The Night and Day of Mid-Sha’ban

The middle night of the month of Sha’ban, known in Arabic as laylat al-bara’a and in Persian and Urdu as shab-e-barat, is one of the special nights of the year. Sayyidina-sh Shaikh Muhyu-d Din ‘Abdu-l Qadir al-Jilani quotes in his Al-Ghunya that it is one of the fourteen nights of the year in which it is particularly commendable to keep vigil in order to enliven the night with religious service, worship, adoration and devotion.
Likewise, its day is one of the seventeen days of the year during which it is particularly commendable to practice the recitation of litanies and to concentrate on worshipful service with assiduous devotion. In no other month, apart from Ramadan, did the Messenger of Allah (upon him be blessings and peace) fast more often than in Sha’ban. Therefore fasting the day of mid-Sha’ban is certainly meritorious.

Evidence from Prophetic Narrations [ahadith]

There are a number of narrations establishing the merit of mid-Sha’ban:

1. On the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “The Messenger of Allah (upon him be blessings and peace)  said, ‘When it is the middle night of the month of Sha‘ban, Allah Most High and Blessed descends to the sky of the world (the lowest heaven) and forgives His servants except one who attributes co-sharers to Him or one bearing a (illegitimate) grudge against his brother.’”
   [Al-Bazzar related it. In its chain of narration there is ‘Abd al-Malik ibn ‘Abd al-Malik who Ibn abi Hatim mentioned in al-jarh wa al-ta‘dil but did not declare him to be weak. The rest of its narrators are reliable (thiqat)]
2. On the authority of Sayyiduna Mu‘adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) who said “Allah looks at all of His creation on the middle night of the month of Sha‘ban and forgives everyone except for the mushrik and grudge bearer.”
   [Reported by Tabarani in his Kabir wa Awsat. All the narrators in its chain are reliable]
3. On the authority of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him) who said “The Messenger of Allah (upon him be blessings and peace) said, ‘When it is the middle night of the month of Sha‘ban, Allah forgives His servants except for the mushrik and the one bearing a grudge.’”
   [Al-Bazzar reported it and one of its narrators is Hisham ibn  ‘Abd al-Rahman who I do not know of. The rest of its narrators are reliable]
4. Other hadiths mention Allah Most High not forgiving those who commit zina (fornication adultery) or murder.

All quoted from majma‘ al-zawa’id wa manba‘ al-fawa’id (Compendium of hadiths not mentioned in the six main collections, and wellspring of information) by the hadith master [hafiz], Imam al-Haythami (Allah have mercy on him).

Evidence from the Pious Predecessors [al-salaf al-salihin]

It may also be noted that according to ‘Ikrimah, one of the renowned students of Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), the 15th of Sha’ban is the night on which “is made distinct every precise matter,” (Al-Qur’an, 44:4) i.e. the night in which the destiny for the coming year is written.
However, the majority of exegetes have disagreed with him, maintaining that this occurs on Laylatul-Qadr, as suggested by Surah al-Qadr. (see for example: Tafsir al-Qurtubi, (16/117-119); also Lata’if al-Ma’arif by Ibn Rajab, p. 204). Hafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali says:

“So, it is appropriate for the believer to free himself (from worldly pursuits) on that night, (and apply himself) to the remembrance of Allah, making du`a to Him to forgive sins, conceal faults, and alleviate hardships, and (it is appropriate) to precede this with repentance (tawbah) for Allah forgives on this night those who repent.”
[Ibn Rajab, Lata’if al-Ma`arif, p. 201. He earlier concludes, on p. 200, that the verdict of recommended is that of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal’s school. Similarly, the Hanafis consider it recommended, as stated in Maraqi al-Falah (p. 154) and Hashiyat Ibn `Abidin (Shami) (2/469)]

Imam al-Bayhaqi devoted a whole chapter on the virtues of the 15^th night of Sha‘ban in his Fada’il al-awqat. [Mentioned by the contemporary Oxford-based Malaysian Shafi‘i jurist, Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Afifi al-Akiti in his ‘inan al-bayan fi nisf sha‘ban]And Allah is the Guide.