The Eve of Eid al-Fitr
By Asim Ahmad
Once Ramadan ends on the 29th or 30th based on moonsighting,
the new month of Shawwal kicks off at Maghrib
time. That first night after Ramadan, no one sleeps.
Preparations begin for the festivities on Eid al-fitr the next
morning, and the excitement starts building up. While the
younger folks wonder loudly how much eidi they will get
this year, the older crowd plans family outings and get-togethers.
New, fancy clothes are ironed and displayed and
sweet dishes are prepared for the departees as they groom
themselves to attend Eid salat in the morning hours. In all
the excitement, the eve of Eid al-fitr is passed over as just
another night. But it’s not. It is Laylat al-Ja’iza or the Night
of the Gift. The Prophet a said, “When it is the eve of Eid
al-fitr, it is called Laylat al-Ja’iza (Shu‘ab al-Iman; iltimas
laylat al-qadr).
This blessed night is called the Night of the Gift because
Allah does not, in principle, let any deed, no matter how
seemingly insignificant, go to waste. He appreciates the
perseverance of believers fasting throughout the day,
establishing one of the five pillars of Islam, and praying
tarawih in the first portion of the night. Do you remember
the time you opened the kitchen cabinet and grabbed
for a snack only to recoil when it suddenly hit you that its
Ramadan and you are fasting? Or, the changes you made to
your work hours and daily routine to make space for suhur,
iftar, and especially for tarawih in the hot summer nights?
How many times you were alone and your kitchen was
full of goodies, but the thought never crossed your mind
to eat something because you knew that Allah is watching
and feared accountability on the Day of Judgment. Allah
is well-pleased with the sincerity and month-long struggle
to please Him. He says, “But whoever desires the Hereafter
and exerts the effort due to it while he is a believer-it is
those whose effort is ever appreciated by Allah” (17:19). On
this night, Allah decides how much to compensate the be-
14 May – June 2021 | AL-MADINAH