Sha'baan: A Blessed Month that People Neglect

These days we are living a season of profitable trade with Allaah The Almighty, namely; the days of the month of Sha’baan which many people neglect.

Here are some of the rulings and virtues of this month:


The virtue of fasting:


Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger of Allaah, , said: "Allaah The Exalted says, 'Every (good) deed of the son of Aadam would be multiplied, a good deed receiving a tenfold to seven hundredfold reward, with the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give reward for it.'" [Muslim]

When Ibn ‘Uyaynah was asked about the meaning of: 'With the exception of fasting, for it is done for Me and I will give reward for it', he said, "On the Day of Resurrection, Allaah The Exalted calls His slave to account and makes him pay for wronging people from all his other acts of worship until nothing remains except fasting. Thereupon, Allaah pays for the remaining grievances and lets him enter Paradise with his fasting."

‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr narrated that the Prophet, , said: "Fasting and the Quran intercede for the slave on the Day of Judgment." [Ahmad] [Al Albaani: Saheeh]

Abu Umaamah narrated that he asked the Prophet , to order him with a deed. The Prophet, , said: "Adhere to fasting as it has no equal" or in another narration "no similar" [An-Nasaa’i] [Al Albaani: Saheeh] [Saheeh At-Targheeb]


Fasting of the predecessors:

Daawood ibn Abi Hind fasted for forty years without his family knowing about it. He was a clothes seller and used to carry his lunch with him, but usually gave it in charity to the needy he would meet on the road. [Tahtheeb Siyar A‘laam An-Nubalaa’]

Abu Muslim Al-Khawlaani was fasting while invading the land of the Romans. He was asked, "What made you fast while you are traveling?" He answered, "If we were to fight, I would break my fast, prepare myself and seek strength. Horses do not run rapidly when they are fat; rather, they do when they are thin. Our remaining days are coming for which we shall work.” [Tahtheeb Siyar A‘laam An- Nubalaa’]


Narrations about the virtue of fasting in Sha’baan


‘Aa’ishah (Radhi Allahu anha) said, "The Messenger of Allaah used to fast till one would say that he would never stop fasting, and he would abandon fasting till one would say that he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allaah fasting for a whole month except the month of Ramadhaan, and did not see him fasting in any month more than in the month of Sha’baan." [Al-Bukhaari]
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Aa’ishah (Radhi Allahu anha) also said, “I never saw the Prophet, observing (voluntary) fast more in any other month than that of Sha’baan. He used to fast throughout the whole of Sha’baan.”

‘Imraan ibn Husayn narrated that the Messenger of Allaah, , said to a person: ‘Did you observe any fast in the beginning of Sha’baan?’ He said, ‘No.’Thereupon, the Messenger of Allaah, , said: ‘Fast two days instead (of one fast) when you have completed (the fasts of) Ramadhaan." [Muslim] An-Nawawi said, "This Hadeeth contradicts the authentic Hadeeths that prohibit fasting directly before Ramadhaan.

The Prophet, clarified that usual fasting is not included in the prohibition; rather, the prohibition is for voluntary fasting."

The evidence of the preference of fasting it is that ’Aa’ishah (Radhi Allahu anha) said, “I never saw the Prophet, observing (voluntary) fast more in any other month than that of Sha’baan. He used to fast throughout the whole of Sha’baan.”[Al-Bukhaari]

"He (the Prophet ) never fasted a whole month except Sha’baan which he combined with Ramadhaan." [Abu Daawood] That is to say that he used to fast most of the days of Sha’baan. At Tirmithi narrated from Ibn Al-Mubaarak that in the Arabic language, one may say "he fasted the whole month" while he only fasted the majority thereof. Others said that he would sometimes fast the whole month and at other times fast most of it. It was also said: from its (the month’s) beginning to its end.

The wisdom of fasting Sha’baan more than other months:

Ibn Al Qayyim said in Tahtheeb As-Sunan,

“There are three points about fasting the month of Sha’baan more than other months:

First: the Prophet, used to fast three days every month. Perhaps he was busy and could not fast in some months, so he gathered all these in Sha’baan to fast them before the obligatory fast.

Second: he may have done so to honor Ramadhaan. This fast is similar to the regular voluntary prayers before the obligatory ones to honor them.

Third: it is a month when deeds are raised to Allaah The Almighty. Thus, the Prophet, liked his deeds to be raised while he was fasting.”

Ibn Hajar seconded this last opinion. He said, "Priority is given here to a more authentic Hadeeth which is: it was narrated on the authority of Usaamah ibn Zayd that he inquired, ‘"O Messenger of Allaah, I never find you fasting in any month like you do during the month of Sha’baan."The Prophet said:"That is a month that people neglect. It comes between Rajab and Ramadhaan. It is a month in which the deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds. I love my deeds to be raised while I am fasting."’ [An-Nasaa’i and Abu Daawood] [Ibn Khuzaymah: Saheeh]

A similar narration was narrated by ’Aa’ishah on the authority of Abu Ya‘la where the Prophet , said: “Allaah writes the names of those who are to die during the course of the year. So, I would rather not record my name except while I am fasting.”

How is it that the Prophet, , did not fast frequently in Muharram, despite the fact that he said: "it is the best fast" and he encouraged fasting in Sha’baan?
This confusion was resolved by An-Nawawi and narrated by Ibn Hajar . He said, "Perhaps the Prophet, did not know this except by the end of his life; so, he was not able to fast a lot in Muharram. The other possibility is that he had many excuses such as travelling and illness, for example, which prevented him from fasting frequently in it."


Ibn Rajab adopts the view that fasting in Sha’baan is better than Muharram because of the Hadeeth (narration) by At-Tirmithi who said, "Fasting in Sha’baan resembles the regular voluntary prayers before or after the obligatory ones. On the other hand, when the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi was sallam, said: ‘The best fast after Ramadhaan is the month of Allaah; Al-Muharram’, he meant voluntary fasting in general. However, the virtue of the fasting that precedes and follows Ramadhaan is narrated thereto. It falls between two great months, the forbidden month and the month of fasting. There might be something better than that whose virtue is known; either in general or for a certain privilege." [Al-Lataa’if]


Another virtue:

Another virtue is mentioned about Sha’baan. Mu‘aath ibn Jabal narrated that the Prophet, said: “On the night of mid-Sha’baan, Allaah looks at His creation and forgives all of them except for the polytheist and the quarrelsome." [At-Tabaraani] [Al Albaani: Saheeh]


A final say about the night of mid-Sha’baan:

Shaykhul-Islam said (Al-Fataawa Al-Misriyyah), "The night of mid-Sha’baan has virtues. Some predecessors used to perform Qiyaam (voluntary night prayer) on it. However, gathering in mosques to revive it is a religious innovation. Rather, they used to pray in their houses like the usual Qiyaam night prayers. If some people gather to pray on this night as well as other nights without constantly doing so, there is no harm for the Prophet , led Ibn ‘Abbaas and Huthayfah in prayer. The ruler should prohibit these innovated gatherings." Ibn Rajab said, "This is the opinion adopted by Al-Awzaa‘i, the Imaam, jurist and scholar of the people of Shaam. It is the most correct opinion, Allaah willing."

Concerning the Hadeeth: "When the middle of Sha’baan comes, do not fast" which was narrated by Ahmad, Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah, it is a Munkar Hadeeth and classed as weak by Ibn Mahdi, Ahmad, Abu Zur‘ah and Al-Athram . It was narrated by Ahmad for the Hadeeth in which the Prophet, says: "Do not precede Ramadhaan by fasting the day or two before it." However, what is understood from the Hadeeth is that it is permissible to fast two days before Ramadhaan. At-Tahaawi believes that it is abrogated. In any case, there was a consensus to abandon acting upon it. Regarding the day of mid-Sha’baan, it is not prohibited to fast on it, as it one of the White Days.

It was narrated on the authority of ‘Ikrimah and other scholars of Tafseer (exegesis) that the verse in which Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {On that night is made distinct every precise matter}[Quran 44:4] refers to the night of mid-Sha’baan. The correct interpretation is that it refers to the Night of Al-Qadr. It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Rajab that ‘Ataa’ said, "When the night of mid-Sha’baan comes, a record is given to the Angel of Death. It is said: Take the souls of those listed in this record."

Ibn Abu Shaybah narrated a Mursal (incompletely transmitted) narration on the authority of ‘Ataa’ that the Prophet, , did not fast in any month more than Sha’baan as the times of death are registered.


An important point about fasting in Sha’baan


The Prophet, , said: "It is a month that people neglect, between Rajab and Ramadhaan." Ibn Rajab said, "This indicates that it is favorable to fill one's time with worshipping and acts of obedience to Allaah and that this is liked by Allaah The Almighty. For example, some of the predecessors used to revive the time between sunset and sunrise with prayers. They used to say, ‘It is an hour of heedlessness.’"

This indicates the virtue of remembering Allaah The Almighty at times when people are heedless. Abu Saalih said, "Allaah The Almighty marvels at the one who remembers Him in markets." That is because he remembers Allaah The Almighty in a place of heedlessness, among the people of heedlessness.

There are many benefits of reviving times of heedlessness with acts of obedience:

- It is more hidden. Hiding voluntary acts of worship and performing them in secret is better, especially fasting.

- It is more difficult for the soul. The best deeds are the most difficult for the souls because of the scarcity of those who can act as role models. This point was mentioned by the Prophet, , when he said:“The righteous among them will have the reward of fifty of you because you have supporters who help you to do good and they will not have.” The first part was narrated by At-Tirmithi and Abu Daawood.

- The one obeying Allaah The Almighty among the people of disobedience and heedlessness may be a reason for the protection of all the people from trials. The Prophet, , said: "If it had not been for the humble, submissive youth, bowing elderly people, breastfed children and moving cattle, torment would have been sent over you." [At-Tabaraani, Al-Bazzaar, Al-Bayhaqi and Abu Ya‘la] [A slightly weak chain of narrators]

A narrated citation reads: "Allaah protects the family, children, descendants and surroundings of a righteous man."

Since Sha’baan is like a prelude to Ramadhaan, it is favorable to perform what is to be performed in Ramadhaan such as fasting and reciting the Quran in order to prepare yourself for Ramadhaan. Salamah ibn Kuhayl stated that it was said, "The month of Sha’baan is the month of the readers of the Quran." In addition, Al-Hasan ibn Sahl said, “Sha’baan said, ‘O Lord, You placed me between two great months, so what is for me?’ Allaah The Almighty said: ‘Reciting the Quran.’”


Fatwa:

Shaykh Muhammad Al-‘Uthaymeen was asked, ‘What is the ruling on fasting in Sha’baan?’

He answered,

"Fasting in Sha’baan is a Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) and fasting a lot in it is also a Sunnah. ’Aa’ishah said, "I never saw him (the Prophet ) fasting in any month more than Sha’baan." Therefore, one should fast a lot in the month of Sha’baan based on the previous Hadeeth. Scholars said, "Fasting of Sha’baan is similar to regular voluntary prayers to obligatory ones. That is why it is a Sunnah to fast in Sha’baan and six days of the month of Shawwaal just like regular voluntary prayers before and after the obligatory ones."

Fasting in Sha’baan has another benefit which is preparing oneself for fasting in Ramadhaan and to make it easy to observe it. [Fataawa Arkaan Al-Islaam]


Reflection:

The rewards and virtues of acts of worship increase if sufficient time is spent doing them, if they have a high position among other acts of worship, as well as if most people are heedless of their benefits.