TARAWEEH
The Ramadan nightly prayer has a special merit over other nights. The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever observes night prayer in Ramadan as an expression of his faith and to seek reward from Allah, his previous sins will be blotted out." (Muslim)
In this hadith, faith means faith in what Allah has promised the observers of night prayers. To seek reward mean, the observer's intent is not for eye service or seeking special recognition from someone. Taraweeh is derived from the Arabic root word, Raaha, which means to rest, relax and use as recreation. It is so called because the believers used to prolong it. After every four raka'ats they would stop for rest and relaxation and resume until Taraweeh was complete.
Taraweeh In Jamaa`ah
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) was the first to establish the Sunnah of congregational, jamaa`ah prayer of Taraweeh in the Masjid. Then he did not continue with the Sunnah for fear that it might be made mandatory on the Ummah in Ramadan, and they might not be able to do it. In the books of Bukhari and Muslim, 'Aishah (RAA) has been reported as saying: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) observed Taraweeh prayer in the Masjid one night
and people prayed with him. He repeated the following night and the number of participants grew. The companions congregated the third and fourth night, but the Messenger did not show up. In the morning he told them, "I saw what you did last night, but nothing prevented me from joining you except my fear that it might be made mandatory on you in Ramadan."
This hadith is a clear indication that the Taraweeh in congregation was not an innovation of 'Umar (RAA), the second Caliph, despite his saying to the contrary. For it has been related that: "Umar bin Al-Khattab attended the Masjid at night in Ramadan and saw people praying individually in every corner of the Masjid with a few in groups. He did not like the sight a bit.
'Umar said, `I thought it would be better to gather these under one Imam'. So, he combined them under 'Obayi bin Ka'ab and Tamimu Ad-Dari to alternate and lead the believers in eleven raka'ats of night prayer. The next day `Umar was in the Masjid which was full with Taraweeh prayers. He was delighted. He said: `Well, this is the best Bid'ah (innovation).'"
`Umar's use of the word Bid'ah in this report has been presented and
unjustifiably cited as justification for concocting up various so called
good innovations. In truth, the Caliph 'Umar's act to gather the believers in Jama'ah is not bid'ah. For it was the Messenger of Allah himself who started jama'ah by praying in congregation the first and second day, then stopped only as he feared it would become mandatory. After his death, the fear of Taraweeh becoming mandatory (Fard) was not only remote, it was impossible. With the death of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), there will be no
more revelation to change any law or rule by abrogation.
Number of Raka'ats in Taraweeh
As for the number of Raka'ats in Taraweeh and Witr, the worthy ancestor, Salaf as-Saalih disagreed on the amount of Raka'ats. These numbers are mentioned for Raka'ats: 39, 29, 23, 19, 13, and 11 Raka'ats. Of all the numbers mentioned, none is sounder than 11 Raka'ats. 'Aishah (RAA) was asked how was the prayer of the Prophet (PBUH)? She replied: "He did not pray in Ramadan or some other times more than eleven Raka'ats." (Muslim/Bukhari)
However, there is nothing wrong with praying more than 11 Raka'ats. Perhaps that is why different numbers are observed. The Prophet himself was asked about night prayer and he said: "It may be done in two Raka'ats, and if anyone fears the appearance of morning, he should pray one Rak'ah as a Witr for what he has already prayed." (Bukhari/Muslim)
As this hadith indicates, if a person is to pray individually at night, by daybreak he would have prayed one hundred and one Raka'ats, or more. In their desire to pray more Raka'ats, some people make Taraweeh in extreme speed. That is wrong, especially when the speed leads to a breach of certain rules of prayer. In that case, the prayer will not be valid. Similarly, it is undesirable for an Imam to pray with such speed whereby the followers will have difficulty observing the necessary deeds in Salaat.
Neglecting Taraweeh
No one should neglect Taraweeh without a good reason, for it is a part of physical and spiritual training. Its observation, soon after Iftar, insures timely and proper digestion of food. Besides, there are spiritual rewards awaiting the observers of this prayer. No one would like to leave the Masjid before the prayer is over.
Everybody should attend the Masjid prayers, including women, provided they are properly covered. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Prevent not the women servants of Allah, from going to the Masjid of Allah." However, when they attend the Masjid they should wear no perfume, nor raise their voices, and or show their beauty. Allah (SWT) States: "...they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof..."
(Al-Qur'an, 24:31)
What ordinarily appears, refers to the outer garments, for when the
Messenger (PBUH) commanded women to attend Eid prayer, Umm 'Atiyah (RAA) said: "O Messenger of Allah, some of us do not have the outer garment (Jilbab). The Messenger of Allah told her to let a sister (who has more than one) give her one to wear." (Agreed upon)
It is Sunnah that they pray behind the men in the rear lines. The Messenger has been reported as saying: "The best lines for men are the front lines and the worst lines for men are the rear lines. The best lines for women are the rear and the worst lines of women are the front line. (Muslim)
Women should leave the Masjid as soon as the Imam says: As-Salaamu 'Alaikum. They should not delay without a valid reason. In a hadith by Umm Salmah (RAA), she said: "When the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saluted to end prayer, the women would stand up to leave and the Messenger would remain in his place for a while." Umm Salmah (RAA) said: Allah is the best knower, but perhaps the Messenger did that so women would leave before men could overtake them". (Bukhari)
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever prays at night in Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven."1
This hadith is indicative of the virtue of praying qiyam in Ramadan, and shows that this is one of the means of forgiveness of sin. Whoever prays Taraweeh as it should be prayed has prayed at night (qiyam al-layl) in Ramadan.
Forgiveness is conditional upon "faith and hope of reward," as stated here. What is meant by "faith" is that when the person stands to pray qiyam, he believes in Allah, may He be exalted, and believes in His promise and in the virtue of praying qiyam, and in the greatness of its reward with Allah. "Hope of reward" means that he is seeking the reward from Allah and is not doing it for any other purpose such as showing off, etc.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to encourage them to pray qiyam during Ramadan, without commanding them to do it. Then he said: "Whoever prays at night in Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward, his previous sins will be forgiven."
So the Muslim should be keen to pray Taraweeh, and should be patient in completing the prayer with his imam. He should not neglect any part of it, or leave before his imam, even if his imam does more than eleven or thirteen rak'ahs, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever prays qiyam with the imam until he finishes, it will be recorded that he spent the night in qiyam." It is only a few nights, which the wise man makes the most of before they are gone.
Abu Dawud said: It was said to [Imam] Ahmad while I was listening: "Can qiyam - i.e., Taraweeh - be delayed until the end of the night?" He said: "The way of the Muslims is dearer to me."
If a person is keen to pray whatever rak'ahs he wants to at the time of the pre-dawn (suhoor time), then he should not pray witr again at the end of his prayer, rather it is sufficient for him to pray witr with his imam in Taraweeh, because of the hadith of Talq ibn 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "There cannot be two witrs in one night."
With regard to the hadith of Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) - according to which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Make the last of your prayers at night witr" - this is to be understood as referring to one who prays at the end of the night and did not pray witr at the beginning of the night.
The command here is to be understood as a recommendation, not an obligation. It is not essential to conclude the prayer at the end of the night with witr, based on the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) prayed at the end of the night, after his witr.
Abu Dawud said: I said to Ahmad: "Does praying after witr invalidate witr?" He said: "No." Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad say concerning one who prayed witr at the beginning of the night then got up to pray qiyam: "He should pray two rak'ahs."
It was said: "Does he not have to pray witr?"
He said: "No."
He said: I heard someone ask him about someone who wanted to pray after witr: "should he pray two by two?"
He said: "Yes, but after witr he should lie down."
The imam should take care to pray properly in Taraweeh. He should pray with proper focus and humility, reciting in a proper manner and being at ease in ruku' and sujud. He should beware of rushing lest he fails to attain the proper level of khushu' (focus and humility) and lest he make the weak, elderly and sick among the people behind him get too tired.
Al-Sa'ib ibn Yazeed said: 'Umar ibn al-Khattab commanded Ubayy ibn Ka'b and Tameem al-Dari to lead the people in praying eleven rak'ahs of qiyam. He said: The reciter used to recite the surahs that contain more than a hundred verses, until we would lean on sticks because of having to stand for so long, but we did not leave until dawn was approaching.
When the worshipper has said the tasleem at the end of witr, he should say: Subhan al-Malik al-Quddus (Glory be to the Sovereign, the Most Holy) three times, elongating the vowels and raising his voice the third time, because it is proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did that.
O Allah, accept this (worship) from us, for You are the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, and accept our repentance, for You are the Acceptor of Repentance, the Most Merciful
Dua at the time of breaking fast (iftar)
Once Moosa (AS) asked Allah Ta'ala: O Allah! You have granted me the honor and privilege of talking to you directly, Have you given this privilege to any other person? Allah Ta'ala replied, O!! Moosa during the last period I am going to send an ummat, who will be the Ummat of Mohammed (SAW) with dry lips, parched tongues, emaciated body with eyes sunken deep into their sockets, with livers dry and stomachs suffering the pangs of hunger - will call out to me (in dua) they will be much closer to me than you O Moosa! while you speak to me there are 70000 veils between you and me but at the time of iftaar there will not be a single veil between me and the fasting Ummati of Mohammed (SAW) O!! Moosa I have taken upon myself the responsibility that at the time of iftaar I will never refuse the dua of a fasting person!
........Sub'hanallah! ! ..........
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "He is not a believer who eats his fill while his neighbor remains hungry by his side." .
"By Allah, he has no faith (the Prophet [SAW] repeated it three times) whose neighbors are not safe from his wickedness." (Bukhari)
Ramadan is a great opportunity to share Islam and more specifically, its values of spirituality, generosity and kindness with others, especially your neighbors. It's a great time to do Dawa..
. Begin with Dua
Make Dua that Allah give us( and our family the sincerity, strength, motivation and wisdom to do this. Dawa is hard work, and it needs preparation, commitment and organization.
I AM calling to you from afar. Calling to you since the very beginning of days, for aeons of time - calling since always. "I don't hear", you say, "what is it and where?" I AM That in you which has been always: I AM That in you which will never end. Even if you say, Who is calling? Where will you run? Just tell Me, can you run away from yourself? For I AM the Only One for you; there is no other. Your Promise, your Reward AM I alone your Punishment, your Longing and your Goal.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
Showing posts with label Prophet (PBUH). Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prophet (PBUH). Show all posts
Monday, 9 August 2010
Thursday, 22 July 2010
Sha`ban is My Month -Muhammad saw
Alhamdullillah,
Asalaamu 'alaikum wa rahmat Ullahi wa barakaatuh,
We are leaving the month of Shabaan quickly moving into the radar of the Blessed Ramadan.
Yeah so Ramadhan is on its way (YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY! )......and we should prepare for it, Insha Allah.
I thought it may be beneficial for us, in preparation for Ramadhan to look at the virtues of the month of Sha'ban and the authentic good practices that are encouraged in it:
Sha'ban is the name of the (eigth) month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha'aba) in search of water, or it was said that it is so called because it sha'aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadan.
Sha`ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad . It is reported in authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad , used to fast most of the month in Sha`ban. These fasts are supererogatory (nafl) and well deserving of reward, for Sha`ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. The Prophet mentioned in a hadith, "Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha`ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of the Nation".
Know that Sha'ban is from amongst the greatest of months, a month whose blessings are
well known and its goodness readily present. Repentance in it is from amongst the best
reaping for a believer, and worship in it is most profitable.
It is the month of the Prophet, upon him be peace, as mentioned in the hadith "Rajab is
the month of Allah, Sha'ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of the Qu'ran". It is
the month in which he split the moon, and the verse "Verily Allah and His Angels send
blessings upon the Prophet. Oh you who believe! Send your prayers and blessings upon
him and salute him well!” {Ahzab:56} was revealed, hence it is the month of sending
salaw't upon the Prophet, so send your blessings upon him profusely!
It is also the month of the middle night of Sha'ban, the night in which the provisions of
created beings are allotted. It is mentioned in the book Tuhfat al-Ikhwan, narrated from
Ata' ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, that "….there is no night better after the
night of Qadr than the 15th night of Sha'ban".
Note that after the decree of Allah is made apparent to the Angels there is no changing it,
however before that, it is in the Tablet (Lawh), where Allah can take from or add to it as He
so wills, glory be to Him. Many ahhadith narrate that it is the night in which Allah
decrees all good works and provisions to those who seek it. The apparent wisdom behind
this is of awakening desire and warning. Awakening desire to attain towards good works
through obedience and action so felicity may be written for him, and warning of sin in that
night out of fear that one may be considered amongst the dead heartened and that it be
written for them like that for the remainder of the year.
It is reported in the book Tuhfat al-Ikhwan that the Messenger of Allah, upon him be
peace, said "Verily Allah forgives all of the believers on this night, except the fornicator, the
one who drinks alcohol and the one disobedient to his/her parents". From other ahhadith it
can be gathered that this list be expanded to the one who associates partners with Allah
(mushrik), the one who breaks family ties of kinship amongst others.
It is said that the first ten days of Rajab were preferred over other months due to the 1st
night of Rajab, and the second ten days of Sha'ban were preferred over other months due
to the 15th night, and that the last ten days of Ramadan were preferred over others due to
the night of power (Qadr).
Note that the recommendation of praying 100 raka's of voluntary prayer (nafl), or anything
similar, is an innovation and has no basis. It is more preferable to engage in salat al-tasbih
as was taught by the Prophet .
Selected ad’iyah (du’a’s - prayers)
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said "Never did a servant invoke
Allah with this invocation except that Allah will widen for him his living".
Du’a’:
In the name of Allah, most Merciful, most Compassionate. Prayers and blessings upon our
master Muhammad saw, and his family and companions
O Allah, Tireless Owner of Bounty. O Owner of Sublimity, Honor, Power, and Blessings.
There is no Allah except You,
the Support of refugees and Neighbour of those who seek nearness,
Guardian of the fearful.
O Allah, if you have written in Your Book that I be
abject, deprived, banished, and tight-fisted,
then erase O Allah, through Your bounty,
my misery, deprivation, banishment, and stinginess
and establish me with You as happy, provided with
blessings, for surely You have said—and Your Word
is True—in Your Revealed Book on the tongue of
Your Messenger,
“Allah blots out or confirms what He
pleases, and with Him is the Mother of Books.” (13:39)
My God, by the Great Manifestation of the Night of the
middle of the Noble Month of Sha`b?n
“in which every affair of wisdom is made distinct and
authorized,“(44:4) remove from us calamities—those
we know and those we do not know, and Thou
knowest best—for surely You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.
Du’a’:
The following du’a is attributed to the great Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (ra), which he
composed specifically for the blessed night of the 15th:
Oh Allah, if you manifest Yourself to Your
creation on the mid-night of Sha'ban
Then bring unto us your relenting and
protection
And decree for us, by your bounty, abundant
provision
And let us be counted from amongst those who
uphold your right in this night
Oh Allah, whosoever you ordained for them
death, then ordain with that your mercy for
them
And whosoever you ordained for them a long
life, then grant them Your favour with that
And realise for us what our hopes cannot
Oh Greatest before whom feet have stood, oh
Lord of the worlds
Your mercy! Oh most Merciful of those who
show mercy
And prayers of God, most High, be upon our
master Muhammad saw, the best of His creation,
and upon his family and companions.
Oh Allah may you send your blessings (prayers) upon our master Muhammad(PBUH) saw, your
servant and messenger, the unlettered Prophet, and upon his family and companions
1. The blessed companion Anas , reports that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was asked, "Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadan?" He replied, "Fasts of Sha`ban in honor of Ramadan."
2. The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid , reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad : "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha`ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad , replied: "That (Sha`ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."
3. Ummul Mu'mineen `Aishah (r), says, "Prophet Muhammad , used to fast the whole of Sha`ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha`ban your favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting.’"
4. In another Tradition she says, "Prophet Muhammad , would sometimes begin to fast continuously until we thought he would not stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha`ban."
5. In another report she says, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, , fasting in a month so profusely as he did in the month of Sha`ban. He used to fast in that month leaving only a few days, rather, he used to fast almost the whole of the month."
6. Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah (r), says: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha`ban and Ramadan."
These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha`ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet Muhammad did not like to miss it.
When Sha'ban began, if the Prophet (PBUH) still had some voluntary fasts outstanding that he had not fasted, he would make them up during Sha'ban so that his nafl fasts would be complete before Ramadan came. Similarly, if he had missed some Sunnah prayers or he had missed Qiyam al-Layl (night prayer), he would make it up. 'A'ishah used to make the most of this opportunity to make up any obligatory Ramadan fasts that she had missed because of menstruation; during other months she was too busy with the Prophet (PBUH) to fast.
We should also note here that anyone who has any missed fasts to make up has to make them up before the next Ramadan comes. It is not permissible to delay it until after the following Ramadan except in cases of necessity (such as a valid excuse that continues between the two Ramadans). Whoever is able to make them up before the (second) Ramadan and does not do so, has to make them up after the (second) Ramadan and in addition to that, he has to repent and to feed one poor person for each day that he missed. This is the view of Malik, al-Shafa'i and Ahmad.
Another benefit of fasting in Sha'ban is that it is a kind of training for the Ramadan fast, in case a person finds it difficult to fast when Ramadan starts; if he fasts in Sha'ban he will have gotten used to fasting and he will feel strong and energetic when Ramadan comes. Sha'ban is like an introduction to Ramadan and it has some things in common with Ramadan, such as fasting, reciting Qur'an and giving in charity. Salamah ibn Suhayl used to say: "The month of Sha'ban is the month of reciters (of the Qur'an)." Habeeb ibn Abi Thabit used to say, when Sha'ban came, "This is the month of reciters (of the Qur'an)." When Sha'ban came, 'Amr ibn Qays al-Mala'i used to close his store and devote his time to reading the Qur'an.
Fasting at the end of Sha'ban
It was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim from 'Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said to a man, "Have you fasted anything of the sirar of this month?" He said, "No." He said: "If you have not fasted, then fast two days." According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari: I think he meant Ramadan. According to a report narrated by Muslim, (the Prophet - PBUH) said: "Have you fasted anything of the sirar of Sha'ban?"
There was some dispute as to the meaning of the word sirar. The most well known view is that it refers to the end of the month. The end of the month is called sirar because the moon is hidden at that time. Someone may raise the point that it was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Do not pre-empt Ramadan by one or two days, except for those who have the habit of fasting regularly, in which case they may fast." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
How can we reconcile the hadeeth which encourages fasting at this time with the hadeeth which says not to fast at this time? The answer is: many of the scholars and most of those who commented on this hadeeth said: this man to whom the Prophet (PBUH) addressed this question was known to have the habit of fasting regularly, or else he had made a vow, so the Prophet (PBUH) commanded him to make up his fast. There are also other points of view on this issue.
In brief we may say that there are three scenarios for fasting at the end of Sha'ban:
The first scenario is when a person fasts at the end of Sha'ban with the intention of being on the safe side and not missing the first day of Ramadan. This is forbidden.
The second scenario is when a person fasts with the intention of fulfilling a vow or of making up a day of Ramadan that he missed or as an act of expiation (kaffarah), etc. This is permissible according to the majority.
The third scenario is when this is purely a voluntary fast. This is regarded as makrooh (disliked) by those who said that we should differentiate between Sha'ban and Ramadan by not fasting for a while. Among those who said this was al-Hasan. If it happens to coincide with a day when a person habitually fasts, Malik and those who agreed with him permitted this, but al-Shafa'i, al-'Awza'i, Ahmad and others made a distinction between cases where it is a fast which a person habitually observes or otherwise.
In conclusion, the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah R.A. quoted above is what we should follow according to the majority of scholars. It is makrooh to observe a voluntary fast one or two days before Ramadan for those who do not habitually fast on those days and who have not previously fasted until the end of Sha'ban.
It may be asked: why is it makrooh to fast just before Ramadan (for those who do not have a prior habit of fasting)? The answer is that there are a number of reasons why this is so, such as:
Firstly: lest extra days be added to the fast of Ramadan that are not part of it. Fasting on the day of Eid is prohibited for the same reason, lest we fall into the same trap as the People of the Book with regard to fasting, as they added to their fasts because of their own whims and desires. For the same reason it is also forbidden to fast on the "day of doubt". 'Ammar said: whoever fasts on this day has disobeyed Abu'l-Qasim (PBUH). The "day of doubt" is a day when people are not sure whether it is Ramadan or not, when news of the sighting of the crescent moon comes from one whose word cannot be accepted. As for a cloudy day, some of the 'ulama' said that this was also a 'day of doubt' and said that fasting was not allowed on this day. This is the view of the majority.
Secondly: to make a distinction between fard (obligatory) fasts and nafl fasts, because making a clear distinction between fard actions and nafl actions is prescribed in Islam. Hence it is haram to fast on the day of Eid, and the Prophet (PBUH) forbade following an obligatory prayer immediately with another prayer unless they are separated by saying salam or speaking, especially in the case of the Sunnah prayer performed just before Fajr. It is prescribed to make a clear separation between this prayer and the obligatory prayer. Hence it is prescribed to pray it at home and to lie down afterwards.
When the Prophet (PBUH) saw a man praying at the time when the iqamah had been given for Fajr, he said to him: "Al-Subh is four rak'ahs?" (Narrated by al-Bukhari).
Some ignorant people may think that the reason why we do not fast just before Ramadan is so that we can make the most of eating and have our fill of our desires before we have to deny ourselves by fasting. This is an ignorant mistake on the part of those who think this.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following:
“This month is between Rajab and Ramadan; People are ignorant of this month, which is between Rajab and Ramadan. It is the month in which the deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I want my deeds to be presented to Allah when I am fasting.”(8)
If we appreciate these holy days and render our days and nights blessed and fruitful spiritually, we will benefit from the abundance and prosperity f this month more. The fasting performed in those months is not fard or wajib (obligatory); it is sunnah. We should try to fast in order to obtain rewards by following our Prophet.
May Almighty God make us benefit from the light and prosperity of the month of Shaban in the maximum degree. Amin.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
Asalaamu 'alaikum wa rahmat Ullahi wa barakaatuh,
We are leaving the month of Shabaan quickly moving into the radar of the Blessed Ramadan.
Yeah so Ramadhan is on its way (YAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY! )......and we should prepare for it, Insha Allah.
I thought it may be beneficial for us, in preparation for Ramadhan to look at the virtues of the month of Sha'ban and the authentic good practices that are encouraged in it:
Sha'ban is the name of the (eigth) month of the Islamic lunar calendar, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha'aba) in search of water, or it was said that it is so called because it sha'aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadan.
Sha`ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find particular instructions in the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad . It is reported in authentic ahadith that Prophet Muhammad , used to fast most of the month in Sha`ban. These fasts are supererogatory (nafl) and well deserving of reward, for Sha`ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. The Prophet mentioned in a hadith, "Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha`ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of the Nation".
Know that Sha'ban is from amongst the greatest of months, a month whose blessings are
well known and its goodness readily present. Repentance in it is from amongst the best
reaping for a believer, and worship in it is most profitable.
It is the month of the Prophet, upon him be peace, as mentioned in the hadith "Rajab is
the month of Allah, Sha'ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of the Qu'ran". It is
the month in which he split the moon, and the verse "Verily Allah and His Angels send
blessings upon the Prophet. Oh you who believe! Send your prayers and blessings upon
him and salute him well!” {Ahzab:56} was revealed, hence it is the month of sending
salaw't upon the Prophet, so send your blessings upon him profusely!
It is also the month of the middle night of Sha'ban, the night in which the provisions of
created beings are allotted. It is mentioned in the book Tuhfat al-Ikhwan, narrated from
Ata' ibn Yasir, may Allah be pleased with him, that "….there is no night better after the
night of Qadr than the 15th night of Sha'ban".
Note that after the decree of Allah is made apparent to the Angels there is no changing it,
however before that, it is in the Tablet (Lawh), where Allah can take from or add to it as He
so wills, glory be to Him. Many ahhadith narrate that it is the night in which Allah
decrees all good works and provisions to those who seek it. The apparent wisdom behind
this is of awakening desire and warning. Awakening desire to attain towards good works
through obedience and action so felicity may be written for him, and warning of sin in that
night out of fear that one may be considered amongst the dead heartened and that it be
written for them like that for the remainder of the year.
It is reported in the book Tuhfat al-Ikhwan that the Messenger of Allah, upon him be
peace, said "Verily Allah forgives all of the believers on this night, except the fornicator, the
one who drinks alcohol and the one disobedient to his/her parents". From other ahhadith it
can be gathered that this list be expanded to the one who associates partners with Allah
(mushrik), the one who breaks family ties of kinship amongst others.
It is said that the first ten days of Rajab were preferred over other months due to the 1st
night of Rajab, and the second ten days of Sha'ban were preferred over other months due
to the 15th night, and that the last ten days of Ramadan were preferred over others due to
the night of power (Qadr).
Note that the recommendation of praying 100 raka's of voluntary prayer (nafl), or anything
similar, is an innovation and has no basis. It is more preferable to engage in salat al-tasbih
as was taught by the Prophet .
Selected ad’iyah (du’a’s - prayers)
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said "Never did a servant invoke
Allah with this invocation except that Allah will widen for him his living".
Du’a’:
In the name of Allah, most Merciful, most Compassionate. Prayers and blessings upon our
master Muhammad saw, and his family and companions
O Allah, Tireless Owner of Bounty. O Owner of Sublimity, Honor, Power, and Blessings.
There is no Allah except You,
the Support of refugees and Neighbour of those who seek nearness,
Guardian of the fearful.
O Allah, if you have written in Your Book that I be
abject, deprived, banished, and tight-fisted,
then erase O Allah, through Your bounty,
my misery, deprivation, banishment, and stinginess
and establish me with You as happy, provided with
blessings, for surely You have said—and Your Word
is True—in Your Revealed Book on the tongue of
Your Messenger,
“Allah blots out or confirms what He
pleases, and with Him is the Mother of Books.” (13:39)
My God, by the Great Manifestation of the Night of the
middle of the Noble Month of Sha`b?n
“in which every affair of wisdom is made distinct and
authorized,“(44:4) remove from us calamities—those
we know and those we do not know, and Thou
knowest best—for surely You are the Most Mighty, the Most Generous.
Du’a’:
The following du’a is attributed to the great Shaykh Abdul Qadir al-Jilani (ra), which he
composed specifically for the blessed night of the 15th:
Oh Allah, if you manifest Yourself to Your
creation on the mid-night of Sha'ban
Then bring unto us your relenting and
protection
And decree for us, by your bounty, abundant
provision
And let us be counted from amongst those who
uphold your right in this night
Oh Allah, whosoever you ordained for them
death, then ordain with that your mercy for
them
And whosoever you ordained for them a long
life, then grant them Your favour with that
And realise for us what our hopes cannot
Oh Greatest before whom feet have stood, oh
Lord of the worlds
Your mercy! Oh most Merciful of those who
show mercy
And prayers of God, most High, be upon our
master Muhammad saw, the best of His creation,
and upon his family and companions.
Oh Allah may you send your blessings (prayers) upon our master Muhammad(PBUH) saw, your
servant and messenger, the unlettered Prophet, and upon his family and companions
1. The blessed companion Anas , reports that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was asked, "Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasts of Ramadan?" He replied, "Fasts of Sha`ban in honor of Ramadan."
2. The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid , reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad : "Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha`ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month." Prophet Muhammad , replied: "That (Sha`ban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting."
3. Ummul Mu'mineen `Aishah (r), says, "Prophet Muhammad , used to fast the whole of Sha`ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha`ban your favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting.’"
4. In another Tradition she says, "Prophet Muhammad , would sometimes begin to fast continuously until we thought he would not stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting a complete month, except the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting in a month more frequently than he did in Sha`ban."
5. In another report she says, "I never saw the Messenger of Allah, , fasting in a month so profusely as he did in the month of Sha`ban. He used to fast in that month leaving only a few days, rather, he used to fast almost the whole of the month."
6. Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah (r), says: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha`ban and Ramadan."
These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha`ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet Muhammad did not like to miss it.
When Sha'ban began, if the Prophet (PBUH) still had some voluntary fasts outstanding that he had not fasted, he would make them up during Sha'ban so that his nafl fasts would be complete before Ramadan came. Similarly, if he had missed some Sunnah prayers or he had missed Qiyam al-Layl (night prayer), he would make it up. 'A'ishah used to make the most of this opportunity to make up any obligatory Ramadan fasts that she had missed because of menstruation; during other months she was too busy with the Prophet (PBUH) to fast.
We should also note here that anyone who has any missed fasts to make up has to make them up before the next Ramadan comes. It is not permissible to delay it until after the following Ramadan except in cases of necessity (such as a valid excuse that continues between the two Ramadans). Whoever is able to make them up before the (second) Ramadan and does not do so, has to make them up after the (second) Ramadan and in addition to that, he has to repent and to feed one poor person for each day that he missed. This is the view of Malik, al-Shafa'i and Ahmad.
Another benefit of fasting in Sha'ban is that it is a kind of training for the Ramadan fast, in case a person finds it difficult to fast when Ramadan starts; if he fasts in Sha'ban he will have gotten used to fasting and he will feel strong and energetic when Ramadan comes. Sha'ban is like an introduction to Ramadan and it has some things in common with Ramadan, such as fasting, reciting Qur'an and giving in charity. Salamah ibn Suhayl used to say: "The month of Sha'ban is the month of reciters (of the Qur'an)." Habeeb ibn Abi Thabit used to say, when Sha'ban came, "This is the month of reciters (of the Qur'an)." When Sha'ban came, 'Amr ibn Qays al-Mala'i used to close his store and devote his time to reading the Qur'an.
Fasting at the end of Sha'ban
It was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim from 'Imran ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said to a man, "Have you fasted anything of the sirar of this month?" He said, "No." He said: "If you have not fasted, then fast two days." According to a report narrated by al-Bukhari: I think he meant Ramadan. According to a report narrated by Muslim, (the Prophet - PBUH) said: "Have you fasted anything of the sirar of Sha'ban?"
There was some dispute as to the meaning of the word sirar. The most well known view is that it refers to the end of the month. The end of the month is called sirar because the moon is hidden at that time. Someone may raise the point that it was reported in al-Bukhari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Do not pre-empt Ramadan by one or two days, except for those who have the habit of fasting regularly, in which case they may fast." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
How can we reconcile the hadeeth which encourages fasting at this time with the hadeeth which says not to fast at this time? The answer is: many of the scholars and most of those who commented on this hadeeth said: this man to whom the Prophet (PBUH) addressed this question was known to have the habit of fasting regularly, or else he had made a vow, so the Prophet (PBUH) commanded him to make up his fast. There are also other points of view on this issue.
In brief we may say that there are three scenarios for fasting at the end of Sha'ban:
The first scenario is when a person fasts at the end of Sha'ban with the intention of being on the safe side and not missing the first day of Ramadan. This is forbidden.
The second scenario is when a person fasts with the intention of fulfilling a vow or of making up a day of Ramadan that he missed or as an act of expiation (kaffarah), etc. This is permissible according to the majority.
The third scenario is when this is purely a voluntary fast. This is regarded as makrooh (disliked) by those who said that we should differentiate between Sha'ban and Ramadan by not fasting for a while. Among those who said this was al-Hasan. If it happens to coincide with a day when a person habitually fasts, Malik and those who agreed with him permitted this, but al-Shafa'i, al-'Awza'i, Ahmad and others made a distinction between cases where it is a fast which a person habitually observes or otherwise.
In conclusion, the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah R.A. quoted above is what we should follow according to the majority of scholars. It is makrooh to observe a voluntary fast one or two days before Ramadan for those who do not habitually fast on those days and who have not previously fasted until the end of Sha'ban.
It may be asked: why is it makrooh to fast just before Ramadan (for those who do not have a prior habit of fasting)? The answer is that there are a number of reasons why this is so, such as:
Firstly: lest extra days be added to the fast of Ramadan that are not part of it. Fasting on the day of Eid is prohibited for the same reason, lest we fall into the same trap as the People of the Book with regard to fasting, as they added to their fasts because of their own whims and desires. For the same reason it is also forbidden to fast on the "day of doubt". 'Ammar said: whoever fasts on this day has disobeyed Abu'l-Qasim (PBUH). The "day of doubt" is a day when people are not sure whether it is Ramadan or not, when news of the sighting of the crescent moon comes from one whose word cannot be accepted. As for a cloudy day, some of the 'ulama' said that this was also a 'day of doubt' and said that fasting was not allowed on this day. This is the view of the majority.
Secondly: to make a distinction between fard (obligatory) fasts and nafl fasts, because making a clear distinction between fard actions and nafl actions is prescribed in Islam. Hence it is haram to fast on the day of Eid, and the Prophet (PBUH) forbade following an obligatory prayer immediately with another prayer unless they are separated by saying salam or speaking, especially in the case of the Sunnah prayer performed just before Fajr. It is prescribed to make a clear separation between this prayer and the obligatory prayer. Hence it is prescribed to pray it at home and to lie down afterwards.
When the Prophet (PBUH) saw a man praying at the time when the iqamah had been given for Fajr, he said to him: "Al-Subh is four rak'ahs?" (Narrated by al-Bukhari).
Some ignorant people may think that the reason why we do not fast just before Ramadan is so that we can make the most of eating and have our fill of our desires before we have to deny ourselves by fasting. This is an ignorant mistake on the part of those who think this.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stated the following:
“This month is between Rajab and Ramadan; People are ignorant of this month, which is between Rajab and Ramadan. It is the month in which the deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I want my deeds to be presented to Allah when I am fasting.”(8)
If we appreciate these holy days and render our days and nights blessed and fruitful spiritually, we will benefit from the abundance and prosperity f this month more. The fasting performed in those months is not fard or wajib (obligatory); it is sunnah. We should try to fast in order to obtain rewards by following our Prophet.
May Almighty God make us benefit from the light and prosperity of the month of Shaban in the maximum degree. Amin.
"Have fun praying and getting ready for the Day of Judgment coz that day will NOT be fun :) P.S.: don’t forget to make dua for me.
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