Common Innovations in the Month of Sha‘ban7 min read

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Common Innovations in the Month of Sha‘ban

There are many innovations associated with the fifteenth of Sha‘ban, and it is regrettable that they continue to increase day by day.

Table of Contents

Some of them are as follows:

Visiting Graveyards on the Night of the Fifteenth of Sha‘ban

On the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban, many people visit graveyards. In preparation for this night, some people repair broken graves, apply plaster and lime, then light incense sticks and candles on the graves, and decorate them with lights, illuminating the entire graveyard. However, if a person’s grave is not illuminated by correct belief and righteous deeds, then what benefit will this temporary, artificial light provide?

Thus, people specifically visit graveyards on this night and present a narration as evidence. It is reported in Sunan al-Tirmidhi from Aisha (رضي الله عنها):

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَرْطَاةَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ فَقَدْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيْلَةً فَخَرَجْتُ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِالْبَقِيعِ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ أَكُنْتِ تَخَافِينَ أَنْ يَحِيفَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكِ وَرَسُولُهُ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّكَ أَتَيْتَ بَعْضَ نِسَائِكَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏”‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَنْزِلُ لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ الدُّنْيَا فَيَغْفِرُ لأَكْثَرَ مِنْ عَدَدِ شَعْرِ غَنَمِ كَلْبٍ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ عَائِشَةَ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ الْحَجَّاجِ ‏.‏ وَسَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدًا يُضَعِّفُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ وَقَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنْ عُرْوَةَ وَالْحَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَرْطَاةَ لَمْ يَسْمَعْ مِنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ ‏.‏

Aishah narrated: “I could not find the Messenger of Allah one night. So I left and found him at Al-Baqi. He said: ‘Did you fear that you had been wronged by Allah and His Messenger?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! I thought that you had gone to one of your wives.’ So he said: ‘Indeed Allah, Mighty and Sublime is He, descends to the lowest Heavens during the night of the middle of Sha’ban, to grant forgiveness to more than the number of hairs on the sheep of (Banu) Kalb.'” (Jami` at-Tirmidhi)

This narration is related to the fifteenth of Sha‘ban. Based on this hadith, people clean graveyards on the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban, install lights and decorations there, and both men and women visit the graveyards together on this night. However, the mentioned hadith is weak, so it should not be acted upon. Visiting graves is Sunnah at any time, but specifying a particular date for it is an innovation (Bid‘ah). Moreover, visiting with free mixing of men and women and turning graveyards into places of festivity is also not permissible.

Fireworks

The amount of money spent on innovations and baseless practices in Sha‘ban—if it were spent in charity during the blessed month of Ramadan—would bring relief to many poor people and serve as a ذخیرہ for the Hereafter. But those who prefer wastefulness (which is a satanic act) choose fireworks in Sha‘ban instead of charity in Ramadan.

As soon as the month of Sha‘ban begins, firecrackers start being used. Just imagine how much wasteful spending occurs from that time throughout the month of Sha‘ban. On the night of the fifteenth, there is no limit to fireworks. Apart from financial loss, there are also physical harms caused by it.

Allama Abdul Hayy Lucknawi said:

“The activities performed in Rajab and Sha‘ban (such as specific prayers, sweets like halwa, fireworks, etc.) are among innovations.”
(Fatawa Abdul Hayy Hanafi, p. 110)

Special Foods and the Belief of Spirits Returning

Among the innovations of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban is the preparation of various foods, such as halwa and puri and different types of dinners. These are distributed among the poor and needy, and it is believed that spirits come back; therefore, Fatiha is recited for them. Some even believe that if halwa and puri are not prepared on this day, the spirits will become displeased.

Fixing a specific date for cooking food, distributing it among the poor on that date, reciting Fatiha over it, and dedicating the reward of that food to the dead—these are all innovative practices. It should be understood that after death, souls do not return to this world. There are many verses in the Qur’an that indicate this, as Allah says:

لَعَلِّىٓ أَعْمَلُ صَـٰلِحًۭا فِيمَا تَرَكْتُ ۚ كَلَّآ ۚ إِنَّهَا كَلِمَةٌ هُوَ قَآئِلُهَا ۖ وَمِن وَرَآئِهِم بَرْزَخٌ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ ١٠٠

so that I may act righteously in that (world) which I have left behind.” Never! It is simply a word he utters, and in front of such people there is a barrier till the day when they will be resurrected. (23:100)

The Concept of Shab-e-Barat

Many people refer to the fifteenth of Sha‘ban as Shab-e-Barat, whereas calling the fifteenth of Sha‘ban by this name is incorrect. The virtues that are commonly attributed to this night actually belong to Laylat al-Qadr in the blessed month of Ramadan.

Regarding this night, some people hold the belief that all those who will be born or die in the coming year are decreed on this night, that the sustenance of all creation is written, that lifespans are increased, and that sins are forgiven. For this reason, people celebrate this night, stay awake throughout it, perform specific types of prayers, and even narrate fabricated and invented hadiths regarding the virtues of these prayers.

The term “the blessed night” (Al-Laylah al-Mubarakah) does not refer to the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban; rather, it refers to Laylat al-Qadr. Allah says:

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةٍۢ مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِينَ ٣

We have sent it down in a blessed night, (because) We had to warn (people). (44:3)

Allah the Exalted revealed the Qur’an on the Blessed Night, that is, Laylat al-Qadr, as He says in another place:

إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ ٱلْقَدْرِ ١

We have sent it (the Qur’ān) down in the Night of Qadr. (97:1)

The distribution of matters such as sustenance and lifespan also takes place on Laylat al-Qadr, not on the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban.

In light of the statements of the scholars, it has become clear that neither from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) nor from the noble Companions (رضي الله عنهم) is anything established regarding the virtue of the first Friday night of Rajab or the fifteenth night of Sha‘ban. This shows that gathering for special acts of worship on these nights is an innovation (Bid‘ah), a newly introduced practice in Islam.

Similarly, the 27th of Rajab, which some people believe to be the night of Isra and Mi‘raj, should not be specified for special acts of worship or celebrated, based on the aforementioned evidences. Even if it were known to be the exact night of Isra and Mi‘raj, it would still not justify specifying it for particular acts of worship—let alone the fact that the exact date itself is not definitively known. Those who claim that the night of Mi‘raj is on the 27th of Rajab have a baseless and unfounded opinion, which has no proof from authentic hadith.

Innovations in the Month of Sha‘ban

Holding gatherings on the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban in mosques:

Gathering in mosques to perform Qiyam al-Layl collectively and making collective supplications.
Assembling in mosques to perform specific prescribed prayers, such as praying one hundred rak‘ahs while reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas one thousand times.
Making specific supplications on the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban, such as “Allahumma ya dhal-mann wa la yumann…” etc.
Specifically تخصیص (assigning special importance) to Qiyam al-Layl on the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban and fasting during its day.
Going to graveyards specifically on the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban to visit graves.
Giving charity in the month of Sha‘ban on behalf of the souls of the deceased.
Arranging Qur’an recitations in Sha‘ban with the intention of conveying reward (Isal al-Thawab).
Repairing, plastering, and decorating graves one or two days before the fifteenth of Sha‘ban.
Cooking different types of sweets (halwa) specifically on the fifteenth of Sha‘ban.
Considering it as a festival for the dead. Some people believe that if a person dies before Shab-e-Barat and until halwa, puri, and bread are prepared and Fatiha is recited on that night, he is not counted among the deceased.
Believing that if halwa or similar food is not prepared on the fifteenth of Sha‘ban, the souls of the dead come and lick the walls and then leave.
Illuminating the night of the fifteenth of Sha‘ban with lights, fireworks, decorations, offering flowers, lighting incense, etc.—these are customs of fire-worshippers and Hindus.

One should strive to avoid all these evils. Rather, one should focus only on those actions and individual acts of worship that are authentically established from the hadiths regarding this night.

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Umme Muhammad

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