Ghunya al-Talibeen on Sha`ban
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem was-salaat was-salaam `ala Nabiyyina wa Habeebina wa Mawlana Muhammadin wa `ala alihi wa sahibihi ajma`een
Merits of Sha`ban
Sha`ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (s). It is reported in authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad (s), 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".
1. The blessed companion Anas (r), reports that Prophet Muhammad (s), 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 (r), reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad (s): "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 (s), 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 (r), says, "Prophet Muhammad (s), 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 she says, "Prophet Muhammad (s), 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 report she says, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, (s), 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 (r), 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 (s) 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 (s), 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 or Isha prayer it is traditional practice to read Surah Yasin three times, and after each time, read a special du`a with the following intentions:
1st reading the niyyat (intention) for should be for Long Life.
2nd reading the niyyat (intention) should be for Protection from Calamities.
3rd Reading the niyyat (intention) should be for not being needy to anyone except Allah.
2nd reading the niyyat (intention) should be for Protection from Calamities.
3rd Reading the niyyat (intention) should be for not being needy to anyone except Allah.
It is very 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 (s), 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 awakened in this night as much as he can. If someone has better opportunities, he should spend the whole night in worship and prayer. However, if one cannot do so for one reason or another, he 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 ul-Khair, which conists of 100 raka`ts, in each raka`t reciting Sura al-Fatiha and 10 Surat Ikhlas. To complete the prayer one recites 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 Sha`ban
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 (s), 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.
Concerning the Night of Absolution [Lailat al-Bara`a],
its special mercy, grace and merits
Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) has said: "Ha-Mim. By the Book that makes plain; We sent it down on a blessed night...." (44:1-3)
According to Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father), "'Ha-Mim' means that Allah has predetermined everything in existence till the Day of Resurrection. 'The Book that makes plain' is the Qur'an, which is also the object referred to in 'We sent it down.' The 'blessed night' is the night of mid-Sha`ban, which is the Night of Absolution."
In the Qur'an, Allah (Exalted is He) calls many things 'blessed,' including the Qur'an itself, of which He has said:
"This is a blessed Reminder that We have revealed." (21:50)
Part of its blessedness is that one who reads it and believes in it enjoys right guidance and salvation from the Fire, and these benefits are also passed by extension to his ascendants and descendants. As the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said:
When someone reads the Qur'an from the written text, Allah (Almighty
and Glorious is He) alleviates the torment of his parents, even if they were unbelievers.
One of the things Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) calls 'blessed' is water, for He has said:
"And down from the sky We have sent blessed water." (50:9)
Part of its blessedness lies in the fact that all life depends on it. In the words of Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He):
"And We made every living thing from water. Will they not then believe?" (21:30)
Water is said to contain ten subtle properties: delicateness, suppleness, energy, fluency, limpidity, mobility, moistness, coolness, humility and vitality. Allah (Exalted is He) has imbued the conscientious believer [mu'min labib] with these same properties, namely, refinement of the heart, flexibility of temperament, energy in obedient service, politeness of the personality, purity of behavior, movement in good works, moistness in the eye, coolness toward sinful transgressions, humility toward fellow creatures, and vitality in heeding the truth.
The olive tree is another thing called 'blessed' by Allah (Exalted and Glorious is He):
"From a blessed tree, an olive...." (24:35)
This was the first tree from which Adam (peace be upon him) ate when he was cast down to earth. It contains nourishment and enlightenment. In the words of Allah (Exalted is He):
"...and relish for the eaters." (23:20)
Some say the 'blessed tree' is Abraham (peace be upon him), some say it is the Qur'an, and others say it is true faith. Still others say it is the tranquil soul of the believer, insistent on good conduct, obedient to commandment, restrained by prohibition, submitted to destiny, conforming to the Lord in what He has decreed and ruled.
Jesus (peace be upon him) is also among those Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) calls 'blessed':
[Jesus said]: "And He has made me blessed wherever I may be." (19:31)
His blessedness (peace be upon him) includes the sprouting of the fruit from the date palm for his faithful mother, Mary (peace be upon both mother and son), and the gushing forth of water beneath him.
In the words of the Almighty and Glorious One:
Then [a voice] cried to her from below her, saying: "Grieve not, for your Lord has placed a rivulet beneath you. And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward you: It will cause ripe dates
to fall upon you. So eat and drink and be consoled." (19:24-26)
Among other good deeds and miracles, he healed the blind and cured the leper, and brought the dead to life by his supplication.
The Ka'aba is one of the things called 'blessed' by Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He):
"The first House appointed for mankind was that at Bakka, a blessed place." (3:96)
Part of its blessedness is that one who enters it, bearing a heavy load of sins, will come out having been forgiven. Allah (Exalted is He) has said:
"And anyone who enters it is safe."(3:97)
So if someone enters the House as a believer, aware of his sins and repentant, Allah waives his punishment, accepts his repentance and forgives him. It is also said that anyone who enters it is immune to wrongdoing, as long as he remains within the Sacred Precinct. It is therefore unlawful to kill the game there, or to fell the trees.
The sanctity of the Ka'aba is due to the sanctity of Allah, the sanctity of the Mosque to the sanctity of the Ka⢡, the sanctity of the Mecca to the sanctity of the Mosque, and the sanctity of the Sacred Precinct to the sanctity of Mecca. As it is said: "The Ka'aba is a Qibla [direction of prayer] for the people of the Mosque, the Mosque is a Qibla for the people of Mecca, Mecca is a Qibla for the people of the Sacred Precinct, and the Sacred Precinct is a Qibla for the people of the earth."
The Night of Absolution has also been called 'blessed', because it is a vessel for the mercy, blessing, benefit, pardon and forgiveness descending for the people on earth.
According to Abu Nasr, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is reported as having said:
On the night of the middle of Sha`ban, Allah (Exalted is He) descends to the heaven of this lower world and forgives every Muslim, excepting only the idolater, the bearer of malice, the breaker of family ties, or the woman who is sexually promiscuous.Again from Abu Nasr, we learn that `Aisha (may Allah be well pleased with her) once said:
"When it was the night of mid-Sha`ban, the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) had removed a garment of mine." Then she added, "By Allah! That garment of mine was not of silk, nor of raw silk, nor of linen, nor of silk and wool, nor of wool." [The reporter said:] "'Glory be to Allah!' I said to her, 'So what was it made of?'" She replied: "Its warp was of hair and its weft was of silk. I reckoned that he (Allah bless him and give him peace) might have gone to one of his [other] wives, so I got up and searched for him in the [darkness of the] apartment. My hand made contact with his feet, as he was prostrate in worship. Of his prayer (Allah bless him and give him peace), I remember these words:
Prostrate before You are my form and my spirit, and my heart is in Your safekeeping. I acknowledge Your favors, and to You I confess my sin. I have wronged myself, so forgive me; surely none forgives sins but You. I seek refuge with Your pardon from Your punishment, with Your mercy from Your vengeance, with Your approval from Your displeasure. I seek refuge with You from You. I do not tell Your praises, for You are as You have extolled Yourself.
She continued: "So he did not cease from worship, now standing and now sitting [on his heels], until morning came. Then his feet were put up, and as I massaged them I said: 'My father be your ransom and my mother too! Surely Allah has forgiven your former and your latter sins? Surely Allah has dealt with you? Is it not so? Is it not so?'
"He replied (Allah bless him and give him peace): 'O `Aisha, shall I not therefore be a grateful servant? Do you know what happens during this night?' 'What happens?' I asked, and he said: 'This is when all births are recorded for this year, and every death is registered. This is when provisions are allotted to mankind, and their deeds and actions are gathered up.'
"'O Messenger of Allah,' said I ['A'isha], 'Will no one enter Paradise except by Allah's mercy?' 'No one will enter Paradise except by Allah's mercy,' he told me (Allah bless him and give him peace). 'Not even you?' I asked. 'Not even I,' said he (Allah bless him and give him peace), 'unless Allah envelops me with His mercy.' Then he rubbed his hand over his head and his face."
The Night of Absolution
Lailat al-Bara`a part 2
The following account, which I also received from Abu Nasr, tells how `Aisha (may Allah be well pleased with her) related that Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said to her:"O `Aisha, what night is this?" She replied, "Allah and His Messenger know best." Then he said: "The night of the middle of Sha`ban, during which worldly actions and the deeds of mankind are carried aloft. As numerous as the wool on the flocks of the tribe of Kalb, are Allah's slaves emancipated this night 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 the middle of the night; then he stood up to begin the second cycle with a recitation similar to the first, and then his prostration lasted until dawn."
`Aisha (may Allah be well pleased with her) went on to say: "I watched him till I thought that Allah (Exalted is He) had taken His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), then, after a long time had elapsed, I got close enough to touch the soles of his feet. He stirred, and I heard him say in his prostration: 'I take refuge with Your pardon from Your punishment. I take refuge with Your approval from Your displeasure. I take refuge with You from You. Glorious be Your praise! I do not spell out praises upon You, for You are as You have extolled Yourself.'
"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tonight I have heard you utter something, during your prostration, that I never heard you mention before?' 'And have you learned it?' he asked (Allah bless him and give him peace). When I said yes, he (Allah bless him and give him peace) told me: 'Study those words and teach them, for Gabriel (peace be upon him) instructed me to repeat them during the prostration.'"
According to another report, of which Abu Nasr informed me, `Aisha (may Allah be well pleased with her) once said:
"I could not find Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) one night, so I went outside and there he was in the grove, his head 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 you had gone to one of your [other] wives.' He said (Allah bless him and give him peace): '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.'"
`Ikrima (may Allah bestow his mercy upon him), the client of Ibn `Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father), is reported as having said, about the words of Allah (Exalted is He):
"[A night] in which every firm decree is made distinct." (44:4)
"That is the night of mid-Sha`ban, when Allah (Exalted is He) arranges the affairs of the year. He transfers [some of] the living to the list of the 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."
Hakim ibn Kaysan said: "Allah (Exalted is He) surveys His creatures on the night of mid-Sha`ban, and when He purifies someone then, He keeps that person clean until the next such night comes around."
According to `Ataaibn Yasar: "The activity of the year is mapped out on the night of mid-Sha`ban, so a man may embark on a journey, or get married, when he has already been transferred from the list of the living to that of the dead."
Abu Nasr informed me that `Aisha (may Allah be well pleased with her) once said: "I heard the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) say:
Allah showers down benefits on four nights: the Night of Sacrifice; the Night of Breakfast; the Night of mid-Sha`ban, when Allah records times of death and allots provisions, and lists the pilgrims; and the Night of `Arafa till the call to prayer."
According to Sa`id, it was Ibrahim ibn Abi Najih who said:
"[The number of those nights is] five, including the Night of Friday Congregation."
Abu Huraira (may Allah be well pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) as saying:
Gabriel (peace be upon him) came to me on the night of mid-Sha`ban and said to me: "O Muhammad, raise your head heavenwards!" I asked him: "What night is this?" and he replied: "This is the 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 usury and illicit sex; these He does not forgive until they repent."
At a quarter of the night, Gabriel (peace be upon him) came down and said: "O Muhammad, 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 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, that his request may be granted?" At the eighth gate an angel was calling: "Will anyone seek forgiveness, that he may be forgiven?"
I 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: "O Muhammad, tonight Allah has as many slaves emancipated from the Fire as the number of woolly hairs on the flocks and herds of Kalb."
The Night of Absolution
Lailat al-Bara`a
On why the Night of Absolution [Lailat al-Bara`a] is so called:
Some say it is called the Night of Absolution [Lailat al-Bara`a] because it contains two absolutions: an absolution for wretched sinners from the All-Merciful, and an absolution from disappointment for the Friends [of Allah].
Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) is reported as having said:
When the night of mid-Sha`ban arrives, Allah makes careful scrutiny of His creatures, then He forgives the true believers, gives respite to the unbelievers, and leaves the resentful to their resentment until they call for Him.
It is said that the angels have two Nights of Festival in heaven, just as the Muslims have two Days of Festival on earth. The angels celebrate the Night of Absolution and the Night of Power, while the Muslims celebrate the Day of Breakfast and the Day of Sacrifice. The angels have their festivals at night, because they never sleep, while the believers have theirs by day because they do sleep.
Concerning the wisdom in the decision of Allah (Exalted is He) to make known [the date of] the Night of Absolution, while concealing [that of] the Night of Power, it has been said to lie in the fact that the Night of Power is the night of mercy and forgiveness and emancipation from the fires of Hell, which Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) has kept hidden so that there can be no discussion about it. He has made known the Night of Absolution, however, because it is the night of regulation and decree, the night of displeasure and approval, the night of acceptance and rejection, of attainment and obstruction, the night of bliss and woe, of grace and cleansing.
Thus one is favored while another is put off; one is requited while another is abased; one is treated generously while another is deprived; one is rewarded while another is shunned. Many a shroud is washed, while its owner is still busy in the bazaar. Many a grave is dug, while its owner is deluded with pleasure. Many a mouth is laughing, though it will soon be perishing. Many a house is under construction for an owner close to destruction. Many a servant expects a reward, while punishment awaits him. Many a servant hopes for good news, while disappointment lies in store. Many a servant looks forward to Paradise, while the fires of Hell are ready for him. Many a servant hopes for union, while separation lies ahead. Many a servant hopes for a gift, while agony awaits him. Many a servant is expecting wealth, while death is expecting him.
It is said of al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him) that he came out of his house on the day of mid-Sha`ban, looking as if he had been buried in the grave and then disinterred. When asked about this, he said: "By Allah, what is the plight of a shipwrecked sailor, when compared to my own?" "Why is that?" "Because I am certain of my sins, but I tremble over my good deeds, for I know not whether they will be accepted of me or rejected."