The Fifteenth of Sha'baan

The 15th of Sha'baan is fast approaching, and along with it the millions of ideas on what you should and shouldn't do or else you will end up in Heaven or Hell.

So far I have come across the following things:

~ Do fresh Ghusul and Wudu: First of all, tell me what exactly is 'fresh' Ghusul?

~ Forgive others: Someone once asked me what if I forgive them for this day or until the end of Ramadan and then go back to not forgiving them?

~ Settle all your current debts: What if we don't have the means to settle the current debts? Should we take loan from someone else to settle current debts and then leave the loan to be settled until the 15th of Sha'baan of next year.That would turn into one vicious cycle - 'The Debt Settling Cycle of 15th of Sha'baan'?

I am, by no means, suggesting that performing Ghusul and Wudu, forgiving others, and settling debts is wrong. But why do it just on this day?  

I came across this article which suggested  a number of Dua'as to be read a certain number of times, fasting on this day, Wazeefa for fogiveness (I don't even know what Wazeefa is!) and performing a certain number of Nawafil Salaat. It all sounded very complicated and overwhelming!And none of it was supported by a reference to any authentic Ahadith. 

I received a message this afternoon which read: 'In these five nights (one of them being 15th of Sha'baan), Allah (SWT) does not grant 'Maghfirah' to those who commit Shirk, hold grudges, drink alcohol, murder unlawfully and women with a bad character.

Think about it for a minute...

Would Allah (SWT) forgive anyone who has committed these deeds? The answer is no. Not unless that person seeks for forgiveness and sincerely repents and never goes down that wrong path again. There are other conditions that come with seeking forgiveness and repenting, which will be discussed in another article.

Misconceptions of Sha'baan:

#1: Fasting on 15th of Sha'baan is a deed of great reward.

Fasting ONLY on 15th of Sha'baan is a bi'dah (innovation) and not according to the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Thus should be totally avoided. Fasting frequently in Sha'baan was the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). However, he (peace be upon him) prohibited his ummah from fasting after 15th of Sha'baan due to fear of becoming too weak to be able to fast in Ramadan.

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said :

“When half of shaban has passed, do not fast” 

(Abu Dawood Bab 12: Hadith 2337- Classed Hasan Sahih by Albani)

#2: Shab-e-Baraat - the 15th of Sha'baan is a Special Night for prayers in Islam.

There is no such thing as Shab-e-Baraat. Word Shab-e-Baraat never appears in the Qur'an or Hadith. Shab-e-Baraat is infact NOT an Arabic Word.

#3: On this blessed night Allah Tala descends down to forgive people.
Allah (SWT) descends down EVERY night to forgive the people who repent.

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said:

“When it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, descends every night to the heaven of the world and says, ‘Is there anyone who invokes Me (demand anything from Me), that I may respond to his invocation; Is there anyone who asks Me for something that I may give (it to) him; Is there anyone who asks My forgiveness that I may forgive him?’“

[Bukhari, Volume 8, Book 75, Number 333]

#4: This is the blessed night on which the taqdeer (destiny) is decided.

Who will live, who will die, who will get how much rizq, etc. The following verses of the Qur'an are presented as evidence stating that this verse is talking about a blessed night on which everything is decreed and that night is 15th of Sha'baan.

"Verily, We Sent it down on a blessed night. Verily, We are ever warning. There in is decreed every matter of ordainments. As a command from Us. Verily, We are ever sending, (As) a mercy from your Lord. Verily! He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower."

[Surah Dukhaan 44:4]

The verse is being misquoted. This verse is about a Night in Ramadan NOT Sha'baan. The verse is talking about revelation of Qur'an on a blessed night. Read the first four ayahs of Surah Dukhaan again!

Indeed we sent IT (i.e. The Quran) on a blessed night (Lailtul Qadr in Ramadan) Allah (SWT) has informed us in Surah Baqarah that the Quran was revealed in the month of Ramadan.

"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’an." 

[Surah Al Baqarah 2:185]

Conclusion

There is no Sahih report that speaks of the virtue of the middle of Sha’baan that may be followed, not even  in the chapters on al-Fadaa’il (chapters on virtues in books of hadith, etc.). Some maqtoo’ reports (reports whose isnaads do not go back further than the Taabi’een) have been narrated from some of the Taabi’een, and there are some Ahadith, the best of which are mawdoo’ (fabricated) or da’eef jiddan (very weak). These reports became very well known in some countries which were overwhelmed by ignorance. These reports suggest that people’s lifespans are written on that day or that it is decided on that day who is to die in the coming year. On this basis, it is not prescribed to spend this night in prayer or to fast on this day, or to single it out for certain acts of worship. One should not be deceived by the large numbers of ignorant people who do these things. And Allah (SWT) knows best.

If a person wants to pray qiyaam on this night as he does on other nights – without doing anything extra or singling this night out for anything – then that is OKAY. The same applies if he fasts the day of the 15th of Sha’baan because it happens to be one of the ayyaam al-beed, along with the 14th and 13th of the month, or because it happens to be a Monday or Thursday. If the 15th of Sha’baan coincides with a Monday or Thursday, there is nothing wrong with fasting on that day, so long as he is not seeking extra reward that has not been proven (in the saheeh texts).

And Allah (SWT) knows best.