Specifying the 15th of Sha`ban with some Acts of Worship

Society Religion & Philosophy
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**The month of Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The fifteenth night of this month is known as laylatul-bara'ah (The Night of Innocence) or laylat un-nisfe min Shaban (the Middle Night of Shaban) in the Arab world. In India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Afghanistan, etc., it is known as shab-e-barat. Some people believe that in Surat Ad-Dukhan (44:3-4) there is a reference to this night as Allah says, "We sent it (the Qur'an) down during a blessed night. We are truly Warners. In that night is made distinct every affair of wisdom." But the night referred to here cannot be a Shaban night because it is said here clearly that
the Qur’an was revealed in this night. We know from the Surat Al-Qadr
(97) that the Qur’an was revealed in the Night of Qadr and we also
know from the Qur’an (Al-Baqarah 2:185) that the Qur’an was revealed
in the month of Ramadan. So it is obvious that the night of the
revelation of the Qur’an was in Ramadan, not Sha`ban, and that it was
laylat ul-qadr (The Night of Power) not shab-e-barat.

Some people also say that in the 2nd year of Hijrah, the direction of
the Qiblah was changed from Jerusalem to the Kabah in Makkah on the 15th day of Shaban. This report is also not confirmed by authentic
hadiths. According to most of the exegetes, the Qur’an has not
mentioned anything about the Sha`ban night.

There are some hadiths that speak about the Middle of Shaban and its night. However, the scholars of hadith say that most of the hadiths concerning this night are not authentic. They are weak (daif)
according to the criteria of the narrators and scholars of hadith.
Imam Al-Mundhiri (died in 656 A.H.) in his famous book At-Targhib
wat-Tarhib (vol. 2, pp. 116-120) reported fourteen hadiths on the
subject of this night. The following points can be summarized from
those hadiths:

  1. The month of Sha`ban is a great month.

  2. In this month Allah takes the account of His creation.

  3. Because this month occurs between two other important months, viz.
    Rajab and Ramadan, many people do not pay enough attention to it.

  4. The Prophet (peace be upon him) loved to fast during this month. He
    used to fast most of the month of Sha`ban.

  5. After sunset on the night of Middle of Sha`ban, Allah in His great
    mercy and kindness turns towards His creation and asks, “Is there
    anyone who would seek My forgiveness and I forgive him (or her)? Is
    there anyone who is in need to ask Me and I provide for his (or her)
    needs. Is there anyone who is in pain and seeks My help and I help him
    (or her)? Is there…? Is there…?” until the time of Dawn."

  6. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is said to have
    recommended prayers during this night and fasting during the following
    day.

  7. It reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used
    to visit the Muslim cemetery on this evening and he used to pray for
    the deceased Muslims.

These are the things that we learn from some hadiths about the
significance of this night. However, there are many practices and
customs common in some Muslim countries, such as making a sweet dish,
setting off fireworks, etc. These things have no meaning and no
reference in hadiths. There are also some superstitious beliefs about
this night. For example, some people believe that the spirits of the
deceased visit their relatives during this night. Some believe that
there is a special tree in Heaven upon whose leaves are the names of
all human beings, and whatever leaves drop during this night, those
people are destined to die in this year. Some think that the decisions
about the life and death of people are made during this night. All
these beliefs and superstitions do not belong to the authentic
teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah.

We must try to follow the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah of the
blessed Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is our duty as
Muslims to take advantage of all good occasions to revive our faith,
to purify our souls, and to increase our love and devotion to Allah
(glory be to Him), but we must follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him). We must not do anything in our
celebrations that is against his teachings."

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.pakistanlink.com
Answer 2:
Shedding light on the question “whether is allowed to specify the 15th
of Sha`ban with some acts of worship or not”, the Saudi eminent Muslim
scholar, Sheikh ibn Fowzaan, states the following:

Nothing firm and reliable has been established on the authority of the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), that he held nigh vigil
prayer and fasted during the day of the 15th of Shaban. So, the night of the 15th of Shaban is like any other night, and if someone
regularly observes acts of worship during other nights, then he may
hold night vigil prayer on this night without assuming anything
special (because of it being the night of the 15th of Sha`ban).

This is because specifying a time for any act of worship requires an
authentic proof, so if there is no authentic proof then the act is
regarded as an innovation and all innovations are misguidance.
Likewise, regarding specifically fasting during the 15th day of
Shaban, then no (authentic) proof has been established on the authority of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to indicate the legality of fasting on that particular day. Tackling the same issue, the well-known Saudi scholar, Sheikh ibn Uthaymeen, adds:

What is correct is that fasting on the 15th of Shaban or specifying it with reciting (the Qur'an) or making (particular) supplications on that day has no basis. So that day is like any other 15th day of other months. Something that is clear is that it has been made permissible for a person to fast on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every month. However, Shaban is somehow special (except for Ramadan) in the sense
that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast more
in the month of Shaban than any other month. So he used to either fast all of Shaban or just a little.

Therefore, as long as it does not involve any hardship, one can
increase his fasting days during Sha`ban, emulating the example of the
Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: www.fatwa-online.com

**

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Shab-e-barat is the night when prophet (P.B.U.H.) went on miraj. It is said that everything about your life is decided on this night. It is recommanded that one should pray to God, ask forgiveness, thank him for all his precious gifts he has blessed you with and make what ever dua you want to make.
Shaban is also called the month of Allah. So one should give lots of charity, Pray to Allah as much as you can, ask forgiveness. And Fasting is sawab in this month.
I guess there is another surat in Quran that mentions the miraj of Prophet (p.B.U.H). I'll site it once I find it. And if anyone else knows the ayat/surah, please post the translation. Thanks

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Thats shab-e-miraaj when Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, went on miraaj. Shab-e-baraat is when Allah bascially writes up who is to die, who is to be born, who gets how much rizq etc etc. Shab-e-miraaj went by a couple of weeks ago and shab-baraat should be up in a couple of nights.

Hope I am not mistaken :bummer:

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Lusi: *
Shab-e-barat is the night when prophet (P.B.U.H.) went on miraj. It is said that everything about your life is decided on this night. It is recommanded that one should pray to God, ask forgiveness, thank him for all his precious gifts he has blessed you with and make what ever dua you want to make.
Shaban is also called the month of Allah. So one should give lots of charity, Pray to Allah as much as you can, ask forgiveness. And Fasting is sawab in this month.
I guess there is another surat in Quran that mentions the miraj of Prophet (p.B.U.H). I'll site it once I find it. And if anyone else knows the ayat/surah, please post the translation. Thanks
[/QUOTE]

but didnt she qoute that it is biddah to single out that night for special worship?....it is so annoying when people are presented with evidence, they say that they will go against it....

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allâh has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided? (Al-Baqarah 2:170)

5

You are right about Shab-e-miraj and shab-e-barat.
Today is 14th of Sha`ban i.e night of 15th.So the shab-e-barat is tonight.Am I right? :konfused:

6

Shab e barat is one of the lail la tul Qadir,

This is the night many things happened.

According to me all the ahadeez are weak if all the sects of islam do not agree on it. It is not correct to say that certain ahadeez are weak because the criteria some sect has coined for ahadeez is not met. Definitely all sects of islam, if do not have comparative study would coin a criteria for any hadeez to be true totally based on their believe.

So saying this that according to this or that this or that hadeez is weak is totally wrong.

The criteria should be for an ahadeez to be right if two main stream muslims agree to it or not.

So all imamis and hanafees and baralvies, malkies , shafaies etc etc with the exception of WAHABIES; constitute a majority of muslim popullation, and all of them believe this hadeez to be correct that this night, MOUQADARS are written, Decisions for death and life is written ,

Doua is accepted by God and also some say imam mehdi would be born in this night and many emami sects say imam mehdi,who is GAEIB was born in this night.

Since one has to believe in Sorah Gaibat, which asks to have eman on Gaeib, so no harm in believing on many such Gaeibats; such as Hazrat KHEIZR(A), Haszrat Essa (A), God himself is Gaieb from our eyes, so possibly Imam mehdi is Gaeib from our eyes.

So to conclude it is no harm in doing ASTAGHFAR and praying this night.
Bye sokoon

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by sokoon: *
Shab e barat is one of the lail la tul Qadir,

So all imamis and hanafees and baralvies, malkies , shafaies etc etc with the exception of WAHABIES; constitute a majority of muslim popullation, and all of them believe this hadeez to be correct that this night, MOUQADARS are written, Decisions for death and life is written ,

[/QUOTE]

first of all ..where is the evidence that shab e barat is lail la tul qadar?

secondly, what is a wahabi? any one who follows the right path avoiding any biddah for all biddahs are in hell fire, is called a wahabi these days...go on keep using the name of allah to insult people, may allah do justice to all of those who misuse his name "Al-Wahab"

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laila tul qadr is any one of the odd nights in the last ashra (last 10 nights) of ramadan. It is definitey not Shab-e-baraat.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Femme Fatale: *
laila tul qadr is any one of the odd nights in the last ashra (last 10 nights) of ramadan. It is definitey not Shab-e-baraat.
[/QUOTE]

jazakallah khair

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Femme Fatale: *
laila tul qadr is any one of the odd nights in the last ashra (last 10 nights) of ramadan. It is definitey not Shab-e-baraat.
[/QUOTE]

Yep.... and according to Qur`an there are only five odd nights .So those nights are definitely the lai-latul-qadr comes in Ramdhan not the shab-e-barat.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by sokoon: *

According to me all the ahadeez are weak if all the sects of islam do not agree on it.

The criteria should be for an ahadeez to be right if two main stream muslims agree to it or not.
[/QUOTE]

Huh!?

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Here in the US, it’s tonight (Sept 29th). I think.

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Yup.. I am sorry thats shab-e-mairaj.. Thanks for the correction..

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Isn’t Shab-e-baraat tonight?

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ThandyMazaq: *

but didnt she qoute that it is biddah to single out that night for special worship?....it is so annoying when people are presented with evidence, they say that they will go against it....

When it is said to them: "Follow what Allâh has sent down." They say: "Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." Even though their fathers did not understand anything nor were they guided? (Al-Baqarah 2:170)
[/QUOTE]

In the above post I was mistaken sab-e-mairaj for sjab-e-barat. Yes there is no quranic evidence for shab-e-barat. But I have some Hadis on the significance of shab-e-barat.

In Arabic Bara’at means forgiveness and pardon. The night of 15th of Sha’ban (the night between 14th and 15th) has come to be known as Shab-e-Bara’at, the night of pardon from sins, probably because of a Hadith recorded by Imam Tirmizi.

There is nothing about this night in Qur’an. Imam Tirmizi has recorded the following Hadith:

“Narrated Hazrat Ayesha that one night (she awoke and) she did not find Prophet (Pbuh) (in his bed). She went out (to search for him) and found him in Baqi’ (the graveyard in Madinah)... The Prophet (Pbuh) said: In the night of 15th of Sha’ban, Allah descends to the lowest of skies and grants pardon to the people more than the number of hair of the goats of Kal’b tribe.” (Tirmizi)

After recording the above Hadith Imam Tirmizi wrote the following note underneath: “Hazrat Abu Bakr has also reported to have narrated such Hadith... I have heard Imam Bukhari saying that this Hadith is Za’eef as Hajjaj. One of the chain of its narrators is Za’eef (less reliable). (Tirmizi; Abwab-us-Saum)

.However, since according to the findings of the scholars, the above Hadith is only Za’eef (not fully reliable) and not Maudhoo’ (False), there is a chance of its being reliable. The principle laid down by the Fiq’h scholars is that a Za’eef Hadith is to be followed if nothing contradictory is found in Qur’an or any other Sahih (absolutely reliable) Hadith. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the night should be spent in asking forgiveness especially when there are other Hadiths verifying it. There is a Hadith recorded by Ibne Maja that Hazrat Ali narrated that the Prophet (Pbuh) said: “Offer Salat in the night of 15th Sha’ban and keep fast in the day. Allah descends to the sky of the earth after sunset in this night and says: Beware! Is there someone who asks forgiveness so that I forgive him? Beware! Is there any seeking the countenance so that I bestow on him? Beware! Is there any in trouble so that I rid him of it? Beware! Is there such and such etc. It goes on till there is Faj’r.” (Ibne Maja)

Following is another Hadith from Ibne Maja:

Narrated Abu Musa Ash’ari that the Prophet (Pbuh) said: “Allah pays (special) attention to the people of the world in the night of 15th of Sha’ban and grants pardon to all (seeking His pardon) except those who ascribe partners to Him and those who keep grudge against others in their heart.” (Ibne Maja)

Some traditions stating that the fate of individuals, groups and nations is decided and sealed on this night, can be ignored as they contradict Qur’an. Qur’an has described the allocation of fate in Shab-e-Qad’r (97:1-4 & 44:3-4), which falls in the last one third of Ramadhan.

After reading the hadis if you still think its biddah, then its up to you. Allah has sent Prophet P.B.U.H. for our guidence, and if Prophet said something that means it has some significance. But I you think its biddah its up to you, but there is no harm in say few more prayers or asking for forgiveness.

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Very strange. I see achay khaasay parhay likhay muslim scholar posters here exhorting muslims not to offer special prayers, cz it is 'misguidance'. Al Amaan al Hafeez!

Bhai, koi chaar naafil extra parh lay tau aap ka kiya jaata hai? Issi bahanay kuch logoN ko khuda ki yaad hi aa jayay gi. Aqal istemaal karni chahiyay, kabhi kabhi.

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Faisal, no scholar is stopping anyone from offering nifl prayers and indulging in other ibadah. However, what they are possibly warning against is people holding special meaning for this night, which doesn't any evidence in the Quran and doesn't have strong/authentic ahadith backing it up.

People offer prayers tonight because they hold this night to be special and not because 'oh it's Shabaan, so lets do more ibaadah or fast because Prophet Muhammad (SAW) used to fast often during this month'.

There's a big difference between the two approaches.

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Here’s a detailed answer:

Ruling on celebrating the middle of Sha’baan

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Considering how poeple pray so little already, the last thing we should do is to stop them from praying by casting doubts. If someone were to ask me, I'd say all nights are shab-e-baraat. Alhamdollilah. So keep praying and remember me in your prayers too. Whatever the excuse maybe.

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Nice reading the viewpoint. And I certainly agree with it. Btw those of you who say the night is the ‘blessed’ night and all the virtues that it holds and everything. Can you please tell me what the word ‘brat’ in Arabic means.