17. THE VIRTUES OF SHA'BAN

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THE VIRTUES OF SHA’BAN Sha‘ban )‫ ( َشعْ َبان‬is the 8th month consisting of 29 days in Islamic calendar. The word means “scattered.” The expression ‫َّب ْال َق ْو ُم‬ َ ‫َت َشع‬ means “people dispersed.” The word shu‘bah originally means “a group of people, ‫فِرْ َقة‬.” Now it means “section, division, department.”

In this month the Arabs in the past scattered searching for water.

It is reclommended that we do much fasting in the month of Sha‘bān following the examples of Prophet Muhamad s.a.w. There are many ḥadīths (traditions of the Prophet) stating that the Prophet s.a.w. fasted the whole month of Sha‘bān, whereas others say that he fasted most of the days of this month, as follows: َّ ‫صلَّى‬ ْ ‫َعنْ أُم َس َل َم َة رضي هللا عنها َقا َل‬ ُ ‫ َما َرأَي‬: ‫ت‬ ‫هللا ُ َع َل ْي ِه‬ ِ َّ ‫ْت َرسُو َل‬ َ ‫هللا‬ ‫ضا ن‬ َ ‫ان ِب َر َم‬ َ ‫ان يَصِ ُل َشعْ َب‬ َ ‫ْن إِال أَ َّن ُه َك‬ َ ‫َو َسلَّ َم‬ ِ ‫ْن ُم َت َت ِاب َعي‬ ِ ‫صا َم َشه َْري‬ )‫(رواه أحمد وأبو داود والنسائي وابن ماجه‬ Ummu Salamah r.a. said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. fast two consecutive months apart from the fact that he used to join Sha‘bān and Ramaḍān.” (Reported by Ahmad, Abū Dā’ūd, al-Nasā’ī, and Ibn Mājah) ‘Ā’ishah r.a. said, ،‫ان‬ َ ‫صلَّى هللاُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم َيصُو ُم َشهْرً ا أَ ْك َث َر مِنْ َشعْ َب‬ َ ‫لَ ْم َي ُك ِن ال َّن ِبي‬ )‫ان ُكلَّ ُه (رواه البخاري‬ َ ‫ان َيصُو ُم َشعْ َب‬ َ ‫َفإِ َّن ُه َك‬ The Prophet s.a.w. did not fast in a month more than his fasting in Sha‘bān, for he fasted the whole month of Sha‘bān (Reported by Bukhārī) These ḥadīths indicates that the Prophet fasted the whole month of Sha‘bān. But other ḥadīths indicate that he fasted most of the days of Sha‘bān, among which are as follows: َّ ‫ت َعا ِئ َش َة َرضِ َي‬ ُ ‫ َسأ َ ْل‬: ‫َعنْ أَ ِبي َسلَ َم َة َقا َل‬ ‫هللا‬ ِ َّ ‫ُول‬ ِ ‫هللا ُ َع ْن َها َعنْ صِ َي ِام َرس‬ َّ ‫صلَّى‬ ْ َ‫ َف َقال‬، ‫هللا ُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم‬ ‫ َو ُي ْفطِ ُر َح َّتى‬، ‫صا َم‬ َ ‫ان َيصُو ُم َح َّتى َنقُو َل َق ْد‬ َ ‫ َك‬: ‫ت‬ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ْ ُ َ ، ‫ان‬ َ ‫صا ِئمًا مِنْ َشهْر َقط أكث َر مِنْ صِ َيا ِم ِه مِنْ َشعْ َب‬ َ ُ‫ َول ْم أ َره‬، ‫َنقو َل َق ْد أفط َر‬ .)‫ان إِال َقلِيال (رواه مسلم‬ َ ‫ان َيصُو ُم َشعْ َب‬ َ ‫ َك‬، ‫ان ُكلَّ ُه‬ َ ‫ان َيصُو ُم َشعْ َب‬ َ ‫َك‬ Abu Salamah said: “I asked ‘Aa’ishah r.a. about the fasting

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of the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. and she said: ‘He used to fast until we thought that he would always fast, then he would not fast until we thought that he would always not fast, but I never saw him fast in any month more than he fasted in Sha‘bān. He used to fast all of Sha‘bān, and he used to fast all of Sha‘bān apart from a few days.’” (Reported by Muslim) َّ ‫َعنْ َعا ِئ َش َة َرضِ َي‬ ْ َ‫ َقال‬،‫هللا ُ َع ْن َها‬ " ‫صلَّى هللاُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم‬ ِ َّ ‫ان َرسُو ُل‬ َ ‫هللا‬ َ ‫ َك‬:‫ت‬ ُ ‫ َف َما َرأَي‬،‫ الَ َيصُو ُم‬:‫ َو ُي ْفطِ ُر َح َّتى َنقُو َل‬،ُ‫ الَ ُي ْفطِ ر‬:‫َيصُو ُم َح َّتى َنقُو َل‬ ‫هللا‬ ِ َّ ‫ْت َرسُو َل‬ ‫ َو َما َرأَ ْي ُت ُه أَ ْك َث َر‬،‫ان‬ َ ‫ض‬ َ ‫صلَّى هللا ُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم اسْ َت ْك َم َل صِ َيا َم َشهْر إِ َّال َر َم‬ َ " )‫ان (رواه البخاري و مسلم‬ َ ‫صِ َيامًا ِم ْن ُه فِي َشعْ َب‬ Ā’ishah r.a. said: “The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and he did not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha‘bān (Reported by Bukhārī and Muslim( Based on the above traditions there are two different views: a. The Prophet fasted most of the days of Sha‘bān, but occasionally he fast the whole month of Sha‘bān. According to the traditionist and Qur’an commdentator al-Imām al-Ḥusayn al-Ṭībī (d. 743/1342) it is possible that he fasted the whole month of Sha‘bān, and in other occations he fasted most of the days of the month, so that people would not think that fasting in the whole month of Sha‘bān is also enjoined for Muslims besides Ranmaḍān. This is the view favoured by Shaykh ‘Abd al‘Azīz Ibn Bāz (d. 1999) in his fatwā. b. The Prophet fast most of the days of Sha‘bān, and he never fasted the whole month of Sha‘bān. The expression “he fasted the whole month of Sha‘bān” does not necessarily mean that he fasted the entire month, but this expression could also mean most of the days of Sha‘bān. It is like the expression, “he knows everything” if he knows many things, or “he does not know anything,” if he does not know many things. Ibn al-

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Mubārak (d. 181 AH) said, as reported by al-Tirmidhī, that it is linguisticly possible in Arabic expression to say that if someone fasted most of the days of the month, that he fasted the whole month. This is also the view of al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Rajab (d. 795/1393) and Abū l-Ḥasan al-Sindī (d. 1138/1726).

The argument of this view is the ḥadīths stating that the Prophet did not fast the whole month except Ramadan, among which are as follows: ‫هللا‬ ِ َّ َّ‫ َوال أَعْ لَ ُم َن ِبي‬: ‫عن عائشة رضي هللا عنها أنها قالت‬ َّ ‫صلَّى‬ ‫صلَّى لَ ْيلَ ًة‬ َ ‫ َوال‬، ‫آن ُكلَّ ُه فِي لَ ْيلَة‬ َ ْ‫هللا ُ َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم َق َرأَ ْالقُر‬ َ . )‫ان (رواه النسائي‬ َ ‫ض‬ َ ‫صا َم َشهْرً ا َكامِال َغي َْر َر َم‬ َ ‫ َوال‬، ‫ْح‬ ِ ‫إِلَى الصب‬ Ā’ishah r.a. said: “ I do not know that the Prophet of Allah s.a.w. recited the entire Qur’an in one night, or spent an entire night in prayer until dawn, or fasted an entire month apart from Ramaḍān.”

(Reported by al-Nasā’ī) َّ ‫صلَّى‬ َّ ‫ْن َعبَّاس َرضِ َي‬ َ ‫صا َم ال َّن ِبي‬ َ ‫ َما‬: ‫هللا ُ َع ْن ُه َما َقا َل‬ ُ ‫هللا‬ ِ ‫َعنْ اب‬ )‫ان (رواه البخاري ومسلم‬ َ ‫ض‬ َ ‫َعلَ ْي ِه َو َسلَّ َم َشهْرً ا َكامِال َقط َغي َْر َر َم‬ Ibn ‘Abbās r.a. said: “The Prophet s.a.w. never fasted any month in full apart from Ramaḍān.”

(Reported by al-Bukhārī and Muslim) Among the virtues and the wisdom behind fasting in Sha‘bān, as mentioned by al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Rajab are in the following ḥadīth: َّ ‫ َيا َرسُول‬: ‫ قُ ْلت‬: ‫َعنْ أ ُ َسا َمة بْن َزيْد َقا َل‬ ‫ لَ ْم أَ َرك َتصُو ُم مِنْ َشهْر‬، ‫هللا‬ ‫ك َشهْر َي ْغفُ ُل ال َّناس َع ْن ُه َبي َْن‬ َ ‫ َذ ِل‬: ‫ َقا َل‬، ‫مِنْ الشهُور َما َتصُوم مِنْ َشعْ َبان‬ ،‫ِين‬ َ ‫ َوه َُو َشهْر ُترْ َف ُع فِي ِه األَعْ َمال إِلَى َرب ْال َعالَم‬، ‫ضان‬ َ ‫َر َجب َو َر َم‬ )‫صائِم (رواه النسائي و أبوداءود‬ َ ‫َفأُحِب أَنْ يُرْ َف َع َع َملِي َوأَ َنا‬ Usāmah ibn Zayd said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah,I do not see you fasting in any month more than in Sha’bān.’ He said, ‘That is a month concerning which many people are heedless, between Rajab and Ramaḍān.

It is the month is which people’s deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds to be taken up whilst I am fasting.’

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(Reported by al-Nasā’ī and Abū Dā’ūd) According to Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah the wisdom behind the Prophet’s frequent fasting in Sha‘bān has many aspects, among which are as follows: a. The Prophet used to fast three days every month; he might have missed some months, and he made them up in Sha‘bān before doing the obligatory masting in of Ramaḍān. b. He did it to honour the obligatory fasting in Ramaḍān. It is like doing the recommended prayer before doing the obligatory one. c. It is the month in which people’s deeds are taken up to Allah, and he likes his deeds are taken up to Allah while he was fasting, as mentioned in the above ḥadīth.

The taking up of our deeds to Allah can be divided into three stages: a. daily, at the time of fajr (dawn), and ‘aṣr (late afternoon) prayers, as narrated by Abū Hurayrah, the Prophet s.a.w. said: ‫صالَ ِة ال َعصْ ِر‬ َ ‫ُون فِي‬ َ ‫ َو َيجْ َت ِمع‬،‫ار‬ َ ‫َي َت َعا َقب‬ ِ ‫ُون فِي ُك ْم َمالَ ِئ َكة ِباللَّي ِْل َو َمالَ ِئ َكة ِبال َّن َه‬ ‫ْف‬ َ ‫ َكي‬:‫ َف َيسْ أَل ُ ُه ْم َوه َُو أَعْ لَ ُم ِب ِه ْم‬،‫ِين َبا ُتوا فِي ُك ْم‬ َ ‫ ُث َّم َيعْ ُر ُج الَّذ‬،‫صالَ ِة ال َفجْ ِر‬ َ ‫َو‬ " ‫ون‬ َ ‫صل‬ َ ‫ َوأَ َت ْي َنا ُه ْم َو ُه ْم ُي‬،‫ون‬ َ ‫صل‬ َ ‫ َت َر ْك َنا ُه ْم َو ُه ْم ُي‬:‫ون‬ َ ُ ‫َت َر ْك ُت ْم عِ َبادِي؟ َف َيقُول‬ )‫(رواه البخاري و مسلم‬ Angels come after the other among you at night and in the day time, and they gather together at asr and dawn praying times, thenthe angels who stayed at night among you, would ascend, and Allah askes them (although He knew more about them): ‘How did you leave my servant?” They will say ‘We were leaving them while they were praying, and we came to them while they were praying.”

(Reported by Bukhārī and Muslim) b. weekly, on every Thursday evening, as narrated by Abū Hurayrah the Prophet s.a.w. said: ‫ َف َال ُي ْق َب ُل‬،ِ‫إِنَّ أَعْ َما َل َبنِي آ َد َم ُتعْ َرضُ ُك َّل َخمِيس لَ ْيلَ َة ْال ُج ُم َعة‬ )‫َع َم ُل َقاطِ ِع َرحِم )رواه أحمد‬

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The deeds of the children of Adam are exposed every Thursday night, and so the deeds of a person who breaks off his family relationship will not be accepted (Reported by Ahmad) c. yearly, in the month of Sha‘bān, as mentioned earlier in the above ḥadīth.

The voluntary fasting in Sha‘bān can be considered a kind of spiritual and physical warming up and training for the coming of the obligatory fasting in Ramadan. In the beginning of the days of fasting the body begins to consume its stored reserves of fats, proteins, and others to compensate its shortage because of lack of food. Some poisons flow in blood before the body gets rid of them with the leftovers. Consequently, the fasting man feels some symptoms of sickness, such as headache, weakness, ill-temper, etc. These symptoms will disappear after a few days of fasting when the hormones ratio in blood returns to their nature, and after the body has adjusted itself with the shortage of food in fasting.

It is also advisable for a person who fasts, especially recommended fasting, not to let people know that he is fasting, to avoid showing-off, because it is a secret between him and his Lord. It is said that some of the salaf (companions of the Prophet and people of later generation) fasted for forty-years without being known by anybody. He left home and went to the market with two pieces of bread which he gave away as charity. People at home thought that he ate the bread, whereas people in the market thought that he had taken his meal at home. The Prophet’s companions ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd and Qatādah advised the faster of recommended fasting to remove any sign of fasting from his body to keep his fasting secret.

Although it is recommended to fast in Sha‘bān, fasting one or two days before Ramaḍān is not recommended. Narrated by Abū Hurayrah that the Prophet s.a.w. said: ‫ون‬ َ ‫ إِالَّ أَنْ َي ُك‬،‫ْن‬ َ ‫ض‬ َ ‫الَ َت َق َّدمُوا َشه َْر َر َم‬ ِ ‫ان ِبصِ َيام َق ْب َل ُه ِب َي ْوم أَ ْو َي ْو َمي‬ )‫ (رواه الترمذي وأحمد‬.‫ص ْم ُه‬ ُ ‫ص ْومًا َف ْل َي‬ َ ‫ان َيصُو ُم‬ َ ‫َرجُل َك‬

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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 (Reported by al-Tirmidhī and Aḥmad) Therefore, a person who has a habit of fasting on Monday and Thursday can fast them even at the end of Sha‘bān.

Many ḥadīths emphasize the merits of fasting in the month of Sha‘bān, especially the first half of it, including the 15th day of it where its night should be spent in prayers and other forms of worship. Muslim scholars give many names for the night of the midst of Sha‘bān due to its virtues, such as: “the blessed night” ‫(اللَّ ْيلَ ُة‬ )‫ار َكة‬ َ ‫ ْال ُم َب‬, “the night of atonement” )‫(لَ ْيلَ ُة ال َّت ْك ِف ْير‬, “the night of forgiveness” )‫(لَ ْيلَ ُة ْال ُغ ْف َران‬, “the night of intercession”)‫)ليلة ال َّش َفا َعة‬, “the night of the acceptance of supplication” )‫إلجا َبة‬ َ ‫(لَ ْيلَ ُة ْا‬, and “the night of life” )‫لح َياة‬ َ ‫(لَ ْيلَ ُة ْا‬.

In conclusion: Although the ḥadīths relating the virtues of fasting on the 15th of Sha‘bān are weak, it can be done as a measure of precaution, not taken as Sunnah, but as an advisable practice.

Muslim scholars, such as al-Nawawī, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, Ibn alMubārak, Sufyān al-Thawrī, and Abū Zakariyyā al-‘Anbarī agree that it is possible to accept weak ḥadīths and act upon them, as long as they do not contain injunction or prohibition, or making ḥalāl what is ḥarām, and vice-versa, but rather the virtues of good deeds.

(CIVIC, 22 May, 2015) Bibliography: al-Maktabah al-Shāmilah http://en.islamway.net/article/12087/the-virtues-of-shaban http://islamqa.info/en/13729 http://www.saaid.net/mktarat/12/8-21.htm http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?137694-A-Nightof-excellence-in-the-Month-of-Shaban http://web.macam.ac.il/~tawfieq/mqalat-0011.htm )‫(شهر شعبان ماذا فيه ؟للعالمة السيد الدكتور محمد علوي المالكي الحسني‬