Is it permissible for a person to single out the Night of Decree for staying up in worship, to the exclusion of the other nights?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : It is the Night of Decree, so they keep it alive with prayer and worship, but they do not keep the other nights of Ramadan alive. Is this in accordance with the truth?
The Shaykh : No, that is not in accordance with the correct view, for the Night of Decree moves; it may be the twenty-seventh night, or it may be on another night, as indicated by the many hadiths on this matter. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that in one year he sought the Night of Decree, and it was the twenty-first night. Also, one should not single out the night in which the Night of Decree is expected for staying up in worship. Or rather, one should not single out the night in which he hopes the Night of Decree is for staying up in worship?
Rather, striving in all of the last ten nights is the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed, (peace and blessings be upon him). So what the determined believer should do is strive in the nights of all these ten days, so that the reward does not slip away from him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : No, that is not in accordance with the correct view, for the Night of Decree moves; it may be the twenty-seventh night, or it may be on another night, as indicated by the many hadiths on this matter. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that in one year he sought the Night of Decree, and it was the twenty-first night. Also, one should not single out the night in which the Night of Decree is expected for staying up in worship. Or rather, one should not single out the night in which he hopes the Night of Decree is for staying up in worship?
Rather, striving in all of the last ten nights is the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Indeed,
When the last ten nights entered, he would tighten his waist sash, wake his family, and stay up in worship during the night.
كان إذا دخل العشر شد المئزر وأيقظ أهله وأحيا الليلThe questioner : Yes.
Source
ابن العثيمين - فتاوى الصيام — archive.org (41:59)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.