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Virtues of the month of Sha’ban

Author Administrator on August 25th, 2007

The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said: “Shaaban is my month”.

Fasting in the Month of Sha’ban

This is a month of asking for forgiveness of sins, fasting, giving alms and charity. The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) used to observe fasts in this month more than any other month, excluding the month of Ramadhan. The companion Usama ibn Zaid, Radi-Allahu anhu, reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam: “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.” The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “That (Sha’ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. It is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the heavens and the earth, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting.”

The night of Deliverance (Laylatul-bara’ah)

This is the night falling between 14th and 15th day of Shaban. There are certain traditions of Prophet (peace be upon him), which indicate the significance of this night; human beings are attended by distinct Divine mercy in this night. ‘Aishah Siddiquah, mother of the believers (radi-Allahu anha) is reported to have said: Once the Prophet, (peace be upon him), performed the late night prayer (Tahajjud) and made a very long sajdah until I feared that he had passed away. When this thought came to my mind, I touched his thumb and the thumb moved, I returned to my bed. Then I heard him saying while prostrating: ‘I seek refuge of Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge of Your pleasure from Your displeasure, and I seek Your refuge from Yourself. I cannot praise You as You deserve to be praised. You are exactly as You have defined Yourself.’ Thereafter, when he raised his head from prostration (sajdah) and finished his prayer, he asked me, ‘Do you know which night is this?’ I said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘This is the middle night of Sha’ban. Allah looks upon His slaves in this night and forgives those who seek forgiveness and bestows His mercy upon those who pray for mercy but keeps those who have malice (against a Muslim) as they were before, (and does not forgive them unless they eradicate the malice from their hearts).’

In another hadith the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “This is the middle night of Shaban. In this night Allah frees a large number of people from the fire of hell, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe Kalb.” Kalb was a tribe which had a very large number of sheep at that time. The hadith refers to the sheep of that tribe to large number of people that are delivered from the Fire due to their sincere repentance in this night.

However, the ahadith also point out that in this night Allah does not even look at a person who associates partners with Allah, or at a person who harbours malice in his heart (against someone), or at a person who cuts off the ties of kinship, or at a man who leaves his clothes extending beyond his ankles (as a sign of pride), or at a person who disobeys his parents, or at a person who is a habitual drinker.”
In this night, a Muslim should seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty, recite the Holy Qur’an, perform dhikr (recitation of the name of Allah) in this night, recite Salah (durood) on Prophet Muhammad, sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

On the 15th of Sha’ban, the day immediately following the Night of Bara’ah, it is mustahabb (advisable) to keep optional fast. As it is noted above, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) regularly observed fast in this month.