Salaams
We are blessed to have reached the Holy month of Shaban. This started on 10th June 2013, as Sheikh Nazim Al-Haqqani stated in his sohbet recently.
Sha`ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (SWS).
It is reported in authentic Ahadith that Prophet Muhammad (SWS), used to fast most of the month in Sha`ban. These fasts are supererogatory (Nafl) and well deserving of reward, for Sha`ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan.
The Prophet mentioned in a hadith, "Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha`ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of the Nation". (Imam Bukhari RA)
1. The blessed companion Anas (RA), reports that Prophet Muhammad (SWS), was asked, "Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadan?" He replied, "Fasts of Sha`ban in honor of Ramadan."
2. The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid (RA), reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad (SWS): "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha`ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad (SWS), replied: "That (Sha`ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."
3. Ummul Mu'mineen `Aishah (RA), says, "Prophet Muhammad (SWS), used to fast the whole of Sha`ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha`ban your favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting.’"
4. In another Tradition Ummul Mu'mineen `Aishah (RA) says, "Prophet Muhammad (SWS), would sometimes begin to fast continuously until we thought he would not stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah (S) fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha`ban."
5. In another Tradition Ummul Mu'mineen `Aishah (RA) says, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, (SWS), fasting in a month so profusely as he did in the month of Sha`ban. He used to fast in that month leaving only a few days, rather, he used to fast almost the whole of the month."
6. Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah (RA), says: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha`ban and Ramadan."
These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha`ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet Muhammad (SWS) did not like to miss it.
***
The Night of Bara`ah
Another significant feature of the month of Sha`ban is that it consists of a night which is termed in Shari`ah as "Laylatul-Bara`ah" (The night of freedom from Fire). This is the night occurring between 14th and 15th day of Sha`ban. Traditions of Prophet Muhammad (SWS), prove that it is a meritorious night in which the people of the earth are attended by special Divine mercy. We will be posting much more about this blessed night shortly.
***
What should be done in this night?
On the Holy Night of 15th Shaban, after Maghrib and between Isha prayer, it is traditional practice to read Surah Yasin three times, and after each time, read a special Du`a
(Du'a Nisf Shaban) with the following intentions:
1st reading of Yaseen with the Niyyat (intention) for should be for Long Life.
2nd reading of Yaseen with the Niyyat (intention) should be for Protection from Calamities.
3rd Reading of Yaseen with the Niyyat (intention) should be for not being needy to anyone except Allah.
It is necessary that just as others observe this night, you observe it. To make an invitation to feed people on that night, to remember Allah (SWT) and to remember His Prophet (SWS) and to fast its day and pray its night will be rewarded for that night and for whoever observes it. In order to observe the Night of Bara`ah one should remain awake in this night as much as possible.
If someone has better opportunities, he should spend the whole night in worship and prayer. However, if you for one reason or another, you can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably of the second half of it for this purpose and should perform the following acts of worship: It is good to spend that night praying
Salat al-Khair which conists of 100 raka`ts, in each raka`t reciting Sura al-Fatiha and 10 Surat Ikhlas. To complete the prayer you recite 1000 Sura Ikhlas.
The Night of Bara`ah is a night in which special blessings are directed towards the Muslims. Therefore, this night should be spent in total submission to Allah Almighty, and one should refrain from all those activities which may displease Allah.
*** Fast of the 15th Shaban
On the day immediately following the Night of Bara`ah, i.e. the 15th of Sha`ban, it is mustahabb (advisable) to keep fast. Prophet Muhammad (SWS), is reported to have recommended this fast emphatically. A large number of the predecessors (Salaf) of the Ummah have been observing the fast of the 15th of Sha`ban.
Therefore, it is advisable to fast the 15th of Sha`ban as an optional (Nafl) fast. One can also keep a fast of Qada on this day and it is hoped that he can also benefit from the merits of this fast.
Source: Sayyid Abdul Qadir Gilani (KS) (Ghawth-i `Adham)
Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq
Excellency of 15th Sha'ban
There are some other narrations that inform us about the excellency of the 15th night of Sha'ban. Imam Ibn Majah states:
"It is narrated by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated, 'When it is the 15th night of Sha'ban, do qiyam[stand in prayer] in the night, and fast in the morning, and ask for forgiveness because on that night Allah calls:'Is there anyone who is asking for forgiveness so that I can forgive them, who is in distress that I may relieve his distress. Is there anyone who needs provision that I may give it to him.'And this continues till the morning'"
[Ibn Majah, chapter on 'Salat']
Imam at-Tirmidhi writes:
"'A'isha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: 'On this night the Prophet went to Jannat al-Baqi' to make du'a'; I followed him. The Prophet said to me: 'Allah puts His attention towards the first Heaven, and forgives the sins of the people, even if they were equivalent to the hairs of the goats of Bani Qalb [A tribe who at the time had a lot of goats]'"
[At-Tirmidhi, 'Kitab as-Siyam]
Imam al-Bukhari has objected upon one narrator but this is compensated by the fact that Ibn Majah has narrated it with different chains. Allama adh-adh-Dhahabi,and Hafiz Ibn Kathir quote from Hafiz Abu Zur'a that only 30 ahadith in Ibn Majah are weak [adh-Dhahabi, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz; Ta'rikh Ibn Kathir, 'Biography of Ibn Majah']
Some other people have stated that more than 30 ahadith are da'if (weak) but the narrations we have are not amongst those 30, and that is why these ahadith can be used to support the validity of 15th Sha'ban night.
Even Imam at-Tirmidhi's narration is weak but this does not belittle the subject when it concerns its merits and excellence - since weak narrations are still acceptable. However, we would like to ask those people who are so against the observance of 15th of Sha'ban, whether they have even a weak hadith to disprove the prayers on the 15th of Sha'ban? In reality they have no narration against the 15th night of Sha'ban. If there are any they should produce it.
Those who are against the 15th night of Sha'ban usually ask, 'Why do you celebrate the 15th night of Sha'ban?' An appropriate answer might be, 'Why do all of the Saudi Arabian scholars celebrate Laylat al-Qadr on the 27th night of Ramadan in Haramayn (Makka and Madina)? Did the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and his Companions celebrate the Laylat al-Qadr on the 27th night of Ramadan?' The answer is clearly, 'No, they did not.' So if this is permitted then the 15th night of Sha'ban is permitted as well.
Ruling regarding 15th of Sha'ban
The Ahl As-Sunnah say that observing the 15th night od Sha'ban is a permissible act, but it is not a Sunna. There is enough proof that if the majority of the Muslims consider it to be good then it is sufficient.As the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated: 'The thing that a group of a Muslims says is good, it is accepted by Allah[ Mishkat, chapter on 'Istihsan']
Two great followers of Ibn Taymiyya and Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi, are Hafiz 'Abdullah Rawpari and Thana'ullah Amritsari, who both state that to worship on the 15th night of Sha'ban is not a bid'a and the person who worships on this night will obtain reward for it. The narrations concerning this night are weak but this does not matter since weak ahadith are acceptable for virtuous actions
[Hafiz Rawpari, Fatawa Ahl al-Hadith; Amritsari, T., Fatawa Thana'iya, chapter on 'Fasting']
Hafiz Ibn Taymiyya writes:
"The excellency regarding the 15th of Sha'ban is an area of dispute between the scholars; some of them say that there is no significance of this night, but Imam Ahmed recognises the excellency of this night, and our other Hanbali scholars also agree with Imam Ahmed.There are ahadith on this night being significant, some of them are from the Sunnan of At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and other books of Ahadith as well"
[Ibn Taymiyya, Iqtida Sirat al-Mustaqim, page 203]
The people who reject the significance of this night argue that the Holy Qur'an was not revealed on this night so that is why there is no significance of this night. It is true that the Holy Qur'an was revealed in Ramadan, but the significance is due to the ahadith that tells us about the reward one will obtain if one worships on the 15th night of Sha'ban.
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