’ to your prayers.” (Muslim, Janaza 7)
It is stated in a verse:
“(O Prophet!) Say: What would my Lord gain by your supplications and prayers if you were not grateful?” (Al-Furqan, 77)
- Prayers mentioned in the Quran for more information…
- Prayers mentioned in Hadith for more information…
4. Giving Sadaqah (Charity)
In the time of the rightly guided Caliphs, preparations were made for Eid with spending, generosity and sadaqah; Eid was celebrated with sacrifices made for Allah.
The true Eid is Allah’s pleasure with us. Therefore, especially on those joyful days, let’s bring joy to orphans, the needy, the poor and those in need so that we can partake in the manifestations of divine mercy and compassion. For:
“Have compassion for those on earth, and those in heaven will have compassion for you.” (Abu Dawud, Adab, 58)
It should be remembered that giving sadaqah in the path of Allah protects a person from many dangers and calamities, and furthermore, it makes the giver worthy of Allah’s love. Blessed days and nights are the best means for giving sadaqah.
For as stated in a verse:
“Spend (in the way of) Allah, and do not harm yourselves by throwing yourselves into destruction. And give charity. Indeed, Allah loves the one who gives charity.” (Al-Baqarah, 195)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged every rich and poor Muslim to spend, and for someone who has nothing but a date, he would say:
“Protect yourselves from the Fire with even half a date, or if you cannot find one, protect yourselves with a good word.” (Bukhari, Adab, 34)
5. Seeking Repentance (Tawbah) and Forgiveness (Istighfar)
We should seek abundant repentance and forgiveness for our sins during Bayram nights. Tawbah means returning to Allah. It is the return of a servant who has forgotten or become heedless of Allah, realizing the wrong path he has taken and seeking His forgiveness.
Prophets, all pious people, righteous and trustworthy individuals have always sought refuge in Allah and made supplications to Him in times of hardship and joy.
Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“We counted the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saying ‘Allah, forgive me and accept my repentance! Indeed, You are the Most Forgiving and Most Merciful’ one hundred times in a gathering.” (Abu Dawud, Witir, 26/1516; Tirmidhi, Adawat, 38/3434)
Repentance, which is an important place in turning to Allah and the heart gaining a lofty level, is also the most important means of cleansing from spiritual impurities. An acceptable repentance removes obstacles and veils between the servant and his Lord, making him worthy of Allah’s love. As stated in a verse:
“Indeed, Allah loves those who repent profusely and purify themselves.” (Al-Baqarah, 222)
- What is Tawbah and Istighfar? for more information…
- The Seyyidul-Istighfar prayer for more information…
6. Offering Praise and Gratitude
We should offer abundant praise to Allah and be in a state of gratitude during Bayram nights.
It is stated in a verse:
“Trust and rely upon the Ever-Living, the Sustaining One. Glorify Him with praise.” (Al-Furqan, 58)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
“If one begins a task without praising Allah, blessings and goodness are cut off from it.” (Ibn Maja, Nikah, 19; Abu Dawud, Adab, 18)
“Gratitude is half of faith…” (Suyuti, al-Jami’us-Saghir, I, 107)
“Allah’s praise is the beginning of gratitude.” (Suyuti, al-Jami’us-Saghir, no: 3835)
- The virtue of praise and gratitude for more information!
7. Remembering Allah Abundantly
Allah should be remembered even more during blessed days and nights.
It is stated in verses:
“Remember your Lord within yourself, with humility and awe, without raising your voice, at the beginning of the morning and in the evening. And do not be among the heedless.” (Al-A’raf, 205)
“Remember Allah with all your being and submit to Him.” (Al-Muzzammil, 8)
“…The remembrance of Allah is indeed the greatest of all deeds…” (Al-Ankabut, 45)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) also said:
“Loving Allah is a sign of remembering Allah.” (Suyuti, al-Jami’us-Saghir, II, 52)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to recite the following remembrance most frequently on the Day of ‘Arafah. We can also perform this remembrance during Bayram nights.
“La ilaha illallahuh vahdahu la sharika lah, Lahul mulku wa lahul hamdu wa Huwa ‘ala kulli shay’in qadir.”
“There is no god but Allah alone, He is the only one and there is no partner with Him. Sovereignty belongs to Him and praise be to Him, and He is over all things powerful.”
- Types of remembrance for more information…
8. Sending Salat and Salam
Allah Almighty commands us to send salutations (Salat) upon the Prophet. It is also narrated in hadiths that those who send salutations will have all their sorrows relieved and sins forgiven.
As stated in a verse:
“Indeed, Allah sends angels to bless the Prophet and those who follow him. O you who believe! Send blessings upon him and greet him with peace.” (Al-Ahzab, 56)
Ubay bin Kab (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“O Messenger of Allah! I send a lot of salutations to you. How much should I do?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied,
“As much as you wish.”
“Should I allocate a quarter of my supplications for sending salutations?” I asked.
“As much as you wish. But doing more is beneficial for you.” he replied.
“Should I allocate half of the time I spend on supplication to send salutations?” I said.
“As much as you wish. But doing more is beneficial for you.” he replied.
“Should I allocate two-thirds of the time I spend on supplication to send salutations?” I said:
“In that case, Allah will relieve all your sorrows and forgive your sins.” he replied.