Sha’ban

In the blessed month of Sha’ban, some Bid’ah are promoted, so I thought of sharing some clarifications regarding the matter of its valid virtues (according to the authentic Hadeeth) versus some innovations practiced in it.

Is Fasting Most of Sha’ban Recommended?

Is it sunnah to fast the whole month of Sha’ban?

It is mustahabb to fast a great deal in the month of Sha’ban. 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast the whole of Sha’ban. 

Ahmad (26022), Abu Dawud (2336), al-Nasai (2175) and Ibn Majah (1648) narrated that Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fast two consecutive months apart from the fact that he used to join Sha’ban and Ramadan.” 

According to a version narrated by Abu Dawud: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never used to fast any complete month in the year, apart from Sha’ban, which he used to join to Ramadan .” Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Abi Dawud, 2048. 

The apparent meaning of this hadith is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast the entire month of Sha’ban. 

But it was also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast all of Sha’ban apart from a few days. 

Muslim (1156) narrated that Abu Salamah said: “I asked ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the fasting of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and she said: ‘He used to fast until we thought that he would always fast, then he would not fast until we thought that he would always not fast, but I never saw him fast in any month more than he fasted in Sha’ban. He used to fast all of Sha’ban, and he used to fast all of Sha’ban apart from a few days.’”

Reconciling between the hadiths about the Prophet’s fasting in Sha’ban

The scholars differed as to the way of reconciling between these hadiths. 

Some of them said that this had to do with differences of time – in some years the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fasted all of Sha’ban, and in other years he fasted all of that month apart from a few days. This was the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him). See Majmu’ Fatawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baz, 15/416. 

Others said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never fasted any month in full apart from Ramadan, and they interpreted the hadith of Umm Salamah as meaning that he fasted all of Sha’ban apart from a few days. They said that this is possible from a linguistic point of view, that if a man fasts for most of a month it may be said that he fasted the whole month. 

Al-Hafiz said: “The hadith of ‘Aishah explains what was said in the hadith of Umm Salamah, which says that he did not fast any month of the year in full apart from Sha’ban which he used to join to Ramadan; this means that he used to fast most of it. Al-Tirmidhi narrated that Ibn al-Mubarak said: It is possible in the language of the Arabs, if a person fasts most of a month, to say that he fasted the whole month…” 

Al-Tibi said: “It may be interpreted as meaning that he used to fast all of Sha’ban sometimes and most of Sha’ban at other times, lest people think that it is obligatory to fast the entire month, like Ramadan.” 

Then al-Hafiz said: The former is the correct view.”

In other words, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast all of Sha’ban. He quoted as evidence for that the report narrated by Muslim (746) from ‘Aishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said: “I do not know that the Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the entire Quran in one night, or spent an entire night in prayer until dawn, or fasted an entire month apart from Ramadan.” 

And he quoted the report narrated by al-Bukhari (1971) and Muslim (1157) from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) never fasted any month in full apart from Ramadan.” 

Al-Sindi said in his commentary on the hadith of Umm Salamah: “He joined Sha’ban to Ramadan” means that he fasted them both together. The apparent meaning is that he fasted all of Sha’ban… but there are reports which indicate something different. Hence it is to be understood as meaning that he used to fast most of it, so it was as if he fasted all of it and joined it to Ramadan.” 

Why is it recommended to fast a great deal during Sha’ban?

If it is asked, what is the reason for fasting a great deal during Sha’ban ? The answer is: 

Al-Hafiz said: “The reason is explained in the report narrated by al-Nasai and Abu Dawud, and classed as sahih by Ibn Khuzaymah, according to which Usamah ibn Zayd said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting in any month more than in Sha’ban.’ He said, ‘That is a month concerning which many people are heedless, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is the month is which people’s deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds to be taken up whilst I am fasting.’” (Classed as hasan by al-Albani in Sahih al-Nasai, 2221)

Increased Deaths in the Month of Sha’ban

What is mentioned in some reports is that the names of those for whom death has been decreed in the coming year are all revealed to the Angel of Death in the month of Sha’ban, and that he is told of their names in scrolls from Allah, or that the annual decree of people’s deaths is written in Sha’ban, so death is decreed in this month according to these reports. 

But these reports and haadeeths (narrations) are all weak (da’eef), so they should not be relied upon and no attention should be paid to their contents. 

Al-Qadi Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: There is no reliable hadeeth about Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’ban (the fifteenth night of Sha’ban) or about its virtues, or that people’s deaths are decreed on this day, so no attention should be paid to that. End quote. 

Ahkam al-Quran (4/117): We will quote here some of the reports quoted by al-Suyooti (may Allah have mercy on him) which speak of the decree of death during Sha’ban, in his book al-Durr al-Manthoor (7/401-401), and we will comment briefly on each report. 

He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Ibn Jareer, Ibn al-Mundhir and Ibn Abi Hatim narrated via Muhammad ibn Sooqah from ‘Ikrimah: “Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments” [al-Dukhan 44:4].   He said: On the night before the fifteenth of Sha’ban, the affairs of the year are decreed, and death is decreed for some people, and it is decreed who is going to perform Hajj, and no name will be added to or omitted from whatever is decreed.”

This is contrary to the correct view and interpretation of the verse on which the salaf (pious predecessors) were agreed, which is that what is meant thereby is Laylat al-Qadar. 

Ibn Zanjawayh and al-Daylami narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Death is decreed from one Sha’ban to another, even if a man gets married and a child is born to him when his name is among those who are going to die.”  

This was classed as da’eef by al-Shawkani in Fath al-Qadeer (4/801); al-Albani said in al-Silsilat al-Da’eefah (no. 6607): It is munkar (denounced). 

Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that ‘At’ ibn Yasar said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not fast in any month more than he did in Sha’ban, and this is because death is decreed for some people in that month for the coming year.  

This is mursal (a narration whose chain stops at the Successor) and da’eef (weak). 

Abu Ya’la narrated from ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast all of Sha’ban. She asked him about this and he said: “Allah decrees in it every soul who will die that year, and I want the decree of my death to come to me when I am fasting.” 

This was narrated by Abu Ya’la in al-Musnad (8/311). Its isnad (chain of transmission) includes Suwayd ibn Sa’eed al-Hadathani, and Muslim ibn Khalid al-Zanji, and Tareef, all of whom are classed as da’eef in books of narrators’ biographies. 

Al-Deenoori narrated in al-Mujalasah from Rashid ibn Sa’d that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “On the night before the fifteenth of Sha’ban, Allah reveals to the Angel of Death to take the soul of every person whom He wants to take (in death) that year.” 

Al-Mujalisah wa Jawahir al-‘Ilm (p. 206). It is mursal and was classed as da’eef by al-Albani in Da’eef al-Jami’ (no. 4019). 

Ibn Jareer and al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Eean narrated from al-Zuhri, that ‘Uthman ibn Muhammad ibn al-Mugheerah ibn al-Akhnas said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Death is decreed from one Sha’ban to another, even if a man gets married and a child is born to him when his name is among those who are going to die.”  

Al-Shaykh al-Albani said in al-Silsilat al-Da’eefah (no. 6607): It is munkar. 

Ibn Abi’l-Dunya narrated that ‘Ata ibn Yasar said: When the night before the fifteenth of Sha’ban comes, a scroll is given to the Angel of Death, and it is said: Take (the souls) of those who are mentioned in this scroll. A man may furnish a house and get married and build houses, but his name is already written among those who are to die. 

These are only the words of ‘Ata; there is no isnad for this report. 

Al-Khateeb and Ibn al-Najjar narrated that ‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to fast all of Sha’ban, until he joined it to Ramadan, and he did not fast any month in full except Sha’ban. I said: O Messenger of Allah, is Sha’ban one of the dearest of months to you in which to fast? He said: “Yes, O ‘Aishah, for there is no soul who is to die during the year but his death is decreed in Sha’ban, and I want my death to be decreed when I am worshipping my Lord and doing righteous deeds.” 

The version narrated by Ibn al-Najjar says: “O ‘Aishah, in it the Angel of Death writes down whose soul he will take, and I do not want my name to be written down except when I am fasting.” 

Narrated by al-Khateeb in Tareekh Baghdaad (4/436). Its isnad includes Abu Bilal al-Ash’ari who was classed as da’eef by al-Daraqutni, as it says in Mizan al-I’tidal (4/507). It also includes Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Humayd al-Makhdoob, Abu Ja’far al-Muqri, of whom al-Daraqutni said: he is not strong. So the hadeeth is da’eef jiddan (very weak). 

To sum up: There is no saheeh hadeeth to suggest that there are more deaths in Sha’ban. 

15th Night of Sha’ban: Bidah?

Celebrating Middle of Sha’ban

Some Muslims celebrate the middle of Sha‘ban, fasting on that day and spending that night in prayer (qiyam). There is a hadith concerning that which is not sahih, hence the scholars regarded celebrating this day as an innovation (bid ‘ah). 

Muhammad ‘Abd al-Salam al-Shuqayri said: “Imam al-Fatni said in Tadhkirat al-Mawdu‘at: Among the innovations that have been introduced on “Laylat an-Nisf ”  (mid-Sha‘ban) is al-Salat al-Alfiyyah, which is one hundred rak‘ahs in which Surat al-Ikhlas is recited ten times in each rak‘ah, offered in congregation; they pay more attention to this than to Jumu‘ah and ‘Eid prayers, although there is no report concerning it, except da‘if (weak) and mawdu‘ (fabricated) reports, and we should not be deceived by the fact that these reports were quoted by the authors of al-Qut and al-Ihya and others, nor should we be deceived by what was mentioned in Tafsir al-Tha‘labi, that it is Laylat al-Qadr.” 

Al-'Iraqi said: “The hadith about the prayer on Laylat al-Nisf (mid-Sha‘ban ) is false. Ibn al-Jawzi narrated it in al-Mawdu‘at (which is a compilation of fabricated hadiths): 

Chapter on the hadith, prayer and supplication on Laylat al-Nisf:

The hadith, “When the night of ‘nisf Sha‘ban’ (mid-Sha‘ban) comes, spend the night in prayer and fast on that day” was narrated by Ibn Majah from ‘Ali. Muhashiyyah said: (It was also narrated) in al-Zawaid. Its isnad is da‘if (weak) because of the weakness of Ibn Abi Basrah, of whom Ahmad and Ibn Ma'in said: He fabricates hadith.”

Praying six rak‘ahs on Laylat al-Nisf with the intention of warding off calamity, having a long life and being independent of people, and reciting Ya-Sin and offering du‘a in between that -- there is no doubt that this is something that has been introduced into the religion and is contrary to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The commentator on al-Ihya said: This prayer is well known in the books of later Sufi masters, but I have not seen any sahih report in the Sunnah to support it and the connected du‘a. Rather this is the action of some shaykhs. Our companions said: It is makruh to gather on any of the nights mentioned in the mosques or elsewhere. Al-Najm al-Ghayti said, describing spending the night of al-Nisf min Sh‘ban (mid-Sha‘ban) praying in congregation: That was denounced by most of the scholars of the Hijaz, including ‘Ata and Ibn Abi Mulaykah, the fuqaha of Madinah and the companions of Malik. They said: All of that is an innovation (bid‘ah) and there is no report to suggest that the Prophet spent that night in praying in congregation or that his Companions did that either. Al-Nawawi said: The prayers of Rajab and Sha‘ban are two reprehensible innovations.”(Al-Sunan wa’l-Mubtada‘at, p. 144) 

Al-Fatni (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after the comments quoted above: “The common folk are so infatuated with this prayer that they stored up a lot of fuel for it and many evils resulted from it, and many transgressions are committed which we do not need to describe. (It is so bad that) the close friends of Allah feared His punishment and fled into the wilderness. The first time this prayer occurred was in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) in 448 AH. Zayd ibn Aslam said: We never saw any of our shaykhs or fuqaha saying that Laylat al-Bara-ah (15 Sha‘ban) had any superiority over other nights. Ibn Dihyah said: The hadiths about the prayer on Laylat al-Bara-ah are fabricated and one has an interruption in the isnad. Anyone who acts upon a report which is known to be false is a servant of the Shaytan.” (Tadhkirat al-Mawdu‘at by al-Fatni, p. 45) 

See: al-Mawdu‘at by Ibn al-Jawzi, 2/127; al-Manar al-Munif fil Sahih wa’l-Da‘if by Ibn al-Qayyim, p. 98; al-Fawaid al-Majmu'ah by al-Shawkani, p. 51 

Some people use the word al-Sha‘baniyyah to refer to the last days of Sha‘ban , and say, “These are the days of bidding farewell to food,” and they take advantage of these days to eat a lot before Ramadan begins. Some scholars say that this idea was originally taken from the Christians, who used to do that as their fasting period (Lent) approached. 

To sum up, there is no celebration in Sha‘ban and there is no special act of worship to be performed in the middle of it or during the last days of the month. Doing that is an innovation that has been introduced into the religion.

Is “Allahumma Ballighna Ramadan” Authentically Reported?

Hadiths on the virtues of Rajab

There is no sahih hadith from the Prophet that speaks of the virtues of the month of Rajab. 

Ibn ‘Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “There is no sahih hadith that speaks of the virtues of Rajab . The month of Rajab is no different from the month of Jumada al-Akhirah that comes before it, except that it is one of the sacred months only. Otherwise there is no fast that is prescribed in this month , and no prayer or ‘umrah or anything else that is prescribed. It is like all other months.” (Liqa al-Bab al-Maftuh, 174/26) 

Degree of the hadith “Allahumma Ballighna Ramadan”

It was narrated by ‘Abdullah, the son of Imam Ahmad, in Zawaid al-Musnad (2346), at-Tabarani in al-Awsat (3939), al-Bayhaqi in ash-Shu‘ab (3534) and Abu Nu‘aym in al-Hilyah (6/269) via Zaidah ibn Abi ar-Ruqad who said: Ziyad al-Numayri told us, from Anas ibn Malik who said: When Rajab began, the Messenger of Allah (blessing and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha‘ban, and let us reach Ramadan.” (Allhumma barik lana fi Rajab wa Sha’ban wa ballighna Ramadan).

This isnad is da‘if. Ziyad al-Numayri is da‘if and was classed as such by Ibn Ma'in. Abu Hatim said: He cannot be quoted as evidence. Ibn Hibban mentioned him in ad-Du‘afa and said: It is not permissible to quote him as evidence. (Mizan al-I'tidal, (2/91) 

Zaidah ibn Abi ar-Ruqad is more da‘if than him. Abu Hatim said: He narrated from Ziyad al-Numayri, from Anas, odd marfu‘ hadith, which we know only from him or from Ziyad. Al-Bukhari said: His hadiths are odd. An-Nasai said: His hadiths are odd. It says in al-Kuna: He is not trustworthy. Ibn Hibban said: He narrates odd hadiths from well known people and his reports cannot be quoted as evidence or written down, except for the purpose of giving an example (of a weak hadith). Ibn ‘Adiyy said: al-Miqdami and others narrated from him obscure hadiths, and some of his hadiths contain odd material. (Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, 3/305-306) 

The hadith was classed as da‘if by an-Nawawi in al-Adhkar (p. 189) and Ibn Rajab in Lataif al-Ma‘arif (p. 121). It was also classed as da‘if by al-Albani in Da‘if al-Jami‘ (4395). Al-Haythami said: “It was narrated by al-Bazzar, and its isnad includes Zaidah ibn Abi ar-Ruqad. Al-Bukhari said: His hadith is odd, and a number of scholars regarded him as ignorant.” (Majma‘ az-Zawaid, 2/165) 

Moreover, the hadith – in addition to being da‘if – contains nothing to indicate that this should be said on the first night of the month of Rajab; rather it is a du‘a that asks for blessing during that month in general terms, which is something that is valid to do in Rajab and also before Rajab. 

Can Muslims make the du’a “Allahumma Ballighna Ramadan”?

With regard to the Muslim asking his Lord to let him reach Ramadan, there is nothing wrong with that. 

Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Ma‘alla ibn al-Fadl said: They used to pray to Allah for six months, may He be exalted, asking Him to cause them to reach Ramadan, and they used to call upon Him for six months asking Him to accept it from them. Yahya ibn Abi Kathir said: One of their du‘as was: “O Allah, keep me safe until Ramadan, keep Ramadan safe for me, and accept it from me.”” (Lataif al-Ma‘arif, p. 148)  

Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan (the middle of Sha’baan) should not be singled out for worship

There is no saheeh marfoo’ 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 hadeeth 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 ahaadeeth, 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 knows best. Shaykh Ibn Jibreen.

 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 OK. The same applies if he fasts the day of the fifteenth of Sha’baan because it happens to be one of the ayyaam al-beed, along with the fourteenth and thirteenth of the month, or because it happens to be a Monday or Thursday. If the fifteenth (of Sha’baan) coincides with a Monday or Thursday, there is nothing wrong with that (fasting on that day), so long as he is not seeking extra reward that has not been proven (in the saheeh texts). And Allaah knows best.

Does Allah Come Down To the First Heaven On the Night of the Fifteenth of Sha'ban?

Does Allah Come Down to the First Heaven on the 15th Night of Sha’ban?

This is mentioned in some ahadith, but there is some scholarly difference of opinion as to the soundness of those ahadith . There is no sahih hadith concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban . 

It was narrated from Abu Musa al-Ash’ari that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah looks down on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban and forgives all his creation except a mushrik or one who harbours hatred against the Muslims.” (Narrated by Ibn Majah, 1390)

The “one who harbours hatred against the Muslims” means one who has enmity towards a Muslim brother. 

In al-Zawaid it says: (Its isnad is da’if, because ‘Abd-Allah ibn Lahi’ah is da’if (weak) and al-Walid ibn Muslim is mudallis.)

There is also some idtirab (weakness) in the hadith, as stated by al-Daraqutni in al-‘Ilal, 6/50, 51. He said: This hadith is not proven. 

It was narrated from Mu'adh ibn Jabal, ‘Aishah, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani and others, but the isnads are not free of some weakness, and some of them are very weak. 

Mid-Sha’ban: Any Virtues?

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said: Concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban there are numerous ahadith, concerning which the scholars differed, but most of them classed them as da’if, and Ibn Hibban classed some of them as sahih. (Lata’if al-Ma'arif, 261) 

Does Allah’s descending to the first heaven happen only on the 15th night of Sha’ban?

Allah’s descending to the first heaven does not only happen on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban, rather it is proven in al-Sahihayn and elsewhere that Allah descends to the first heaven every night, in the last third of the night. The night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban is included in this general meaning. 

Hence, when ‘Abd-Allah ibn al-Mubarak was asked about the descent of Allah on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban, he said to the one who asked him: “O weak one! The night of the fifteenth?! He descends every night!” (Narrated by Abu ‘Uthman al-Sabuni in I’tiqad Ahl al-Sunnah, no. 92) 

Al-‘Aqili (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “With regard to Allah’s descending on the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban there are ahadith which are weak, but the reports that He descends every night are proven and sahih, so the night of the fifteenth of Sha'ban is included in that, in sha Allah.” (Al-Du’afa’, 3/29).

Sheikh Muhammad Salih Almunajjid (Islam Questions and Answers).