Staying up on Laylat al-Qadr and the ruling on celebrating it

How should we spend thenight of Laylat al-Qadr? Is it by praying,
reading Qur'aan and the Seerah (Prophet's biography), listening to
sermons and lessons and celebrating that in the mosque?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
used to strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of Ramadaan
as he did not do at other times, praying and reading Qur'aan.
Al-Bukhaari and Muslim narrated from 'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased
with her) that when the last ten days of Ramadaan began, the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would stay up at night,
wake his family and tie his lower garmenttight. According to Ahmadand
Muslim: he would strive hard in worship during the last ten nights of
Ramadaan as he did not do at other times.
Secondly:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) urged us to
spend the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer out of faith and in the
hope of reward. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Whoever spends the night of Laylat al-Qadr in prayer
out of faith and in the hope of reward, will be forgiven his previous
sins."
This was narrated by the group apart from Ibn Maajah. This hadeeth
indicates that it is prescribed to stay up and spend this night in
prayer.
Thirdly:
One of the best du'aa's that can be recited on Laylat al-Qadr is that
which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught
'Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her). It was narrated by
al-Tirmidhi, who classed it as saheeh, that 'Aa'ishah said: I said: "O
Messenger of Allaah, If I know which night is Laylat al-Qadr, what
should I say?" He said: "Say: Allaahumma innaka 'afuwwun tuhibb
al-'afwa fa'fu 'anni (O Allaah, You are All-Forgiving and You love
forgiveness so forgive me)."
Fourthly:
With regard to singling out one night of Ramadaan and regarding that
as Laylat al-Qadr, thisrequires evidence. But theodd-numbered nights
during the last ten nights are more likely than others, and the night
of the twenty-seventh is more likely to be Laylat al-Qadr, because of
the ahaadeeth which indicate that.
Fifthly:
With regard to bid'ah (innovation), it is not permissible either in
Ramadaan or at other times. It was proven that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever innovates
anything in this matter of ours [Islam] that is not part of it will
have it rejected." And he said: "Whoever does any actionthat is not
part of this matter of ours will have itrejected."
With regard to the celebrations that are held on some nights of
Ramadaan, we know of no basis for that. The best guidance is the
guidance of Muhammad and the worst of matters are those which are
innovated.
And Allaah is the Source ofstrength. May Allaah send blessings and
peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions.

He fasted before he reached puberty and he forgot to make up some days. Can he make themup after reaching puberty?

When I started middle school – and I was 13 years old at that time – I
broke the fast on three days and forgot about it, and I did not
remember ituntil this year. Now I am sixteen and I have not reached
puberty. Should I make up the fasts only or do I have to do anything
else?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
A child is not obliged to do the obligatory duties of Islam until
after he reaches puberty, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "The Pen has been lifted from three: from
the insane person who has no control over his reason until he
recovers, from thesleeper until he wakes up,and from the child until
he reaches puberty." Narrated by Abu Dawood (4399); classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood. Whatever the child does of
obligatory duties or mustahabb deeds before reaching puberty, he will
be rewarded for them. Whoever performs Hajj when he is a child or
fasts or prays, the reward for that will be written for him in full,
but his Hajj does not count as the obligatory Hajj or Islam, and he
has to do Hajj again after he grows up.
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) met some
riders in al-Rawha' and hesaid: Who are these people?" They said: We
are Muslims. They said: Who are you? He said: "The Messenger of
Allaah."A woman lifted up a child and said: Is Hajj valid for this
one? He said: "Yes, and you will have the reward." Narrated by Muslim
(1336).
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
In this report is the evidence for al-Shaafa'i, Maalik, Ahmad and the
majority of scholars, who said that the Hajj of a child counts and is
valid, and he will be rewarded for it, but it does not count as the
obligatory Hajj of Islam, rather it counts as a voluntary Hajj.This
hadeeth is clear on this issue. End quote.
Sharh al-Nawawi (9/99).
Al-Khattaabi said:
It counts as Hajj for him with regard to attaining the reward, but it
is not tobe counted as his obligatory Hajj if he lives until the age
of puberty and reaches manhood. This is like prayer, which he (the
minor) should be told to do if he is able to, although it is not
obligatory for him, but the reward will still be written for him, by
the bounty of Allaah, and it will also be written for the one who
tells him to pray and teaches him to pray.
See: 'Awn al-Ma'bood (5/110).
He is not enjoined to make up the fasts that he missed when he was a
child, and he is not to be enjoined to make up any prayers that he
missed.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
As for the days that he missed (of Ramadaan) before reaching puberty,
he does not have to makethem up, whether he fasted them or not. This
isthe view of the majority of scholars. Al-Mughni (3/94).
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It is not obligatory for a child to fast, but his guardian should tell
him to fast so that he will get used to it. Fasting – for the child
who has not yet reached puberty – is Sunnah, and he will be rewarded
for fasting, but there is no sin on him if he does not fast. End
quote.
Fiqh al-'Ibaadaat (p. 186).
Based on this, you do not have to make up these three days that you
did not fast, because fasting was not obligatory for you. But if you
want to make them up there is nothing wrong with that. You should only
make up the fasts, one day for eachday missed, and you do not have to
do anything else.
Secondly:
You say in your question that you are now 16 yearsold and have not
reached puberty.
But you have in fact reached puberty now, because puberty is reached
when one of three things happens which in the case of the male are:
1- Emission of maniy (semen)
2- Growth of coarse hairaround the private part (pubic hair)
3- Reaching the age of fifteen.
In the case of the female, there is a fourth sign which is the onset
of menstruation.
When one of the signs is established, then puberty has been reached.
It is notessential for all of these signs to be present.
See also question no. 70425 .
As you have reached the age of sixteen, you are considered to be an
adult,so you should act on that basis. The time of childhood and not
being accountable has come to an end, and the angels record everything
that theadult does, good or bad.
"So whosoever does goodequal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant)
shallsee it.
8. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small
ant) shall see it"
[al-Zalzalah 99:7-8]
And Allaah knows best.

The hadeeth “The sleepof the fasting person is worship” is weak

I heard a khateeb mention a hadeeth from the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him): "The sleep of the fasting person is
worship."
Is this hadeeth saheeh?.
Praise be to Allaah.
This hadeeth is not saheeh, and it is not proven from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Al-Bayhaqi narrated in Shu'ab al-Eeman (3/1437) from 'Abd-Allaah ibn
Abi Awfa (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The sleep of the fasting
person is worship, his silence is tasbeeh, his du'aa' is answered and
hisgood deeds will be multiplied." Its isnaad wasclassed as weak by
al-Bayhaqi who said: Ma'roof ibn Hassaan (one of the men in the
isnaad) is da'eef (weak) and Sulaymaan ibn 'Amr al-Nakha'i is weaker
than him. Al-'Iraqi said in Takhreej Ihya' 'Uloom al-Deen (1/310):
Sulaymaan al-Nakha'i is one of the liars. It was classed as da'eef by
al-Manaawi in Fayd al-Qadeer (9293) and it was mentioned by al-Albaani
in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth al-Da'eefah (4696) who said: It is da'eef.
What the Muslims should do in general – and this applies even more so
to khateebs and daa'iyahs – is to verify reports before attributing a
hadeeth to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him). It is not permissible to attribute to him anything that he
did not say. He (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Telling a lie about me is not like telling a lie about anyone else.
Whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in
Hell." Narratedby al-Bukhaari (1391) andby Muslim in the introduction
to his Saheeh(4).
And Allaah knows best.

Ruling on one who prays but does not pay zakaah or fast, or one who does Hajj but does not pray

I read in some of your answers that if a person fasts but does not
pray then his fasting is not valid. What about the opposite; if a
person praysbut does not fast, or praysbut does not pay Zakat,
orperforms hajj but does not pray?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The one who does not fast Ramadaan because he denies that it is
obligatory is a kaafir and his prayer is not valid. Theone who does
not do it deliberately and out of carelessness is not a kaafir,
according to the correct view, and his prayer is valid. The one who
does not pay the obligatory zakaah because he denies that it is
obligatory is a kaafir and his prayer is not valid.The one who does
not do it deliberately and out of carelessness is not a kaafirand his
prayer is valid. The same applies to Hajj; the one who does not do it
because he denies that it is obligatory is a kaafir, but the one who
does notdo it although he is able to do it is not a kaafir and his
prayer is valid.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah li'l-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wa'l-Ifta (10/143, 144)
The one who does not pray is a kaafir and an apostate according to the
correct scholarly view, so no act of worship that he does is valid.