Likewise, anticipating Ramadan by fasting beforehand may be thought to carry special merit because it seems to safeguard the fast, yet in the Sacred Law it has no such merit; for that very reason the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—forbade anticipating it.

This same reasoning applies to our present issue: people single out these particular seasons because they presume some virtue in them. Whenever a specific time is set aside for fasting or prayer in the belief that it is especially meritorious—when, in truth, it is not—such singling out is prohibited, for one only singles out a time on the basis of believing it enjoys a unique status.

Should someone claim, “I hold that praying or fasting on this night is no different from any other, yet I still single it out,” his motive can only be conformity with others, adherence to custom, fear of blame, or the like; otherwise he is simply lying.

Thus, the impulse behind this practice is never free from either that erroneous belief or some other motive unrelated to religion—and that belief is misguidance. We know with certainty that the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—his Companions, and all the leading imams never mentioned a single word about any special virtue for this particular day or night, nor about the distinct merit of fasting it or standing in prayer during it. The report transmitted concerning it is fabricated, and the practice itself emerged only after the fourth Islamic century. In such a situation it is impossible for the occasion to possess any merit, for if the Prophet, his Companions, the Successors, and the other imams were unaware of it, it is inconceivable that we could come to know of a religious act that brings one nearer to God while they did not.