The night of 15 Shaban is one of the most important nights for Muslims, where they ask Allah for forgiveness and mercy. Although, several narrations talked about the virtue of the night of the middle of Sha’ban and its privacy and virtue.
Some of these narrations are considered correct by some scholars, and some of them are weak and not taken into account. But most of them agreed on its virtues and importance for Muslims, so let’s discuss these benefits in this article.
The month of Shaban
The month of Shaban is one of the Hijri months, and it is the month that precedes the blessed month of Ramadan.
The Arabs called the month of Shaban; Because they were bifurcating or dispersed in the land in search of water, and it was said that they spread out to fight and raids after they abstained from it in the sacred months.
There have been narrations regarding the virtue of the month of Shaban and the virtue of the night of 15 Shaban in particular, some of which are true and some are not true.
and in the following details Talking about the virtue of this night and the virtue of the month of Shaban in Islam, with an indication of the validity of these narrations.
When is the night of 15 Shaban 2023?
According to the Islamic calendar, the night of the 15th sha’ban is expected to be on the evening of the 7th of March 2023.
About the night of 15 Shaban
The night of 15 Shaban is the night in which Muslims seek forgiveness from Allah. The Shaban month itself is a month in which good deeds are raised and brought to light by Allah.
So, on this night many Muslims pray asking for forgiveness and blessings paves the path to Jannah. Also, Muslims can fast on the 15th of Shaban, but at the same time, it is not obligatory for everyone to fast.
Many Muslims in south-Asian communities call the night of 15 Shaban “Shab-e-Barat”. In English, it means “night of forgiveness or night of salvation. In other countries, they refer to the night of the 15th of Shaban as “Laylat al-Baraat or Laylat En-Nisf.
Significance of the night of 15 Shaban
Shaban is the eighth month in the Islamic calendar which is attributed to the noble Prophet of God. However, based on some reports, the fifteenth day of this month is considered an important date due to some of these reasons:
- Its eve is second to the night of majesty (Laylat al-Qadr) in terms of virtue and the superabundant blessings therein.
- It is one of the special days of the year when the supererogatory fast is highly recommended.
- It is known for the acceptance of the requests of the supplicants. On this day according to a report, the legitimate requests of every servant of God will be granted, and no request of the supplicants will go unanswered, so far it is legitimate and to their advantage.
- It is a period when the sins of those of His servants who sincerely turn to Him in repentance shall be pardoned.
- Many Muslims around the world consider the night of the 15th of Shaban as one of the greatest nights of the year for Ibadah.
- The significance of this night depends on the belief that our deeds will be raised by Allah S.W.T on this day.
So it is a good opportunity for all Muslims to seek Allah’s mercy and forgiveness for past and future sins. Also, many Muslims in this night believe that Allah SWT will bring down people’s fate from the heavens for the next year.
So whatever they believe, most Muslim scholars agree on the virtues of the night of 15 Shaban and its importance in Islam.
How Muslims celebrate the night of 15 Shaban
Based on the previous importance of the night of the 15 Shaban, many Muslims celebrate this night hoping to have blessings and mercy from Allah.
For that reason, many Muslims spend this night in any kind of worship like praying or reading the Quran, whether doing it individually in their home or with other Muslims in the Mosques during night prayers.
Many Muslims also believe that on the night of 15 Shaban sins will be forgiven except for those who have hatred or grudges in their hearts towards other Muslims.
So the night of 15 Shaban can be a good opportunity for Muslims and communities to come together, asking for forgiveness and mercy from Allah. Also, Muslims celebrate this night through the following:
Celebrate the night of 15 Shaban through Sadaqah
There is no worship more virtuous on the 15th of Shaban than helping our Muslim brothers and sisters who need help across the world.
And the prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him advised us to help any Muslim in trouble and in return, Allah will relieve his troubles in the Hereafter.
Sadaqah can also be a voluntary charitable act towards others, it can be through generosity, love, compassion, or faith. It may not be necessarily physical or monetary. An easy deed such as a smile, or a helping hand, is seen as an act of Sadaqah.
Making Dua asking Allah for forgiveness
On this night, many Muslims make Dua asking Allah for forgiveness and mercy. Some of these Duas are as follows:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفوٌّ تحِبُّ العَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَني (1)
Allahumma innaka afuwwun tuhibbul afwa fa fu annee “Oh Allah, You are the Forgiving one and you love forgiveness, so forgive me”
رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا
Rabbana la tuakhizna in nasīna aw akh ta’na “Our Lord! Take us not to task if we forget or fall into an error”
Fasting on the night of 15 Shaban
Fasting is one of the virtuous acts of worship, so it is recommended to gain Allah’s pleasure through this kind of worship.
Most importantly, Shaban is the month that the Prophet Muhammad Peace be upon him used to fast more frequently than any other month. So there is nothing better than following the actions of the Prophet P.B.U.H and fasting during Shaban.
For that reason, we Muslims shall seek Allah’s forgiveness and mercy on the night of 15 Shaban, and do good deeds to please Allah S.W.T.
