The Ruling on the Prayer of al-Raghā’ib and the Innovated Bid'ahs

Question:
And the Shaykh al-Islām said: As for the Prayer of al-Raghā’ib, it has no basis; rather, it is an innovation, so it is not recommended, neither in congregation nor individually. It is established in Sahih Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade , and the report mentioned regarding it is a lie and a fabrication, by the consensus of the scholars, and none of the Salaf or the Imams mentioned it at all. As for the middle night, hadiths and reports have been narrated regarding its virtue, and it is reported that a group of the Salaf used to pray in it. So a man praying in it alone has predecessors who did so before him and has an argument for it, so such a thing is not to be denied. As for praying in it in congregation, this is based on the general rule regarding gathering for acts of obedience and worship. It is of two types: the first is a regular Sunnah, either obligatory or recommended, such as the five daily prayers, Jumu'ah, the two 'Eids, the prayer for rain, and Tarawih. This is a regular Sunnah that one should strive to maintain and be consistent with. The second is what is not a regular Sunnah, such as gathering for voluntary prayer, like standing in night prayer, or for reciting the Qur'an, or for the remembrance of Allah, or for supplication. This is permissible, provided it is not made a regular custom. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sometimes prayed voluntary prayers in congregation, but he did not make it a habit except for what has been mentioned. And when his Companions gathered, they would order one of them to recite and the rest would listen. And 'Umar ibn al-Khattab used to say to Abu Musa: "Remind us of our Lord," so he would recite and they would listen. It is also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came out to the people of the Safah, and one of them was reciting, so he sat with them. And it is narrated regarding the angels who move about following gatherings of dhikr the well-known hadith. So if a group of people gathered on some nights for voluntary prayer, without making it a regular custom resembling the regular Sunnah, it would not be disliked. But making it a recurring custom that turns with the times is disliked because of what it contains of changing the Shari'ah and likening what is not prescribed to what is prescribed. If that were permissible, it would be permissible to perform another prayer at the time of Duha, or between Dhuhr and 'Asr, or Tarawih in Sha'ban, or the Adhan on the two 'Eids, or Hajj to the Rock in Bayt al-Maqdis. And this is a change of the religion of Allah and a substitution for it. And the same applies to the night of the Mawlid and others. The disliked bid'ahs are those that are not recommended in the Shari'ah, and they are that one legislates what Allah has not authorized. So whoever makes something a religion or an act of nearness without a decree from Allah is an innovator who is astray. And this is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) meant by his saying: "Every bid'ah is misguidance." So bid'ah is the opposite of the Shari'ah, and the Shari'ah is what Allah and His Messenger commanded. As for the obligation of commands and regulations. Um, um, um. And the Shari'ah is what Allah and His Messenger commanded, whether a command of obligation or a command of recommendation, even if it was not done in his time, such as gathering in Tarawih behind one imam, collecting the Qur'an in the Mushaf, and killing the people of apostasy and the Khawarij, and the like of that. And whatever Allah and His Messenger did not legislate is bid'ah and misguidance, such as specifying a place or a time for gathering to worship in it, just as the Lawgiver specified the times of the prayers, the days of Jumu'ah, and the 'Eids, and just as He specified Makkah with its honor, and the three mosques, and the other mosques with what He legislated in them of prayers and types of worship, each according to its measure. And with this explanation, the reconciliation between the evidences of the Shari'ah from the texts and the gatherings becomes clear, for the meaning of bid'ah is the opposite of the Shari'ah, which is what was not legislated in the religion. So whenever it is established by a text or consensus that an act is what Allah and His Messenger love, it is thereby excluded from being a bid'ah. And I have explained this in detail in a major rule among the major rules. And he said, may Allah have mercy on him.

Answer:
This is what the author, may Allah have mercy on him, said, and it is the correct view. The Prayer of al-Raghā’ib is a prayer they perform on the first night of Rajab. The people of innovation perform it; it is called the Prayer of al-Raghā’ib, and it is a bid'ah, just as the author, may Allah have mercy on him, said. Similarly, it is not permissible to specify a night from the nights other than Rajab, or a day from the days, with a worship that Allah has not legislated. All of this is not permissible, because Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said: , criticizing them. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . It is not permissible for anyone to innovate something that Allah has not legislated.
As for establishing congregation occasionally without making it a habit, there is no harm in it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) visited the mother of Anas, the grandmother of Anas, on some days and prayed Duha in congregation with them. Anas and the orphan Dhamir lined up behind him, and the old woman lined up behind them. And he visited 'Atban one day and prayed Duha in congregation with him, peace and blessings be upon him. So if they gather in a place without intention and pray in congregation occasionally, Duha, or a reciter reads to them and benefits them, all of this is good. It is as if the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gathered and they read the Qur'an to him and reminded him, peace and blessings be upon him. So if they gather without intending to specify a certain day, and one reads and they listen, or he tells them news, all of this is good. But making a day or a night specific for something of worship is not permissible, without evidence, due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): . Yes.