It is admitted fact that every moment, second, minute, hour, day or night that is spent in the submission of Allah Almighty and His Beloved Prophet (SAW) is exceedingly meaningful and precious. But there are some days, nights and months which have their own weight and Allah, the compassionate, lays immense stress upon them to unveil their importance to his rationale creatures.
What is Shabaan?Among those months, those hold much importance is Sha’ban and the holy month of Ramadhan, The Holy Month of Sha’ban is one of the blessed months that holds much too for us from the mercy, compassion and kindness of Allah Almighty. Sha’ban is the name of the (eigth) month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha’aba) in search of water, or it was said that it is so called because it sha’aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadan.
Fasting Entire month of Shaban ?????
‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him – PBUH) used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha’ban.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
She also narrated “Shaban was the most beloved month to Allah’s Prophet to fast in it till the beginning of Ramadan” [Declared Authentic by Al-Albani]
According to a report narrated by Muslim, “He used to fast in Sha’ban.”
A group of scholars, including Ibn al-Mubarak and others, thought that the Prophet did not fast all of Sha’ban, but he fasted most of it. This is supported by a report in Saheeh Muslim narrated from ‘A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her), who said: “I never knew of him – meaning the Prophet (PBUH) – fasting for any entire month apart from Ramadan.”
According to another report also narrated by Muslim, A’ishah said:
“I never saw him fast for any entire month from the time he came to Madeenah, apart from Ramadan.”
It was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) did not fast any entire month apart from Ramadan.” Ibn ‘Abbas regarded it as makrooh to fast any entire month apart from Ramadan. Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “He observed more voluntary fasts in Sha’ban than in any other month, and he used to fast most of Sha’ban.”
DA’EEF HADITHS ABOUT THE NIGHT OF 15TH SHABA’AN
Apart from fasting in the month of sha’ban that has been proved authentic by above narrations, there is a concept of Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan (the 15th of Sha’baan). Which infact is like any other night, and there is no sound report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to indicate that on this night the fate or destiny of people is decided.
It was narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah looks down on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan and forgives all his creation except a mushrik or one who harbours hatred against the Muslims.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1390.
The “one who harbours hatred against the Muslims” means one who has enmity towards a Muslim brother.
In al-Zawaa’id it says: Its isnaad is da’eef, because ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Lahee’ah is da’eef (weak) and al-Waleed ibn Muslim is mudallis.
There is also some idtiraab (weakness) in the hadeeth, as stated by al-Daaraqutni in al-‘Ilal, 6/50, 51. He said: This hadeeth is not proven.
It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, ‘Aa’ishah, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani and others, but the isnaads are not free of some weakness, and some of them are very weak.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:
Concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan there are numerous ahaadeeth, concerning which the scholars differed, but most of them classed them as da’eef, and Ibn Hibbaan classed some of them as saheeh.Lataa’if al-Ma’aazif, 261.
Allaah’s descending to the first heaven does not only happen on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan, rather it is proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that Allaah descends to the first heaven every night, in the last third of the night. The night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan is included in this general meaning.
Virtue of praying, fasting and worshipping on the fifteenth of Sha’baan (al-nusf min Sha’baan) does not come under the heading of da’eef (weak), rather it comes under the heading of mawdoo’ (fabricated) and baatil (false). So it is not permissible to follow it or to act upon it, whether that is in doing righteous deeds or otherwise.
A number of scholars ruled that the reports concerning that were false, such as Ibn al-Jawzi in his book al-Mawdoo’aat, 2/440-445; Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah in al-Manaar al-Muneef, no. 174- 177; Abu Shaamah al-Shaafa’i in al-Baa’ith ‘ala Inkaar al-Bida’ wa’l-Hawaadith, 124-137; al-‘Iraaqi in Takhreej Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom il-Deen, no. 582. Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] narrated that there was consensus on the fact that they are false, in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 28/138.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Hukm al-Ihtifaal bi Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan (Ruling on celebrating the fifteenth of Sha’baan):
Celebrating the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan) by praying etc, or singling out this day for fasting, is a reprehensible bid’ah (innovation) according to the majority of scholars, and there is no basis for this in sharee’ah.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan). All the ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning that are mawdoo’ (fabricated) and da’eef (weak), and have no basis. There is nothing special about this night, and no recitation of Qur’aan or prayer, whether alone or in congregation, is specified for this night. What some of the scholars have said about it being special is a weak opinion. It is not permissible to single it out for any special actions.
The innovations of the fifteenth night of Shabaan:
1- All kinds of celebrations at that night whether meeting for religious observances, recitation of poems or feeding people and to consider that these deeds are a stated Sunnah while they aren’t.
2- Praying Alalfia or Albarae prayer at that night.
3- Also praying fourteen, twelve or six Rakat at that night.
4- To specify Ishah (night) prayer, at that night, with recitation of Surah YaSin or certain number of surah Al-Ekhlaas or specifying that night with a certain invocation; called (the fifteenth of shaban night invocation, they may also stipulate praying two Rakat or reciting surah Ya-Sin (one chapter of the holy Quran) before this invocation to be accepted. Among the innovations of this night also, is to specify its day with fasting or charity or to believe that the fifteenth night of Shaban is better than the night of Al-Qadr (Decree).
fatwa from scholar of MAkkah bin baz whom we follow most:
Sheikh Abdul-Aziz Bin Baz may Allah bestow his mercy upon him- was asked about the 15th night of Shaban and if it has a special prayer?
He answered: (there is no sound hadith indicating the virtue of this night and all the reported a hadith in its virtue are weak or fabricated. It’s an ordinary night and has no special recitation, prayer or meeting and the saying of its specialty is a weak opinion.
Allah's beloved prophet Hadrat MUHAMMAD{peace be upon him}said: "Sha'ban is my month,Rajab is Allah's month and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah[Community]
Sha'ban is expiator,while Ramadan is the prufier."
Sha'ban is a month between Rajab and Ramadan.People tend to neglcet it,but that is when the deeds of His servants ascend to the Lord of all the Worlds,so I would rather mine rose up while i am fasting."
" The excellence of Rajab over other months is like the excellence of the Quran over all other books, while the excellence of Sha'ban over other months is like my excellence over the rest of the prophets,and the excellence of Ramadan over other months is like the excellence of Allah[Exalted is He]over all His creatures.
FASTING OF HADRAT MUHAMMAD{peace be upon him}IN THE MONTH OF SHA'BAN
Hadrat Aisha,the wife of our prophet hadrat MUHAMMAD{peace be upon him}is reported,having said: "Allah's Messenger{peace be upon him}used to fast until we would say he was never going to stop fasting, and he would go so long without fasting thet we would say he was never going to fast,but i never saw Allah's Messenger{peace be upon him}continue a fast from the begning to the end of any month except the month of Ramadan and i never saw do more fasting in any month than he did in Sha'ban.So i a sked him "how is it i always see you fasting in Sha'ban?" and he{peace be upon him}said: "O' Aisha,it is the month in which the angel of death has to note down the name of anyone whose soul he must take before the year is out,so i would rather he did not record my name except while i am fasting." Hadrat Aisha{may Allah be pleased with her}said: " The dearest of months to our Prophet hadrat MUHAMMAD{peace be upon him} was Sha'ban, which he would link to Ramadan."
LAST MONDAY OF SHA'BAN.
Allah's beloved hadrat MUHAMMAD{peace be upon him}said: "Anyone who fasts on the last monday of Sha'ban will be granted forgiveness."
LAILAT-UL-BARA'T{THE NIGHT OF ABSOLUTION},ITS SPECIAL MERCY, GRACE AND MERITS.
Allah almighty said:"Ha-Mim.By this luminous Book. Undoubtedly we sent it down in a blessed night,verily We are to warn.Therein every affair of wisdom is divided."[44:1-3] Hadrat Ibn-e- Abbas{may Allah be pleased with him}said,"Ha-Mim means that Allah has predetermined everything in existance till the day of Resurrection. Book means AL-QURAN,which is a mercy from Allah and provid guidance and was revealed in "blessed night".The 'blessed night' is the night of mid-Sha'ban in which every wise and important work is decided and is made distinct.Mid of Sha'ban is the nightof absolution."
THE SPECIAL [IBADA] WORSHIP OF OUR PROPHET HADRAT MUHAMMAD{peace be upon him}IN THIS BLESSED NIGHT.
Hadrat Aisha{may Allah be pleased with her}said,once Allah's Messenger{peace be upon him}asked me, "O Aisha,what night is this?"She replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best."Then he said: This is the night of the middle of Sha'ban,during which worldly actions and the deeds of mankind are carried aloft.In this night as numerous as the wool of the flocks of the tribe of Kalb,are the slaves of Allah, emancipated from the fire of hell. So will you excuse me tonight?" She said :" I said yes,So he performed his prayer like this : He held the upright position only briefly,and recited AL-Hamd and a short Sura then he stayed in prostration till middle of night .then he stood upto begin the second rak'at[cycle] with a recitation similar to the first,and then his prostration lasted untill dawn."
OUR PROPHET{peace be upon him} WENT TO JANNA-TUL-BAQQI [the blessed cemetry of the city of Madinah-tul-Munwwara].
Hadrat Aisha{may Allah be pleased with her}once said:" I could not find Allah's Messenger{peace be upon him}one night,So i went outside there he was in Jannat-ul-baqqi{the blessed cemetry},his hand turned up toward the sky.Then he said to me: 'Were you afraid that Allah and His Messenger would treat you unfairly?' I replied: 'O Messenger of Allah, I thought that you had gone to one of your[other] wives.'He{peace be upon him}said:'On the night of mid-Sha'ban,Allah{Exalted is He}descends to the lowest heaven and forgives more than the number of woolly hairs on the flocks and herds of [the tribe of Kalb]."
Hadrat Ibn-e-Abbas{may Allah be pleased with him and his father}said: "In the night of mid Sha'ban,Allah[Exalted is He] arranges the affairs of the year.He transfers[some of] the living to the list of dead,and records those who will make pilgrimage to the house of Allah,neither adding one too many nor leaving a single one of them out."
THREE HUNDRED GATES OF MERCY ARE OPENED IN THE NIGHT OF MID SHA'BAN:
Hadrat Abu Huraira{may Allah be pleased with him}reported that Rasullullah{salallahu alaihi wassallam}said: "Gabriel{peace be upon him}came to me on the night of mid Sha'ban and said to me:"Ya RasulAllah,raise your head heavenwards!" I asked him: "What night is this?"and he replied: "This is night when Allah{Glorified is He}opens three hundred of the gates of mercy, forgiving all who do not make anything His partner. The only exceptions are those who practice sorcery or divination, are addicted to wine, or persist in usuary and illict sex; these He does not forgive untill they repent." At a quarter of the night, Gabriel {peace be upon him}came down and said: Ya RasulAllah, raise your head!" So i looked up, to behold the gates of Paradise wide open. At the first gate an angel was calling: "Good news for those who bow in worship this night!" At the second gate an angel was calling: Good news for those who prostrate themselves in worship this night!" At the third gate an angel was calling: "Good news for those who offer supplication this night!" At the fourth gate an angel was calling: "Good news for those who make remembrance this night!" At the fifth gate an angel was calling: "Good news for those who weep this night from the fear of Allah!" At the sixth gate an angel was calling:" Good news for those who submit this night!" At the seventh gate an angel was calling: "Will anyone ask, hat his request may be granted?" At the eight gate an angel was calling:" Will anyone seeks forgiveness, that he may be forgiven?" Rasullullah{salsllahu alaihi wassallam}said: "O Gabriel,how long will these gates remain open?" He replied: From the beginning of the night until the break of dawn." Then he said: "YarasulAllah, tonight Allah has as many slaves emancipated from the fire of hell as the number of wooly hairs on the flocks and herds of tribe Kalb."
MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN ISLAM!
You read the blessings and mercy of this month. How fortunate is this month that our Prophet{peace be upon him} said that THIS IS MY MONTH, this is the blessed month in which our Prophet{peace be upon him} used to fast more than any month except Ramadan. In the mid of this blessed month,he{peace be upon him}spent the whole night in worshiping of Allah subhanahu ta'ala.He remained in prostration the half night for the maghfirah [forgiveness] of his Ummah.Not only he prayed for his ummah but also he went himself to the blessed cemetry of Janna-tul-Baqqi in Madinah Munawwara and he prayed for maghfirah[forgiveness] for the dead of his Ummah.And he fasted the fifteenth day of Sha'ban.
How fortunate are those who worship and seek forgiveness from Allah subhanahu ta'ala and are forgiven.Instead of sleeping in this blessed nitht,spend this night in worshiping,weeping,asking for forgiveness for the whole muslim ummah,reciting Quran,reciting SALAT and SALAM upon Allah's beloved Prophet hadrat MUHAMMAD{peace be upon him}as many times as we can, as this the month of Allah's beloved Prophet{peace be upon him}.Allah subhanahu ta'ala is watching us,it is up to us what we decide.
Shaban is the 8th month in the Islamic calendar and is considered one of the meritorious months for which we find particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad . It is reported that Prophet Muhammad, used to fast most of the month in Shaban except the last few days of the month.
These fasts are supererogatory (nafl). Shaban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. The Prophet mentioned in a hadith, "Rajab is the month of Allah, Shaban is my month and Ramadan is the month of the Nation".
1. The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid , reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad : "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Shaban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad , replied: "That (Shaban) 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."
2. Ummul Mu'mineen 'Aishah (r), says, "Prophet Muhammad , used to fast for most of Shaban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Shaban 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.' "
These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Shaban, though not obligatory but is very deserving and that Prophet Muhammad did not like to miss it.
The Night of nisf (mid) Shaban
Various Islamic scholars have recommended special worshiping during the night of 15th of Shaban. This is based on the saying (Hadith) of prophet Muhammad , the meaning of which is that during the night of 15th of Shaban, Allah will say "is there any person repenting so that I forgive him, and any person seeking provision so that I provide for him, and any person with distress so that I relieve him, and so on until dawn." reported by Ibn Majah.
This is the night occurring between 14th and 15th day of Shaban. Traditions of Prophet Muhammad , show that it is a meritorious night in which the people of the earth are attended by special Divine Mercy.
On the Night of 15th Shaban, after Maghrib or Isha prayer it is traditional practice to read Surah Yasin and make special supplications for good health, protection from calamities and increased Iman.
According to tradition this night has special blessings that are directed towards the faithful. Therefore, as much as possible, this night should be spent in worship and total submission to Allah Almighty. Also, fasting is recommended on the day immediately following this Night, i.e. the 15th day of Shaban.
Supplication for Nifs Shaban
Transliteration
Allahumma ya Dha 'l-Manni la yamannu 'alayhi ahad,
ya Dha 'l-Jalali wa 'l-Ikram ya Dha 't-Tuli wa 'l-An'am.
La ilaha illa Anta.
Ļahara 'l-laji'īn wa Jaru 'l-mustajirin wa Amanu 'l-kha'ifīn.
Allāhumma in kunta katabtanī 'indaka fī ummu 'l-Kitābi
shaqiyan aw mahruman aw matrudan aw muqataran 'alayya mina 'r-rizq
famhu-llahumma bi-faļlika shaqawati wa hurmani wa ţurdi
wa iqtara rizqi wa thabitni 'indaka fi ummi 'l-kitabi sa'idan
wa marzuqan li 'l-khayrati
fa-innaka qulta wa qawluku 'l-haqq
fī kitabik al-munzal
'ala lisani nabiyyika 'l-mursal:
yamhullahu ma yasha'u wa yuthbitu wa 'indahu Ummu 'l-Kitab.
Ilahi bi 't-tajalli al-a'azhami fī lalayti 'n-nisfi
min shahri sha'bani 'l-mu'azhami 'l-mukarrami
'llati yufraqu fīha kullu amrin hakimin wa yubram,
an takshifa 'anna mina 'l-bala'i ma na'lamu
wa ma la na'lamu wa ma Anta bihi a'alamu
innaka Anta al-A'azzu 'l-Akram.
Wa salla-Allahu 'ala sayyidina Muhammadin wa 'ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam.
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil Aalameen
Translation
O Allah, Tireless Owner of Bounty. O Owner of Sublimity, Honor, Power, and Blessings.
There is no Allah except You, the Supporter of refugees and Neighbor of those who seek nearness, Protector of the fearful.
O Allah, if you have written in Your Book that I be abject, deprived, banished, and Ungenerous,
then erase O Allah, through Your bounty,
my misery, deprivation, banishment, and stinginess
and establish me with You as happy, provided with blessings,
for surely You have said-and Your Word is True-
in Your Revealed Book on the tongue of Your Messenger,
"Allah blots out or confirms what He pleases, and with Him is the Mother of Books." (13:39)
My God, by the Great Manifestation of the Night of the middle of the Noble Month of Sha'ban
"in which every affair of wisdom is made distinct and authorized,"(44:4)
remove from us calamities-those we know and those we do not know,
and Thou knows best-for surely You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his Family and Companions.
Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds
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