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29 May 2014
We share All Islamic Scholars shia sunni wahabi deobandi barelvi ahlesunnat hanfi ahle hadees: Ilyas Qadri. He Arabic name 'Laylat al Barat' means Barat Night it is also known as (Laylat al Bara'at meaning the 'Night of Innocence, Berat Kandili in Turkish, Shab e Baraat in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, Lejletul Berat in Bosnian). Sha'aban is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar. According to the Hadith Shareef the 15th night of Shabaan is a very blessed night.
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Islam has a culture of its own, where there are rituals, traditions, celebrations, events and so on. This is the reason why Muslims all across the globes find it easy to assimilate with each other as they all share the core cultural values that are brought to them by Islam.
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In addition to the core rituals and traditions, there are some upon which the different sects of Islam disagree with each other on whether they should be celebrated or not. One of such rituals is the celebrations in the form of worshipping at the 15th night of Shaban, which is also known as ‘Shab e Baraat’.
There is a difference of opinion with regards to celebration or observance of Shab e Barat. The lines below give the opinion of both the school of thoughts pertaining to Shab e Barat in Islam.
![Hadees Shab E Barat Ke Mutaliq Hadees Shab E Barat Ke Mutaliq](http://www.trueislam.info/Islamic_event/Shaban/DuaeShaban.gif)
The first school of thought has the opinion that Shab e Barat cannot be proved through the hadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Quran, therefore, this is a Bidah and one should not celebrate Shab e Barat. People belonging to this school of thought are of the opinion that the verse of Quran that is taken as a support for celebration of Shab e Barat is actually a verse that was revealed pertaining to the Night of Power that takes place in the month of Ramadan. The verse is:
“Verily, We have sent it (this Quran) down in the night of Al-Qadr.” (97:1)
Thus, this school of thought believes that the Shab e Barat is a night mistakenly taken up by Muslims and all the celebrations, which Muslims undertake pertaining to this night should not be performed.
Moreover, this particular school of thought is also of the opinion that the lightning of mosques, the praying in congregation, the visiting of graveyard and the fasting on the day of 15th Shaban are also things that are either not proven from the life of Prophet (PBUH) as He might have done all these on different occasions, however, He did not make a practice out of it. Further to that, this school of thought believes that whatever few hadiths that are related to Shab e Barat are weak hadith and their authenticity cannot be relied upon.
Hence, for people from this school of thought the celebration and observance of the 15th of Shaban is nowhere proven in Islam and hence it is not allowed to do so.
On the other hand, there is the other school of thought which is of the opinion that in Islam 15th of Shaban is one of the most sacred nights in the Islamic year. As per this school of thought there is evidence from hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that 15th of Shaban is one of the sacred nights and a Muslim must also offer special prayers in this night to fulfill the Sunnah of Prophet (PBUH). The hadith put forward by this school of thought is narrated by Hazrat Ali (RA) in which he tells that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“When it is the fifteenth night of Shaban observe prayer during the night and observe fast during the day; for Allah descends to the heaven of the world as the sun sets and says: Is there anyone to seek forgiveness so that I should forgive him? Is there anyone to seek sustenance so that I should provide him? Is there anyone in trouble so that I may relieve him? And so on and so forth, until the dawn breaks.” (Ibn Majah)
From this hadith it is inferred that a Muslim must celebrate the 15th of Shaban as a night full of blessings where Allah Almighty comes to earthly sky and throughout the night He goes on calling on mankind to turn to Him and ask Him of things so that He could grant them whatever they wished for and what they want in life.
Thus, this hadith is what is put forward by this school of thought pertaining to their celebration of Shab e Barat on the 15th of Shaban. Therefore, they stay up during the night offering different kinds of prayers to earn greater reward from Allah Almighty, visit the grave yard and supplicate for the forgiveness of those who have passed away from this world and then keep fast during the day to make sure that they did all they can do to honor this night.
Conclusion:
In short, there can be no definite conclusion to whether Shab e Barat must be celebrated or not, as both the schools of thought have their opinion and justification to celebrate or not celebrate Shab e Barat. However, the need is that both the schools should accept the opinion of each other. Those who celebrate Shab e Barat should not try forcing their opinion on those who do not do so, whereas those who do not celebrate it should let the others celebrate Shab e Barat and consider all there worshiping as regular worshiping and fasting as a regular fast instead of condemning their action. If both the school of thought can reach this mutual acceptance for each other, then the issue will no more be there and all will take place in a normal fashion.
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Bara'a Night (Arabic: ليلة البراءة, romanized: Laylat al-Bara’at) or Mid-Sha'ban (Arabic: نصف شعبان, romanized: Niṣf Sha‘bān) is a holiday observed by Muslim communities on the night between 14 and 15 Sha'ban.[1] It is regarded as a night when the fortunes of individuals for the coming year are decided and when Allah may forgive sinners. In many regions, this is also a night when prayers are arranged for forgiveness from Allah for one's deceased ancestors.[2] Additionally, Twelver Shia Muslims commemorate the birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi on this date.[citation needed]Salafi streams oppose the recognition of Mid-Sha'ban as exceptional for prayer.[3]
- 2Origins
Etymology[edit]
The 15th of Sha'ban goes by several names, depending on the country in which it is observed. Most can be categorised into two general meanings:
- Mid-Sha'ban or Half of Sha'ban. Named after the day's chronological position in the eighth month of the Islamic calendar:
- Nisf(u) Sha'ban (Arabic: نصف شعبان),
- Nisfu Syaaban (Malay: نصف شعبان)
- Nim Sha'ban (Persian: نيم شعبان)
- Bara'at Night. Bara'at is an Arabic noun which is roughly translated to English as either innocence, records, assignment, deliverance or salvation.
- Laylat al-Bara'at (Arabic: ليلة البراءة)
- Berat Kandili (Turkish: Berâet Kandili)
- Shab e Bara'at (Persian/Urdu: شبِ براة, Hindi: शब-ए-बरात)
- Shab e Barat (Bengali: শবে বরাত)
Origins[edit]
The base for celebrating Mid-Sha'ban is not without dispute. Whether or not 15 Sha'ban is regarded as a special holiday, has primarily been an issue of interpreting the Quran and classifying the Hadith.
Quran[edit]
Although not mentioned directly in the Qur'an, two verses are sometimes ascribed[by whom?] to Mid-Sha‘ban:
'Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to warn [mankind]. On that night is made distinct every precise matter-'[Quran44:3–4]
According to Tafsir Ibn Kathir,[4] the more correct interpretation of this blessed night been attributed to another Islamic holy night, Laylat al-Qadr, based on additional verses.[5][6][7]
Hadith[edit]
In some hadiths of Sihah Sittah or pure six texts, this Hadith is described as the specialty of the night. Also in the other Hadith texts mention the specialty of this night. There are different standards of the hadiths and disagreements in this regard. The term, which is used in the hadeeth of the Hadith, is 'Nisf shaban' or 'lilatun nisafi min shawban' or 'night of mid shawban'. It has been said in a Hadith,
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that Allah has manifested on the night of mid-Shawan and forgiveness of all His creation except the polytheists and the envious.
— - (Ibnu Majah, As-Sunan 1/445; Bazzar, Al-Musnad 1/157, 207, 7/186; Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, al-Musnad 2/176; Ibn Abi Asim, As-Sunnah, pp. 223-224 Ibn Hibban, as-Sahih 12/481; Taabrani, al-Muzam al-Kabbir, 20/108, 22-233; Al-Mujam al-Aausat, 7/68; Baihaqi, Shu'abul Iman, 3/381; Ibnu Khuzaymah, Kitabut Tawhid 1 / 325-226.) [Sahih or Authentic narrator chain]
Another Hadith says,
Ayesha (R) said, one night I did not find the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam), and I went out to seek him. I noticed that he was in Jannatul Baki, lifting his head towards the sky. He said, 'O Aisha! Do you fear that Allah and His Messenger will do injustice to you?' Ayesha (R) said, 'No, but rather I thought that you might have gone to your wife. He said that Allah Almighty descended on the earth in the middle of the night of Shaban and forgave the sins of more people than the wool of the sheeps of the people of Kalb tribe. (Ibn Majah, As-Sunan 1/444, Hadith No. 1388). Ibnu Abi Sabrah, the only narrator of this hadith. Ahmad, Imam Bukhari and other Muhaddis accused him of being liars.
— (Ibn Hajar, Taqribut Tahzib, page 63; Tahizibut Taazib, 12 / 25-26.), [Daif/Weak, or Maudu/fabricated narrator chain]
According to different Saheeh Hadith, Muhammad used to perform fasting in this month. Sha'aban's fast was the most loved of him. He used to perform fasting in the month of Ramadan, from the first to the 15th of the month. When asked about this, he said,
This month man's actions are being raised to the Lord Almighty. And I love that my work would be raised during my fasting.
— - (Nasa'i, As-Sunan 4/201; Albani, Sahihhut Taragib 1/24. [Hassan or better narrator chain]
Birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi[edit]
Mid-Sha'ban at the Jamkaran Mosque, Qom.
According to Twelver Shias, Muhammad al-Mahdi, the final ShiaImām, was born on 15 Sha'ban. Shi'as celebrate Muhammad al-Mahdi's birthday on that day and perform religious acts such as prayers, fasting, and worship. Iranian cities are decorated on night of Mid-Sha'ban.[8][9]
Related customs[edit]
Mid-Sha'ban is celebrated in countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kirghistan. The Salafi Arabs do not celebrate this holiday. In the Arab world the festival is celebrated by Arabs with Sufi heritage, and Shias. In Iraq, children are given candies as they walk around their neighborhoods. Sunni Muslims in Iraqi Kurdistan and Afghanistan celebrate this holiday 15 days before Ramadan.[10] Some Muslims in Indonesia do communal zikr in mosques followed by a lecture (ceramah) led by an ustad or otherwise known in Java and Madura as a kyai. This tradition is rarely followed in Indonesia, but it is widely followed in Aceh, West Sumatra and South Kalimantan. In South Asia, Muslims make sweets (especially Halwa or Zarda) to be given to the neighbors and the poor on the evening prior to the 15th of Sha'ban.[11] This custom of distributing Halva is also practiced in Bosnia on the 15th night of Sha'ban, as well as on three other holidays: Laylat al-Qadr, Laylat al-Mi'raj and Laylat al-Raghaib.
References[edit]
- ^Dinesh Bihari Trivedi; A. H. M. Zehadul Karim (1990). Law and order in upper India: a study of Oudh, 1856–1877. Northern Book Centre. ISBN978-81-85119-83-0.
... The first significant religious occasion shabe-barat (lailat ul-barat or the night of deliverance) is held in the middle of Shaban (eighth month of the Islamic calendar) ...
- ^Jamal J. Elias (1999). Islam: Religions of the world. Psychology Press. ISBN978-0-415-21165-9.
... Laylat al-bara'a ... fortune for the coming year is popularly believed to be registered in Heaven ... prayer vigils and by feasting and illumination ... oblations are made in the name of deceased ancestors ...
- ^Muhammad Umar Memon, Aḥmad ibn ʻAbd al-Ḥalīm Ibn Taymīyah, Ibn Taimīya's struggle against popular religion: with an annotated translation of his Kitāb iqtiḍāʾ aṣ-ṣirāṭ al-mustaquīm mukhālafat aṣḥāb al-jaḥīm, Mouton, 1976, ISBN978-90-279-7591-1,
... among the Salaf as well as those among the khalaf, however, reject any excellence for the night in question and challenge the authenticity ... Marking mid-Sha'ban by fasting is without foundation, nay marking it is disapproved of. Likewise, celebrating it by preparing ...
- ^[1]
- ^Quran97:1–5
- ^Quran2:185
- ^Fatwa by the Permanent Committee
- ^'Iranians celebrate birth of Imam Mahdi'. Press TV. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^'A Dazzling Night in Iran Embellished with Spirituality'. Real Iran. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
- ^'Live Chennai: Shab-E-Barat – Festivals of India – Festivals in India – Muslim Festivals – Ramzan – Id-ul-fitr – Bakrid, Eid Mubarak'. livechennai.com.
- ^'About: Shab-e-barat (شب برات)'. Events In Karachi – Latest Event Updates- Articles – About Karachi.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mid-Sha%27ban&oldid=909139234'
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