Is gathering for Dhikr and designating a specific day for Qiyam al-Layl outside of Ramadan Bid'ah (innovation)?

He who claims that all of An-Nawawi's hadiths in the chapter on the virtue of circles of remembrance are narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim is mistaken, for two of them were not narrated by Al-Bukhari. Gathering for the remembrance of Allah is permissible, but not in an innovated manner. Indeed, Ibn Mas'ud disapproved of people gathering in the mosque to remember Allah collectively and in an innovated way using pebbles, explaining that it contravened the Sunnah. Scholars agreed with him that his action does not fall under the permitted remembrance, as it was not from the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

As for performing Qiyam al-Layl (night prayer) in congregation outside of Ramadan, there is no harm in it if it does not become a regular habit, because the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not consistently do so, but rather performed it occasionally. The opinion against performing Qiyam al-Layl in congregation is not limited to the Hanafis; rather, other jurists also disliked gathering to revive certain nights in mosques.