The month of Shaban is the eight month of the Hijri calendar and the month falling between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a special month spiritually and a significant month in the lives of individuals in the annual calendar cycle.
A Blessed Night
According to ahadith, the 15th night of this month is the time of the year when deeds are presented to Allah and a time in which Allah is forgiving of (most) deeds. This night – between the 14th and `5th days of Shaban, has numerous benefits for Muslims, and humanity.
It is believed that on this night, a person’s activities of the last year are closed and a new record is opened for the coming year. In this night, the life and fortunes of each person is set for the next year, and persons’ sins can be forgiven.
• Last year’s activities are closed
• Next year’s fortunes are defined
• Those who ask for forgiveness are forgiven
• Those in distress are relieved
• Those seeking rizq are given it.
We are told in ahadith:
• Abu Tha’labah reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “On the middle night of Sha’ban, Allah looks down upon His creation and He forgives the believers, gives respite to the unbelievers, and He abandons the people of malice to their malice until they give it up.” [Shu’ab al-Imān lil-Bayhaqī 3551]
• Abu Musa reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Verily, Allah looks down in middle night of Sha’ban and He forgives all of His creatures, except for an idolater or one filled with malice.” [Ibn Mājah 1390]
• Mu’adh ibn Jabal reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Allah looks down at His creation on the middle night of Sha’ban and He forgives all of His creatures, except for an idolater or one filled with malice.” [Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 5665]
A Time for Extra Worship
Because of the significance of this night, we are encouraged to spend the night in extra ibadaat and worship – praising Allah, sending salaat and salaam on the Holy Prophet (peace be on him) and seeking forgiveness.
- Hz. Aisha (ra) is reported to have said, "Once Prophet Muhammad (saw) 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 ascertain whether he is alive). The thumb moved, and I returned (to my place).
Then I heard him saying in Sajdah: 'I seek refuge of Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge of Your pleasure from Your annoyance, and I seek Your refuge from Yourself. I cannot praise You as fully as You deserve. You are exactly as You have defined Yourself.' Thereafter, when he raised his head from Sajdah and finished his salah, he said to me: 'Aishah, did you think that the Prophet has betrayed you?' 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 Sha'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 malice (against a Muslim) as they were before, (and does not forgive them unless they relieve themselves from malice).'"
- Hz. Aisha also reported Prophet Muhammad (saw) to have said, "This is the middle Night of Sha'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 malice 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."
- The Prophet (PBUH) said, on the 15th of Shaban, from sunset until dawn, Allah asks His servants, ′Is there anyone seeking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone seeking provision from Me so I may provide for him? Is there anyone suffering so I may relieve his suffering? ′ [Ibn Majah]
- Hz. Aisha reported: I missed the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) one night, so I went out and I found him in al-Baqee‘, raising his head towards heaven. He said, “O Aisha, were you afraid that Allah and His Messenger would wrong you?” She said: I said: I thought that you had gone to one of your other wives.
He said: “Verily Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, descends on the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘baan to the lowest heaven, and He forgives more (people) than the number of hairs on the sheep of Bani Kalb.” [Ahmad 26018, Tirmidhi 736, Ibn Maajah 1389]
Guide to Observing 15th Sha'ban
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How to observe this day?
On the night of the 15th of Shaban, we are encouraged to do different types of worship, established in ahadith.
1. Visit the graves of our deceased relatives and pray for their forgiveness
2. Pray nafil salaat
- Pray 6 nafil after salaatul maghrib wth dua nisf shaban (see appendix)
- Pray salaat al-khair. This consists of praying 100 raka'ts comprising two rakaats each, in each raka't reciting Sura al-Fatiha once and 10 times Surat Ikhlas.
3. Read Quran abundantly
4. Recite Darood abundantly. A good exercise is:
- Recite darood 1100 times
- Read surah Muzammil 11 times
- Recite darood 1100 times
- Make dua to Allah as you desire
5. Recite dua of Shaban: from the hadith reported by Hz. Aisha, we are given the following dua that Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) recited on the night of the 15th of Shaban:
Allahumma a-udhu biri-daka min sa-kha-tika. Wa bi-mu-‘a fa-tika min ‘uqoo-ba-tika,
wa a’udhu bika minka. La uhsi thana’an ‘alaika anta kama ath-nai-ta ‘alaa naf-sika
O Allah, I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your anger. And in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. And I seek refuge in You from You. I cannot praise You enough. You are as You have praised Yourself.
6. Recite astagfar abundantly: say astagfirullah or its longer form
7. Fast on the day of the 15th of Shaban. It is advisable to fast on the 15th day of Sahaban, after doing your ibadaat on the night before. This is consistent with what we are told in ahadith, such as:
- Hz. Aisha reported: The most beloved month to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for fasting was Sha’ban, then he would connect it with Ramadan. [Abī Dāwūd 2431]
- Umm Salamah reported: I did not see the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, fast for two consecutive months in a row except for Sha’ban and Ramadan. [Tirmidhī 736]
- Usama ibn Zaid reported: ‘I said, “O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting any month as much as Shaban.” He said “That is a month that people neglect, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which actions are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, and I love for my actions to be raised whilst I am fasting.” [Nisai]
APPENDIX: Nafil Salaat
[This exercise is recommended by Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed, and compiled by Haji Aleem Mohammed. See link for original post (2011) Facebook Post 15th Shaban]
Read six extra Nafl Salaat after Maghrib Salaat, comprising two rakaats each. In each rakaat recite Surah Fatiha once, and Iqhlaas 3 times. After each two rakaats’ sit down after the Salaam and then:
- recite Surah Yaseen
- then make the Nisf Shabaan duah.
following the Nisf Shaaban dua after the first two rakaats pray to Allah (swt) for long life;
following the Nisf Shaaban dua after the second two rakaats pray for protection against calamities
following the Nisf Shaaban dua after the third two rakaats pray for the removal of dependency on any one except Allah.
DU'A NISF SHA'BAN
Allahumma Yaa Dhal manni walaa yumannu `alayh
Yaa dhal Jalaali wa'l iIkraam
Yaa dhal-Tawli wa'l iIn'aam
Laa Ilaaha illa anta
Zahru'l laaje'en wa Jaaru'l mustajeereen wa Amaanu'l khaa’ifeen
Allahumma in kunta katabtanee `indaka fee Ummil Kitabi
shaqiyyan aw mahruman aw matrudan aw muqattaran `alayya fir-rizqi
famh'ullahumma bi-fadlika
shaqaawati wa hirmaani wa tardi waqtitaara rizqee
wathbitnee 'indaka fee Ummil Kitabi
sa`eedan marzuqan muwaffaqan lil-khayraati
fa innaka qulta wa qawluk al-haqq
fee kitabikal muzal `alaa lisaani Nabiyyikal mursal
Ilaahi bit-tajalli'l A'dham
fee laylatin-nisfi min shahri sha`ban al-mukarram
allatee yufraqu feehaa kullu amrin hakeemin wa yubram
an takshifa `annaa min al-balaa'i wal-balwaa'I
maa na`lamu wa maa laa na`lam
wa anta bihi a`lam
Innaka antal-a`azz ul-akram
wa sallallahu ta`ala `alaa Sayyidina Muhammad-in
Wa `alaa Aalihi wa Ashaabihi wa sallam
Wal-hamdu lillahi Rabbil-'aalameen
Ameen Ya Allah
English Translation of Du'a Nisf Shaban
O Allah! You shower favours on everyone
And no one can do You any favour.
O The Possessor of Majesty and Honour,
O The Distributor of bounty and rewards,
There is no one worthy of worship except You.
You help the fallen
And provide refuge to the refugees
And give peace to those who are in fear.
O Allah! If in the Mother of All Books that is with You
You have written me down as someone who is
Doubtful of achieving salvation, or deprived,
Or rejected or without enough sustenance,
Then, O Allah, with Your Grace
Remove all of these misfortunes from me
and in the Mother of All Books that is with You,
establish me as someone who is
blessed, with abundant provision and charitable good deeds.
Indeed, what You said in The Book You sent
Through the tongue of Your Blessed Prophet is true
That Allah changes and establishes what He wants
And with Him is the Mother of All Books.
O My Lord! For the sake of Your Divine Manifestation
On this fifteenth night of the blessed month of Sha'ban
In which You issue all Wise and Irrevocable Decrees
Remove from us all calamities and hardships,
those that we know about as well as those that we don't,
while You know everything.
Truly, You are the Most Powerful, Most Generous.
And may Allah the Exalted shower blessings and peace on
Sayyidina Muhammad, and on his family and his companions
And all praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds.
