Significance of Shaban and Shab e Bara'ah

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuhu Wa Maghfiratuh,

I can hear some fire works and crackers outside and I know people would be making Halwa and Sweets in their homes to celebrate the Shab e Barat, afterall this is Pakistan.

I wouldn't have written this post, but just a week ago, a friend of mine mentioned that the 15th of Shaban is soon to come, and I could see the excitement in the people around about this particular night. Therefore I spent most of my week in searching for the "Truth" about the 15th Night of Shabaan, as being in KSA for most of the time, I had never heard and seen about any such "Biddah". [Its not as such I never heard about the concepts of the night, like the Big tree with everyone's name on its leaves... and which decides who'll live and who'll die the following year, or the concept of going to graveyards etc.]

Bidda'ah or No Bidda'ah, thats not the issue at the moment[as the extra celebrations are clearly useless and not allowed, we dont bring 'em under question], but to know if there is ANY importance at all about the fasts of Shabaan, the speical Ibadah at 15th Night and the significance of this Night.

I'd like to share what I found after a week's search of material on net, a Thorough study of "Saheeh Bukhari", and looking for references in Quran ul Kareem.

The following link has the "Biyan" of Shaykh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz, the Mufti of Saudi Arabia, [Salafi or Research Followers]. According to them, theres no concept of the 15th night of Shaban, and its a complete Biddah even to consider it as a Special Night, and doing special Ibadah like we do on Lailatul Qadar.

• REGARDING CELEBRATING THE NIGHT OF THE 15th OF SHA'BAN (SHAB-E-BARAT)

Later I got to read the "Biyan" of Mufti Taqqi Usmani , [Hanfi Maslak] in which he has given a no. of Ahadith and arguments to pin point the importance of the night and is in favor of spending the Night in a special way.

Following is the link to his Biyan:

• The 15th Night of Shaban

Such a clear difference of opinions between different Maslak and Ulama is enough to make a simple Muslim confused. But then Allah always guide, and His help is always there...
Just as I was worried what and whom to believe, I found this another link, revised version of the Biyan of Mufti Taqqi Usmani which cleared most of my confusions about this matter, and I finally came to a decision.

• The Revised Opinion

Fasting in Shabaan is no doubt "Afzal". Fasts of Shaban are considered "Nafl" [or we can even keep them as Qadah], and keeping the fasts in the month of Shaban is Sunnah as Prophet Mohammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم used to fast the MOST in Shaban. I'd like to quote the Hadith from Saheeh Bukhari:

“Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used to fast (daily) until we would say he does not break his fast (by missing a day), and he used to break his fast (by not fasting) until we would say he does not fast. And I did not seek Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) fast any month completely except for Ramadan, and I never saw him fasting as much as he did in Sha’ban.”

Therefore theres no questioning to why we should keep fasts in the first half of the month, [Moreover, it is advised to keep the fasts of 13,14 and 15 every month of Hijri Year] but the significance of the 15th night remains a mystery. To be on the safe side, theres no harm in doing the Ibadah [which should be actually our daily routine] and afterall, its the love for your Allah and Rasul Allah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم which counts. "Innamul Amaal Bin Niyaat".

To elaborate my point, what I conceived from all the research and information was that if you are in doubt as to what is right and what is not [in a situation like this, No Authentic References and with such difference of opinions], then you should follow your Heart, and it is better to spend your time in Ibadah, then to not doing the Ibadah coz of doubts. At the same time, restraining from and becoming aware of any kind of Bidda'ah in this regard is important as:

It is narrated on the authority of the Mother of the Believers, Umm 'Abdullah 'Aishah, radiyallahu 'anha, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, said:

"Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i.e. into Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected."

[Al-Bukhari & Muslim]

According to the version in Muslim, (it reads): "Whosoever works a work which has for it no command of ours is to be rejected."

In the end, Another very informative Article about Fasting in Shaban,

• The Virtues of Month of Shaban

And Allah (SWT) knows Best.

P.S:
1) It is important that you read the "Fatwas" [The links given] and then decide it for yourself what it gathers.

2) A General, Common view, on which most of the Ulama agree, is that Allah SWT decides the fates of all this month.

3) The confusion was about some of the "Da'eef" Ahadith and references, which can be found in the above mentioned links.

4) More links of related topic can be provided on request.

[If this article was of any help, if there are any comments, or any corrections that can be made, you are most welcome to leave a message. May Allah guide us and Forgive us, for He is the Creator of All, worthy of All Praises.]

Is Taudi U Kumullah.