Syaa'ban is one of the
glorious months in Islam.
Rasul (swallallahu alaihi
wasallam) had taught his companions to ask for Barakah in this month as well as
in Rajeb.
It is reported in authentic
hadiths that Prophet Muhammad, Swall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, used to fast most
of the month in Syaa'ban
Usama ibn Zaid® reports that
he asked Prophet Muhammad, Swall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam:
"Messenger of
Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Syaa'ban so frequently that I
have never seen you fasting in any other month’’
“Prophet Muhammad
(swallallahu alaihi wasallam) replied:
"That (Syaa’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.
(Sunanu Nasaai)
Night of
Nisfu syaa’ban (Bara-at Night):
The night of Nisfu Syaban (Bara-at Night) is very
auspicious night in Islam.
Great scholars of Islam have explained that on the
night of Bara-at the decision for each individual for the whole year is made
(good news as well as sad news regarding health, rizq (livelihood), sickness etc
) And on the night of Qadr (Laylatul Qadr) these orders are handed over to the
angels.
Allah Says:
Verily, We revealed it on a blessed night .Verily We are ever warning. Whereupon
every wise command is made clear(Dukhan3-4)
Even though , the
most of the interpreters of Qur’an (mufassireen) say that the "blessed
night" in the above verses refers to the Night of power (Lailatul Qadr)which
is in Ramadan,many ‘mufassireen’ have the opinion that this
"blessed night" may be night of Nisfu Syaa’ban.
Tafseers (Jalalaini,Bailwawi,Roohul
Bayan,Nasafi etc) have quoted both opinions also.
According to those
mufassireen who are on the second opinion (including Ikrima®) the
Qur’an was revealed from ‘Lauhul Mahfooz’ to the first heaven
on the night of Middle of Syaa’ban and it was revealed from there to –the
earth- Rasulullah –swallallahu alaihi wasallam- on the night of power (Lailatul
Qadr).
Ibnu Abbas ® says (please
see Tafseer- jamal 4/189) that Allah will decide on different matters of His
servants on the night of Niisfu Syaa’ban
and these decisions will be handed over to the angels who are on duties of them
on the night of Qadr (Lailatul Qadr) .
Tafseer Qurtubi narrates
another opinion from Ibnu Abbas® that the matters of servants for the coming year would be started to be
copied from Lauhul Mahfooz by the appointed angels on the night of Nisfu
Syaa’’ban and It would be finished on the night of Qadr (Laailatul
Qadr) and records would be handed over to the angels on different duties.
(Allah knows the best).
It is clearly evident from
Hadiths that the decision of matters for next one year is done on this night of
Nisfu Syaa’ban .No doubt.(mirqat-2/176)
‘Then the prophet
(swallallahu alaihi wasallam) was given the right of intercession (syafaa’) for
whole ummah on this night of Nisfu Syaa’ban.
Rasulullah (Swallallahu
Alaihi Wasallam) made dua for the right of syafaa’ on the night of 13 of syaa’ban
.He was given right to intercede for 1/3
of Ummah on this night (13 of Syaa’ban) ,the right to intercede for 2/3
of Ummah on 14 th of syaa’ban and the right to intercede for whole Ummah on the
night of Nisfu Syaa’ban.
So,Night of the 15th of
Syaa'ban is an auspicious night known as Lailatul Barat.
There are many Hadiths of
Prophet Muhammad (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) to prove that 15th night
of Syaa’ban is a meritorious night.
Aishah® is reported to have
said:
"Once Prophet Muhammad,
Swall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, performed the Salah of the night (Tahajjud) and
made a very long Sajdah until I feared that he had passed away”.
When I saw this, I rose
(from my bed) and moved his thumb (to make sure whether he is alive).
The thumb moved, and I
returned (to my place).
Thereafter, when he raised
his head from Sajdah and finished his salah, he said to me: 'Aishah, did you
think that the Prophet has treated you unfairly?'
I said, 'No, O Prophet
of Allah, but I was afraid that your soul has been taken away because your Sajdah
was very long.'
He asked me, 'Do you
know which night is this?'
I said, 'Allah and His
Messenger know best.'
He said, 'This is the
night of the half of Syaa'ban. Allah Almighty 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 hatred (against a Muslim) as they
were before, (and does not forgive them unless they relieve themselves from the
hatred).'"(Baihaqi)
In yet another Tradition,
she has reported that Prophet Muhammad (Swall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam)
said,
"This is the
middle Night of Syaa'ban. Allah frees in it a large number of the people from
Fire, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb.
But He does not even look at a person who associates partners with Allah, or at
a person who nourishes h 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 has a habit of drinking wine."( Baihaqi).
There are also many Hadiths
which do very clearly indicate that Prophet Mohammad (swallallahu alaihi
wasallam) not only said special prayers on this sacred night but
also visited the Jannatul Baqi which is the graveyard of believers, and
prayed for their souls.
Hadrat Aisha{r}once said:" I could not find
Allah's Messenger(swallallahu alaihi wasallam) one night,
So i went
outside there he was in Jannat-ul-baqqi{the blessed cemetry},his hand turned up
toward the sky.
Later, prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) explained to her 'On the night of mid-Sya'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."
According to some
mufassireen, including ikrima® this night has been indirectly mentioned in Sura
Ad Dukhan of the Holy Quran as 'Lailatin Mubarakatin.' (for more explanations
please see ‘Tafseer Swawi’)
But the most recommended
view is that the verse refers to the ‘Night of Lailatul Qadr’, the 27th night
of the month of Ramadan.
Fasting:
On the day immediately
following the Night of Bara'ah, i.e. the 15th of Sha'ban, it is sunnah to keep
fast.
Prophet
Muhammad(Swall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have recommended this
fast emphatically (In a hadith reported by Imam Ibnu Maja).
Imam Ramli and many other
scholars have mentioned it.
Moreover, a large number of
the elders (salaf) of the Ummah had been observing the fast of the 15th of
Sha'ban. This constant practice indicates that they had accepted the relevant
hadith as authentic.
In the View of Imams:
Imam shafi (R) says about
the night of ‘Baraath’ ,that it is one of the five nights in which dua' will be
surely accepted.(Kitabul Ummu 1/204 ).
Ibnu Hajar(r)) has quoted it
along with his opinion .
Fasting of Nisfu Syaa’ban:
Imam Ramli (r)says ,
it is special Sunnah,in the light of hadith reported by Ibnu Maja.(Fatawa
Ramli-2/79).
Imam Ibnu hajar (R) says
that the fasting on the 15th is the normal fast of Ayyamul
Beelw,(Fatawalkubra-2/80),
Reading 3 Yasin in the
night:
It is quoted in Ithaf
(Sharahu Ihya Uloomiddeen) that the reading of ‘three Yaasin’ in this night
between Maghrib and Isya is inherited from our good
predecessors. (1)- for Long Life (2) -for Expansion of Rizq
(livelihood) (3)for Better Health and Baraka in the wealth, wives,
children, parents…: (Ithaf-3/427).
N;B:
Although the chain of
narrators of some of these traditions suffers with some minor technical
defects, yet when all these traditions are combined together, it becomes clear
that this night has some well-founded merits, and observing this night as a
sacred night is not a baseless invention as envisaged by some body..
That is why the elders of
the Ummah have constantly been observing this night as a night of special
merits and have been spending it in worship and prayers.
