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Mid-Sha'ban is between the 14th night and the 15th day of Sha'ban. This day is well known throughout Islamic practices and is understood to be a very blessed night in which the list of people who are to pass away for the upcoming year are written. This is a night known as the night of "emancipation" from the fire of hell. Although the different groups believe in different special meaning to this night, one thing is certain... this night is a night for special remembrance for Allah. Also, it is also a good point to mention that keeping fast on the 15th of Shaban is also made Mustahab. But some scholars believe otherwise, but Allah knows best.[1]
Shias celebrates the 15th night of Sha'ban as Laylat al Bara'at and observes this night as a night of worship. Being different to sunnis they also believe that on the 15th of Sha'ban, 255 AH (868CE), Muhammad al-Mahdi was born. Shias believe him to be the twelveth Shia Imam and also the Mahdi, a very important figure who is believed by Muslims to bring absolute peace to the world.
Some Sunni Sufi groups observe Mid-Sha'ban as a night of worship and salvation, commemorating when Allah saved Noah followers from the deluge. In their belief, during this night, Allah prepares the destiny for all people on Earth for the coming year. For this reason it is sometimes called the Night of Emancipation Lailat al Bara'at.
Other Sunnis contend that the day is a bidah against Islam and should not have any special status. They argue that the earliest generations of Muslims, notably the Salaf, never observed nor commemorated this day at all. Notable scholars who hold this position include Ibn Rajab who asserted :
There is no sound report from Rasulullah or from his companions about Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’ban (the middle of Sha’ban).[2]
Moreover, with regard to sources allegedly showing mid-sha'ban's legitimacy, Imam Nawawi stated:
The prayer that is known as salaat al-raghaa’ib, which is twelve rak’ahs between Maghrib and ‘Ishaa’ on the night of the first Friday in Rajab, and the prayer of Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’ban, of one hundred raka'ah – these two prayers are reprehensible bidah. No one should be deceived by the fact that they are mentioned in the books Qut al-Qulub and Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Deen, or by the hadith which is mentioned in these two books. All of that is false.[3]
1. Authentic ahadeeth
All the hadeeth about the virtues of the middle of Sha’baan are weak and fabricated. The only exception is the one below, based on the research of Sheikh Muhammad Naasir ud – Deen al – Albaanee:
Aboo Hurayrah, ‘Aa’ishah, and other companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Allaah looks upon His creation on the middle of the night of Sha’baan, and He forgives all of His creation, except for a mushrik or a quarreler.” [4]
The Messenger of Allaah Sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Allaah the Blessed and Most High looks to His creation on the middle night of Sha'baan and forgives all of His creation except for the one who ascribes partners to Him and the one who shows enmity." [5]
2. Weak and Fabricated hadeeth:
As for the other narrations concerning the 15th of Sha'baan (which are not authentic), the Hanafi scholar, Shaikh Mulla 'Alee al-Qaaree (d.1014H) Rahimahullah records some of these Ahadeeth:
The Hadeeth: "Whoever prays on the middle night of Sha'baan with 30 Rak'ahs, reciting in each Rak'ah Soorah al-Ikhlaas 30 times, he is permitted to intercede for ten of those who were destined for the Fire."
The hadeeth: "Whoever recites on the middle night of Sha'baan 1000 times Soorah al-Ikhlaas... Allaah sends to him 100,000 Angels to convey the good news to him."
The hadeeth: "O 'Alee! Whoever prays 100 Rak'ahs on the middle night of Sha'baan reciting 100 times Soorah al-Ikhlaas..."
Shaikh al-Qaaree goes on to say: "Prayers such as these were newly introduced into Islaam following the first 400 years, emerging from the region of Bayt al-Muqadis, thereafter ahadeeth were fabricated in their favour," and he further says, "There are other ahadeeth of this nature and there is nothing authentic in them whatsoever." [6]
Likewise, Ash-Shawkanee (d.1250H) lists a number of hadeeth similar to the above in which various numbers of raka'hs (along with specific soorahs) are instructed to be prayed on the middle night of Sha'baan which he concludes by saying: "All of it is futile and fabricated." (Al-Fawa'id al-Majmu' fee Ahadeeth al-Mawdu' no.147-148)
And al-Ghazaalee mentions prayer on the middle night of Sha'baan in his book Ihya 'Uloom ad-Deen, saying: "The prayer of Sha'baan is observed in the night of the 15th Sha'baan with 100 rak'ahs."
Commenting on this al-Haafidh al-'Iraaqee (d. approx 800H) wrote in Al-Mughnee (no.634): "A futile narration."
Evidence is also sought with the following hadeeth: "If the middle night of Sha'baan comes, you should offer prayer during the night and observe fast during the day..."
This hadith is recorded by Ibn Majah with his chain of transmission, and it is not authentic. Al-'Iraaqee says in Al-Mughnee (no.634): "Its chain of transmission is weak" and the same is said by al-Bowsaree in his book az Zawaa'id. Its weakness is, in fact, very severe since its chain of transmission contains the narrator Aboo Bakr bin 'Abdullah bin Muhammad ibn Abee Sabrah. Imaam al-Bukhaaree said about him: "Rejected in hadeeth" and an-Nasaa'ee said: "He is abandoned in hadeeth" and Imaam Ahmed said: "He used to fabricate hadeeth." Therefore, Shaikh al-Albaanee indicates that this hadith is extremely weak in Mishkaat (1/no.1308).
The hadeeth: "In it (i.e. the 15th of Sha'baan) a record is made of every human who will be born and of every human who will die that year, in it their actions are taken up to Heaven and in it their provision is sent down..."
The narration is attributed to al-Bayhaaqee in ad-Da'waat al-Kabeer. This is one of the principle narrations used by those who believe that it is on the middle night of Sha'baan that such things are decreed. Its authenticity should certainly be looked into. Everyone who claims that it is authentic has the burden of proof to establish that every man in its chain of transmission is trustworthy and reliable and that the chain is connected without having any defects. Shaikh al-Albaanee writes in Mishkaat (1/no.1305): "I did not come across it in the book (i.e. of al-Bayhaaqee), nor have I come across its isnaad, nor anyone who has spoken about it, and in all probability it is weak."
And there is another narration saying: "Indeed Allaah records in it (i.e. in Sha'baan) the persons who will die that year..."
It is reported by Abu Ya'la in his Musnad (8/no.4911). Its chain of transmission contains Suwayd bin Sa'eed and Muslim bin Khalid az-Zanjee and they are both weak narrators as Ibn Hajar says in at-Taqreeb. In addition to this, the narration speaks only of Sha'baan in general and mentions nothing concerning the 15th of that month so there is no proof in this for those who seek to single out this night. There is a similar narration in an-Nasaa'ee (4/no.201).
Dr. Muhammad al – Jibaly said: The hadeeth indicates that this night surely has a special merit, and only Allaah knows its reason. The hadeeth, however, does not call to performing any special acts of worship during this night or the following day. It merely calls to eliminating all shirk and hatred from among the Muslims in order to deserve Allaah’s immense forgiveness.
Thus, people’s celebration of the 15th of Sha’baan by gathering together for a long prayer in which Soorat ul – Ikhlaas is recited one thousand times, by fasting the following day, etc – these are innovated acts of worship that are rejected in Islaam.
We should note that, in the above hadeeth, the Prophet (peace be upon him) indicated that Allaah, the Most High, does not forgive on this night those who have a quarrel with others. How, then, about a person who deviates from the Sunnah and establishes bid’ahs, thereby declaring a quarrel against the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself? How would such a person be forgiven?[7]
Allaah’s descending to the first heaven does not only happen on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan, rather it is proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that Allaah descends to the first heaven every night , in the last third of the night. The night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan is included in this general meaning.
Narrated Aboo Hurayrah (may Allah be please with him): Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said, "Our Lord, the Blessed, the Superior, comes every night down on the nearest Heaven to us when the last third of the night remains, saying: "Is there anyone to invoke Me, so that I may respond to invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me, so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness, so that I may forgive him?" [8]
Hence, when ‘Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak [one of the illustrious teachers of Imaam Bukhaari] was asked about the descent of Allaah on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan, he said to the one who asked him: “O weak one! The night of the fifteenth?! He descends every night!” [9]
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