The virtues of Shaban

Since 2012-11-15

"That's a month the people neglect it between Rajab and Ramadan, and in that month- Shaban- the people deeds are raised to the Lord of mankind, so I love to be fasting, while my deeds are raised"

In the name of Allah…

 
Praise be to Allah who has created the place and time.
 
And peace be upon Muhammad who observed more fasting in Shaban
 
And peace be upon his family, companions and upon all those who adhered to the Glorious Quran.
 
The virtues of Shaban are a gift from Allah the Bountiful, the Bestower.
 
Osama son of Zaid –May Allah be pleased with them- said: I said O messenger of Allah: I didn’t see, you Fasting in any month as saw you do in Shaban?
 
He -peace and blessings be upon him- said: “That’s a month the people neglect it between Rajab and Ramadan, and in that month- Shaban- the people deeds are raised to the Lord of mankind, so I love to be fasting, while my deeds are raised.”
 
«يا رسول الله! لم ارك تصوم شهرا من الشهور ما تصوم من شعبان؟! قال: ذلك شهر يغفل الناس عنه، بين رجب ورمضان، وهو شهر ترفع فيه الأعمال إلى رب العالمين، فأحب أن يرفع عمل، وأنا صائم»
 
Why it is called Shaban?
 
Shaban is a name of a month (one of the lunar months), it was called with this name because the Arabs were scattering in it searching for water or scattering in wars or because it appears between Rajab and Ramadan (two lunar months).
 
The prophet’s fast in Shaban: whereas Shaban is considered as a preparation for Ramadan, it’s preferable for Muslim to fast some days in it.
 
Narrated Aisha: “Allah Apostle 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 Allah’s Apostle fasting for a whole month except the month of Ramadan and didn’t see him fasting in any month more than in the month of Shaban”[Bukhari]
 
«كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يصوم حتى نقول لا يفطر، ويفطر حتى نقول لا يصوم، فما رأيت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم استكمل صيام شهر إلا رمضان، وما رأيته أكثر صياما منه في شعبان»
 
She also narrated “Shaban was the most beloved month to Allah’s Prophet to fast in it till the beginning of Ramadan” [Declared Authentic by Al-Albani]
 
«كان أحب الشهور إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أن صومه شعبان ثم يصله برمضان»
 
 
Ibn Hajar said that: “this Hadith indicates the virtue of fasting in Shaban.” [belogh el maram]
 
 
Imam Ibn Rajab (one of Muslims scholars) said: “as to the prophet’s fasting during the year, he used to fast in Shaban more than any other month” [lata’ef el ma’aref]
 
 
Imam AlSanany said: “this hadith proves that the prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- was fasting in Shaban more than any other month” [sobol el salam]
 
 
The wisdom of the prophet’s much fast in Shaban:
 
Osama son of Zaid – may Allah be blessed with them – narrated “I said:...O Messenger of Allah why don’t I see you fast on other months like your fasting in Shaban?!”
 
The Prophet said “that is a month (Shaban) which people neglect between Rajab and Ramadan. In that month the people deeds are being raised to the Lord of Mankind, so I love that that my deeds are being raised while I’m fasting” [Declared as Hasan by Al-Albani]
 
«يا رسول الله! لم ارك تصوم شهرا من الشهور ما تصوم من شعبان؟! قال: ذلك شهر يغفل الناس عنه، بين رجب ورمضان، وهو شهر ترفع فيه الأعمال إلى رب العالمين، فأحب أن يرفع عملي، وأنا صائم»
 
A diagram shows the priority of months as to fasting:
 
The best Fasting after Ramadan is on the days of the sacred month (Muharram).
 
Prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- used to fast on Shaban more than any other month.
 
Regarding fasting, the rest of months are equal except some days which we were recommended to fast them like Arafah, Ashura and six days of Shawal,…etc)
 
 
Imam Ibn Rajab -May Allah bestows him his mercy- said about the wisdom of Shaban fasting “as the prophet Muhammad mentioned, whereas Shaban comes between two great months, Rajab (one of sacred months) and Ramadan (fasting month), the people occupied themselves with them and neglected Shaban. Also a lot of people think that fasting reward in Rajab which is a sacred month is better than Shaban fasting, but this isn’t true) [lata’ef-alma’arf book]
 
 
The scientific signs in Shaban Fasting
 
It was scientifically proved that the human body in the first Fasting days began to consume its stored reserves of fats, Proteins and others, to compensate the shortage resulting from reducing food. As a result, some poisons (adrenalin hormone) flow in blood before the body throws them out with the leftovers. That is why the fasting man feels some symptoms like headache, weakness, quick-tempered, bad temper and he may abuses others and that obliges him, sometimes to break his fast.
 
After few days of fasting, these symptoms disappear when the hormones ratio in blood return to their nature, with Allah’s will.
 
The voluntary Shaban fasting is considered as training on the obligatory fasting of Ramadan and to remove the fasting hardship in the beginning of Ramadan…Almighty Allah has the best knowledge….
 
 
Fasting at the end of Shaban
 
Narrated Abu Hurira-may Allah be pleased with him- the Prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- said “none of you should fast a day or two before the month of Ramadan unless he has the habit of fasting (voluntary) (and if his fasting coincides with that day ) then he can fast that day” [Declared Authentic by Albani & Tirmizi]
 
«لا تقدموا شهر رمضان بصيام قبله بيوم أو يومين، إلا أن يكون رجل كان يصوم صوما فليصمه»
 
An example of that is the one who has a habit of fasting on Monday and Thursday, so he can fast them even at the end of Shaban.
 
The prophet -peace and blessings be upon him- also prohibited fasting on the (day of doubt) thirtieth of Shaban unless it was coinciding with his habit of fasting.
 
 
The innovations of the fifteenth night of Shaban:
 
1-   All kinds of celebrations at that night whether meeting for religious observances, recitation of poems or feeding people and to consider that these deeds are a stated Sunnah while they aren’t.
2-   Praying Alalfia or Albarae prayer at that night.
3-   Also praying fourteen, twelve or six Rakat at that night.
4-   To specify Ishah (night) prayer, at that night, with recitation of Surah YaSin or certain number of surah Al-Ekhlaas or specifying that night with a certain invocation; called (the fifteenth of shaban night invocation, they may also stipulate praying two Rakat or reciting surah Ya-Sin (one chapter of the holy Quran) before this invocation to be accepted. Among the innovations of this night also, is to specify its day with fasting or charity or to believe that the fifteenth night of Shaban is better than the night of Al-Qadr (Decree).
 
 
The juristic ruling of celebrating at the 15th night of Shaban
 
Sheikh Abdul-Aziz son of Baz –may Allah bestow his mercy upon him- was asked about the 15th night of Shaban and if it has a special prayer?
 
He answered: (there is no sound hadith indicating the virtue of this night and all the reported a hadith in its virtue are weak or fabricated. It’s an ordinary night and has no special recitation, prayer or meeting and the saying of its specialty is a weak opinion.