Salat al-ragha’ib

Question

In some districts of the province of Gujarat, the honourable Muslims on the night of mid-Sha‘ban (Laylat al-Bara’a), particularly after ‘Isha’, perform two rak‘as of nafl prayer in congregation, and this practice is carried out by them with iltizam (as a binding practice) every year. Is there any proof for such a congregation of nafl prayer?

Answer

There is no proof for this congregation, neither in the hadith nor in Hanafi fiqh; rather, in the reliable books of the Hanafis it is recorded as makruh: [ar]ومن المندوبات إحياء ليلة العيدين والنصف من شعبان والعشر الأخير من رمضان والأول من ذي الحجة، ويكون بكل عبادة تعم الليل أو أكثره[/ar] “Among the recommended (mandub)

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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