Mid Sha'Baan Proofs

8/22/2019 Mid Sha'Baan Proofs

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The Authenticity of Celebrating the 15thof Shaban.Is there a verse in the Qurn that refers to the 15thof Shabn?Some of the early generation of scholars believed the following verses to refer to the15th of Shabn. However, the majority of scholars held the position that these versesreferred to the Night of Destiny (laylah al-qadr).

Ha Mim. By the clear Book, We have sent it down in a blessed night. We are everwarning. Therein every wise bidding is distributed, a bidding from Us. We are eversending as a mercy from your Lord. Surely He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.1

Ibn Abbs says that this means Allah decrees everything that will occur until the Day ofResurrection. The book refers to the Qurn and it was descended down on the Night ofDestiny, which is position of the majority of the scholars of exegesis. The opinion ofIkrimah and a few others was that it referred to the Night of Atonement (barah).

(Qurub:) The blessed night is the Night of Divine Decree (laylah al-qadr). It has alsobeen said that it is the 15th of Shabn. This night has four names: The Blessed Night(because of the mercy, blessing, good, pardoning and forgiveness that rains down onthe people of the earth), the Night of Exemption (because the wretched are exemptedfrom Gods mercy and the righteous are exempted from His forsaking them (al-

khidhln), the Night of Sealing (a-akk), (because the doors are closed to anyinterference to what is to be ordained that coming year), and the Night of Destiny.(Swadded the Night of Mercy.) It has also been described as the Blessing for this isthe night when God sends His blessing, good and reward to his servants.

(Ibn Kathr:) Those who said that it (the Blessed Night) was the 15th of Shabn werewide of the mark.

(Ikrimah:) The Blessed Night here is the night of the 15 th of Shabn. In this night theaffairs of that year are confirmed and it is transcribed who amongst the living shallpass away, and who will make the pilgrimage and they shall not exceed nor fall below

this number.

Although the strongest opinion is that the verse above does not address the 15 th ofShabn, there is no doubt that this night is a blessed and virtuous time.

1Qurn: 44:1-5


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Are things decreed for the coming year on this night?There are traditions that suggest there is a day in this month in which Allah manifeststo the angels whose soul shall be taken. This is one of the reasons why the Messenger ofAllah fasted profusely in this month in order that his worship coincide with that

blessed day:

ishah, may God be pleased with her, relates: The Messenger of God would fast sooften that we would assume he never ceases and then he would eat whereby we wouldassume he never fasts. I never saw the Messenger of God fast a whole month exceptRaman, and I never saw him fast quite like he did in Shabn.2

One day she asked him why he used to fast so often in this month and he replied:

O ishah, it is a month in which it is transcribed for the Angel of Death the name ofevery soul that will be taken for the coming year; therefore I desire that my name not

be transcribed except that I am fasting.3

Shabn is a month that lies between Rajab and Raman and people are heedless of itsvirtue. In this month the servants deeds are taken to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love

to have my deeds taken whilst I am fasting.4

However, there are no authoritative traditions that explicitly mention it being the 15 thShabn. There are a number of weak tradition, however:

In this night, it is decreed which children will be born from amongst the children ofAdam in this year and therein is decreed who will die from amongst them. In this night

their acts ascend and their provision descends.5

2 A tradition related by Bukhr3 A sound tradition related by Ab Yal4A rigorously authenticated tradition related by AbDwd, Nis, Bayhaq, and Abd ar-Razzq

5A very weak tradition related by Bayhaq


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On the night of the 15th Shabn, Allah reveals to the Angel of Death every soul He

wishes to take in that year.6

Verily Allah appoints His decree on the night of the 15th Shabn and submits it to

those responsible on the Night of Power.7

The majority of the scholars rejected that anything is decreed on this night as itopposes what has come to us in the Qur n that the night of decree is the Night ofPower (laylah al-qadr) as stated by Ibn Rajab. They did not accept these traditions asthey are weak. However, some of the scholars conjoined between the apparent

contradictory narrations and stated that Allah decrees what is to happen that year inthe Preserved Tablet (lawmaf) on the 15th Shabn and then submits the decree tothe angels on the Night of Power (laylah al-qadr). The words of Allah below seem tosuggest this:

Therein every wise bidding is distributed.

That is because He did not say determined. Rather, He said distributed i.e. distributed totheir respective angel and not decreed for that is on the night of the 15 th Shabn asstated by Abdullh b. Muammad al-Ghumr.

(Zamakhshar:) It has been said that the determined affairs which are transcribed fromthe Preserved Tablet (lawmaf) begin from the Night of Exemption and end on theNight of Divine Decree. That which is transcribed with regard to provision is taken tothe Archangel Michael, that which is transcribed of wars is taken to the ArchangelGabriel, that which is transcribed of earthquakes, lightening strikes, splits in the earthand deeds is taken to Isrfl, the angel of the lowest heavens and who is a mighty angel,and the transcript of afflictions is taken to the Angel of Death.(Mubrakfr:) There is no dispute that on the night of the 15th of Shabn there areaffairs which are ordained as Prophetic Traditions explicitly state; rather the dispute iswhether it is the night intended by the verse.

6A weak tradition related by Daynr

7 A weak tradition related by Ab a-u


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What does it mean by the ascension of acts?The Messenger of Allah said:

Shabn is a month that lies between Rajab and Raman and people are heedless of itsvirtue. In this month the servants deeds are taken to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love

to have my deeds taken whilst I am fasting.8

This ascension of acts is not specific to Sha bn. This occurs in many days throughoutthe year:

i) The angels of the night take up the acts of the night at dawn break.ii) The angels of the day take the acts of the day just after the sun sets.9iii) The Prophet used to pray 4 units of prayer just after zenith because from that time

until the uhr prayer is prayed is a time when the gates of heaven are opened up and sohe wished to carry out works of righteousness in that time or due to those units ofprayer the gates are opened.10

iv) On Mondays and Thursdays, ones deeds are displayed before Allah and so Allahforgives for every man who does not associate partners with Him unless he holdsmalice in his heart towards his fellow brother until he makes up with him.11 Therefore,the Prophet used to love to fast these days because his deeds would be presented.

Ab alah relates from Ibn Abbs that everything one has said of good and bad isrecorded down even to the extent your saying: I have eaten. I have drunk. I have gone.

I have come. I have seen. Then on Thursday, ones words and deeds of good and badare affirmed and the rest is put to the side.12 Ibn Rajab al-anbali remarked:

This indicates that Thursdays displaying of actions is unique to the other times.Ibrhm an-Nakhaand his wife used to weep with one another on Thursday. He wouldsay to her, Today our actions are being displayed before Allah mighty and majestic.Therefore, there is a presentation of acts on these two days (Monday and Thursday)that is unique to the general presentation of act every day.13

Therefore, we can say that the displaying of acts on the night of the 15 th Shabn is aspecific display that relates to ones deeds throughout the year, and Allah knows best.

8A rigorously authenticated tradition related by AbDwd, Nis, Bayhaq, and Abd ar-Razzq

9 A tradition related by Muslim10A tradition related by Tirmidh, Amad, Ibn Mjah and Ab Dwd: Abdullah Sirj ad-Dn mentionsthat one should strive to pray this prayer at the beginning of uhr and not be distracted from it byworldly affairs11 A tradition related by Muslim12A tradition related by Ibn Abtim and others

13Laif al-marifp. 165, Dr al-Bayn al-Arab, 2005, Cairo, Egypt.


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What is special about the 15thShabn?Mubrakfr: Know that there are numerous traditions which relate the virtue of the15th of Shabn. Their number indicates that the virtue of this night has a basis (in the

religion). (He then goes onto relate numerous traditions related to its virtue) Thesetraditions, in their body, are enough evidence against anyone claiming there is no basisfor specifying this night as virtuous and God knows best.

It is a night wherein Allah forgives copious amounts of His creation for theirwrongdoings and opens up the doors for change and new opportunities exceptdisbelievers and people who commit major sin. It is a night when mercy, blessing, good,pardoning and forgiveness descends for the people of the earth. It is said that the nightvigil expatiates the sins of that year just like the night vigil on the eve of Fridayexpiates the sins of that week and on the Night of Power ( laylah al-qadr) expiates thesins of ones entire life.

Verily Allah most High gazes out on the 15th of Shabn and forgives all His creation

except for a idolater and one who has malice in his heart towards a fellow believer andbring disharmony between his fellow brethren.14

Verily Allah gazes upon His slaves on the 15 th Shabn and forgives the believers, gives

respite to the disbelievers and leaves the people who hold malice in their hearts withtheir malice until they leave it aside.15

In a tradition related by Muadh b. Jabal, it is said that the Messenger of God said:

God all-Mighty descends on the Night of the Fifteenth of Shabn to the lowest heavenand forgives every believer except for a polytheist, one who has malice in his heart

towards a fellow believer and bring disharmony between his fellow brethren, one whocuts family ties, or a woman who sells her body.16

14 A weak tradition related by Ibn ibbnand abarn15 A sound tradition related by al-Bayhaqand abarn16A weak tradition related by a-abarn, Ibn ibbn, Ibn Mjah and at-Tirmidh with differingexpressions


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Gabriel came to me and said: This is the night of the 15

th

Shabn and therein Godemancipates the number of people destined for the Hellfire equivalent to the numberof hairs on the sheep of the Tribe of Kalb. However, he does not look upon an idolater,one who sows dissention amongst the people, one who has cut his ties with his family,he who hang his garment below his ankle, he who disobeys his parents, and he who is

an alcoholic.17

(w:) God granted His Messenger full intercession for his community on this night.He asked on the 13th and was granted a third, he asked on the 14 th and was granted twothirds and on the 15th he was granted full intercession except for those who wander farfrom God like the wandering of the camel.

This corresponds to what Imam Nawaw mentioned in his Majm, where he alsoquoted Imm al-Shfifrom the latters al-Ummthat it has reached him that there are5 nights when supplication is answered, one of them being the night of the 15th ofShabn. The others being the night of Friday, the night of 1st Rajab, and the nights ofthe two Eids. There are many other narrations from the Companions and early Muslimsconfirming this matter, as mentioned by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbal in his Laif al-Marif,and others.

Some said on this night everyone who has performed a (good) deed is granted itsblessing by having his praise placed on the tongues of Creation.

Who does not benefit from this night?In addition to the people mentioned in the tradition mentioned above there is atradition related to Al, that those who do not benefit from this night are those whopractice magic, fortune telling, divination, poetry, oppresses people through unjusttaxes and policing, or someone who plays a long drum or mandolin. Amad also relatesthat one who has taken another soul will not be forgiven. Therefore, we can extrapolatefrom these traditions that one who commits enormities on this night or prior it and hasnot repented or made amends will not be forgiven. One of the most important acts isthat one has a heart free of ill feeling towards others. Ibn Rajab said:

One of the righteous from amongst the early generations said: The most virtuous ofacts is having a sound heart free of ill feeling, generous soul, and wishing good(naah) for the community. Through these qualities those who attained did so, notthrough copious amongst of self-mortification in fasting and prayer.18

17A weak tradition related by al-Bayhaq

18Laif al-marifp. 183, Dr al-Bayn al-Arab, 2005, Cairo, Egypt.


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Can we act upon these traditions despite them being weak?There is general consensus that weak traditions may be acted upon for virtuous acts,such as voluntary fasting and prayer, as long as the traditions are not excessively weak,

returns to a general basis in the Divine Law, and one is not convinced that the Prophet specifically prescribed it.

What should one do on this night?It is clearly stated in the works of the Schools of Law that it is recommended to worshipon this night. Even Ibn Taymiyyah says this. Imm akafsaid in his Durr al-Mukhtr,one of the primary references in the anafSchool:

Among the recommended [prayers] are on. . . . the nights of the two Eids, the middleof Shabn, the last ten of Ramadan, and the first [ten] of Dh al-ijjah.

Ibn Taymiyyah was asked about the prayer of mid-Sha bn [i.e. the night of]. Heanswered:

If a person prays that night alone, or in a select congregation, as many groups of theearly Muslims used to do, it is very good.19

It is a night when one should spend the night in prayer and beseech Allah for onesneeds and seek His forgiveness. It is related from ishah:

When it was the fifteenth of Sha bn, the Prophet left my bed and by God my bedwas not from any form of silk or wool. Urwah asked, God exalted! Then what was itmade from? The warp was of silk and the weft was from hair. I assumed he had gone toone of his other wives; therefore I got up to look for him in the room and my hand fellupon his feet whilst he was in prayer.In one relation she says that he prolonged his prostration until I thought God has takenhis soul. She went up to him and touched his thumb and he moved and she moved back.When he finished his prayer, he turned to her and said: O ishah O Fair Maiden did you think that the Prophet had cheated on you? She replied, No, but rather Ithough that your soul had been taken because you spent so long in your prostration.Do you know what night this is? He asked. She said, Allah and His Messenger knowbest. This is the Night of 15th of Shabn, Allah looks upon His slaves on the night ofthe 15th and forgives for those asking for His forgiveness and those asking for Hismercy, and gives respite to those who hold malice as long as they are upon what theyare.20

19 Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Fatw al-Kubr, 2;222-138

20A weak tradition related by al-Bayhaq


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He continued to stand and sit in prayer until the morning and his feet had swollen and Ifelt them, saying, By my own mother and father, has Allah not forgiven any sin thatcould come of you both past and future? Has not Allah done so? He replied, Oishah, should I not be a grateful servant? Do you know what this night holds? What

does it hold? I asked. In this night all the children who are to be born are decreed, whowill pass away, peoples provision, and all their deeds acts are taken up. Then I asked,O Messenger of God, does no-one enter Paradise except through Gods mercy? Hesaid, No-one. Not even you? I asked. He said, Not unless God immerses me in Hismercy. And then he wiped his hands over his head and face.

There are some scholars who recommended praying 100 cycles of prayer:

w: It has been related that whoever prays 100 cycles of prayer on this night, Godshall send one hundred angels to him. Thirty shall guard him from the punishment ofthe Fire, thirty others shall guard him from tribulation in this world and ten shall guard

him from the deceptions of the Devil.

However, the majority of scholars considered it blameworthy to stipulate a specificnumber of prayers to this night as nothing has come to us of authority. Imm Nawaw(in al-Majm), Imam Buht (in Kashshf al-Qin), Imam Shurunbull (in al-Shurunbulliyyah) and others have mentioned that prayers such as the 100-rakatPrayer of ar-Raghib are blameworthy innovations and come from fabricatedtraditions.

Spending the night in worship is said to be staying up most of the night in worship,although other scholars have said just one hour. Others have said just be determined to

pray Ish in congregation and Fajr in congregation and that will fulfill givinglife to the night.

As for reciting Ysn 3 times with in the intention of long life of blessing and gooddeeds, protection from illnesses, tribulation and extra provision, and that one s heartbe filled with God and no need besides Him and a good ending to ones life, there is noharm in having this intention.

Should one spend the night at home or in the mosque?Awz was of the opinion that one should spend the night alone and not congregate in

the mosque. Khlid b. Madn, Luqmn b. mir and Isq b. Rhuwayh were of theopinion one should gather in the mosque and they did not see it as an innovation. Theysued to dress their best, put kohl in their eyes and burn incense and spend the night inprayer.

In the anafSchool, it is disliked to perform non-obligatory prayers (besides tarw)in congregation, as well as to gather at the mosque for these special nights.


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As for gathering in the mosque for a particular fixed prayer, such as gathering for 100rakats in which 1,000 Qulhu wa Allahu Ahad are read every time, this is a reprehensibleinnovation, which none of the imams have allowed.

Shaykh Muammad b. Alawal-Mlik said:

The upshot is that spending this night awake in worship in this night is recommendeddue to the prophetic traditions that have been related. One can do this by performingprayers that are not set at a specific number, reciting Qurn individually, throughinvoking Allah most-High, supplicating and glorying Him, sending prayers upon theProphet in a group or as individuals, relating prophetic traditions and listening tothem, holding lessons and gatherings to explain and comment upon the relatedtraditions, speaking of the virtues of this night, attending this gatherings and givingyour ear to them and anything of this kin.21

Therefore, the best approach is to hold gatherings at the beginning of the night to

educate the people and make them aware of the merits of this night and how to makethe most of it and then the religious leaders should send them away to their homes sothat they can perform their individual worship until the end of the night.

Going to the graveyard on this night:It is related that the Messenger of Allah went out in this night to seek forgiveness forthe deceased at Baq:

The Messenger of Allah came to me and began to remove his clothing and then all ofa sudden he got up and got dressed again. I was taken by such jealousy, thinking that hewill go to one of my companions i.e. one of his other wives, and so I went out andfollowed him. There I found him at Baq al-Gharqadmaking seeking forgiveness for thebelieving men and women and the martyrs. I said to myself, By my father and mother,you fulfil a need of your Lord and I fulfil a worldly need! I quickly departed back to myquarters and I entered breathing heavily. The Messenger of Allah came back to meand asked, What is this heavy breathing, ishah? I replied, You came to me andbegan to remove your clothing and then all of a sudden you got up and got dressedagain. I was taken by such jealousy, thinking that you would go to one of mycompanions (i.e. one of his other wives), and so I went out and followed you and I foundyou at Baq al-Gharqaddoing what you were doing. He replied, ishah, did you thinkthat Allah and His Messenger would treat you unjustly? Gabriel came to me andsaid, This is the night of 15th Shabn. Herein, Allah frees people from the Fireequivalent to the number of hairs of the flocks of the Tribe of Kalb Then he took ofhis clothing and said, ishah, do you give me permission to stand this night inprayer? I replied, Yes, by my mother and father. Then he stood up in prayer andprostrated for such a long time that I thought his soul had been taken, so I got up to see

21What is in Shabn? (Mdha f Shabn) byMuammad b. Alawal-Mlik p. 85


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to him and my hands fell on the soles of his feet and he moved, so I became so happy. Iheard him say in his prostration:

I seek refuge in Your pardoning from Your punishment. I seek refuge in Yourcontentment from Your anger. I seek refuge in You from You. Exalted is Your

countenance! I cannot enumerate praise fitting for You. You are as You have praisedYourself. I say to You just as my brother David did: I rub my face in the soil before My

Master and He is most fit to prostrate to.

When I woke in the morning, I mentioned these words to him and he said, ishah,have you learnt them? I replied that I had. He said, Learn them and teach them to

others for Gabriel taught them to me and commanded me to repeat them inprostration.22

In another narration:

My vision and form have fallen into prostration before You and my heart believes inYou. Here is my hand and what it has committed of wrongs against my very self. O

Mighty One who is hoped for before every mighty thing. Forgive me this mighty sin. My

face falls into prostration before the One who created it and cleft open its hearing andsight.

Then he raised his head and said:

O Allah, provide me with a god-fearing heart free from idolatry and clean and dontmake me barefooted and wretched.23

There is a supplication that is attributed to Abdullah b. Masd and it commonly

recited on this night:

22A weak tradition related by Bayhaq

23A weak tradition related by Bayhaq


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O Beholder of favour and no favour is shown unto You! O Beholder of Majesty andGenerosity! O Beholder of Might and Bestowal of blessings! There is no god but You!

You are the foundation for the seekers of asylum! You are the protector for those whoseek refuge! You are the safety place for the fearful! If You have decreed for me in theBook of all books that I am damned, then erase the name of damnation from me andestablish me as felicitous before You, granted the ability to carry out all good for You

say in Your Book, Allah erases what He wills and establishes and with Him is the sourceof ordinance.24

Due to the weakness of this narration many of the scholars prefer to omit thementioning of the source of all ordinance because nothing in the source of ordinance(ummal-kitb) can be erased because Allah says:

Allah erases what He wills and establishes and with Him is the source of ordinance.25

O Beholder of favour and no favour is shown unto You! O Beholder of Majesty andGenerosity! O Beholder of Might and Bestowal of blessings! There is no god but You!

You are the foundation for the seekers of asylum! You are the protector for those whoseek refuge! You are the safety place for the fearful! If You have decreed for me in the

source of ordinance (ummal-kitb) that I am damned, rejected, straightened in myprovision, erase, Allah, my perdition, deprivation, rejection and straightened provision

and establish me as felicitous, blessed with provision and granted the ability to carryout all acts of goodness for You have said and Your word is truth - in Your revealedBook on the tongue of your sent Prophet, Allah erases what He wills and establishes

and with Him is the source of ordinance. O My God, by Your most magnificenttheophany on the night of the 15th in the most noble month of Shabn in which all

24A very weak tradition mentioned by Dhahab

25Qurn: 13/39


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matters are confirmed and settled, I ask you to remove from us all forms of tribulationthat we have knowledge of and what we have no knowledge of and of what you are

most knowledgable. Verily, You are the Mightiest and Most Noble and send prayersand peace be upon our liege-lord Muammad, his folk and Companions.

What if I cannot spend the whole night in prayer?If one is unable to perform anything beyond the obligatory ritual prayer due to illness,being engaged in other necessary activities, they should observe the following acts atthe very least:

i) Perform the Maghrib, sh and Fajr prayer in congregation in the mosque or in theirhome in case of their being sick.

ii) Persist in remembrance until they go to bediii) Supplicate to Allah to forgive them and fulfil their needs. One can do this even if bed

prone.

Women during their menstrual cycle cannot perform the ritual prayer or recite Qur n,but they can recite invocations, read prayers upon the Prophet and pray to Allah.

The power of supplication:

There is no Muslim who makes a supplication wherein there is no sin or cutting of tiesexcept that Allah grants him one of three things: either He hastens to answer him, Hestores it away for him until the next life, or He averts some harms from him equivalentto what he asked for. They asked, Should we not make plenty of supplication then?

He replied, By Allah do so!26

Nothing repels the Divine decree save supplication and nothing increases ones years

save piety.27

Can supplication repel fate?The Messenger of Allah said:

26A rigorously authenticate tradition related by Amad, Bazzr and Ab Yal

27A sound tradition relayed by Tirmidh


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Nothing repels destiny besides supplication.28

There are two kinds of divine decree in Islamic creed. There is irrevocable decree(mubram) and suspended decree (muallaq). Irrevocable decree is the knowledge ofAllah that does not change. Whereas the suspended decree is what is decreed in the

scrolls of the angels who are dispatched to carry out Allahs commands. They can becommanded to carry out a certain act and then through the power of supplication itcan change.

Al-Ghazl said, If it were asked what is the benefit in supplication when nothing canrepel the Divine decree? Know that one of the form of the Divine decree is repellingtribulation is through supplication. Indeed it is a means to repel tribulation and bringabout mercy just as sowing the seed is the means for plants to emerge from the landand just as the shield is the means to block the arrow. Likewise, supplication repelstribulation.29

Sad said, commenting on the verse:

Allah erases what He wills and establishes and with Him is the source of ordinance.30

Allah erases what He wills of appointed matters and establishes what He wills fromthem. This erasure and change is in another than what is in His knowledge prior andwhat His Pen has decreed for no change or alteration take place in that for it isinconceivable for any deficiency or error to be associated with Allahs knowledge.Hence, He said: And with Him is the source of ordinance, i.e. the Preserved Tablet in

which all matters return. It is the basis and these matters are the stems and branches.Therefore, alteration and change occurs in the stems and branches such as the deeds ofthe day and the night that the angels record down and Allah creates means for thesematters to be established or to be erased. However, these means do not exceed what isrecorded in the Preserved Tablet (law maf) just as Allah has placed piety andgoodwill a means for longevity and copious provision and just as He has made sins ameans to destroy the blessing found in provision and longevity. Also, He has placed themeans to be delivered from the paths of destruction and calamities a means to safetyand He has made exposure to those a means to damnation. He is the one who carriesout affairs through His Divine omnipotence and will and what He carries out does notdiffer with His knowledge and what He has ordained in the Preserved Tablet.

Ibn ajar al-Asqalnsaid:

Erasure and affirmation (of deeds) relates to the knowledge of the angels. As for whatthe source of ordinance (umm al-kitb), which is the knowledge of Allah most-High,

28A tradition related by Tirmidh

29Sanads commentary on Ibn Mjah

30Qurn: 13/39


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there is no erasure related to it at all. This is what is known as the irrevocable decree(qa mubram) and the former is called suspended decree (qa muallaq).

Therefore, through the means of supplication and righteous works one can alter thetasks assigned to the angels regarding ones life but not the knowledge with Allah that

is contained in the Preserved Tablet (law maf). Supplication is a means to gainblessing and solutions in ones life just as taking medicine is the means to remedy onesillnesses and ailments.

The merit of fasting the following day:

O ishah, it is a month in which it is transcribed for the Angel of Death the name of

every soul which will be taken for the coming year; therefore I desire that my name notbe transcribed except that I am fasting.31

:

When the night of the 15th Shabn comes, stand the night in prayer and fast the day

for Allah most blessed and high descends therein at the setting of the sun to the lowestheavens and says, Is there not someone who seeks My forgiveness so that I may forgive

him? Is there not someone who seeks provision so that I can provide for him? Is therenot someone who is in tribulation so that I may grant him well-being? And so forth

until the rising of the dawn.32

Is it not forbidden to fast the last 15 days of Shabn?There are numerous prophetic traditions which suggest that supererogatory fasting inthe last 15 days of Shabn is forbidden.

The Prophet said :

31 A sound tradition related by Ab Yal32A weak tradition (not fabricated as some claim) related by Ibn Mjah and quoted by Mundhr, Ibn Rajab

and Dimy


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Do not precede the month of Ramadan by fasting one or two days unless it coincideswith a fast one does so regularly.33

Once only the last 15 days of Sha bn remain, do not fast.34

Due to these prophetic traditions some of the scholars notably from the ShfiSchoolsaw it offensive to fast the last 15 days of Sha bn, and forbidden to fast the last twodays. However the majority of scholars saw it permissible (jiz) to fast the last 15 days.

(Ab Bakr bin al-Arab:) The intent of this tradition is that one who finds it very hardto fast consecutive days should relax and take it easy (in order to prepare himself forRaman.) Therefore, it is not recommended that he fast just as it is not recommendedfor one to fast on the Day of Arafah so that he may keep his strength to supplicate onthat day. If one is able to cope then the prohibition does not apply to him.

(Dusq:) It is permissible to perform any supererogatory fasts on the last 15 days ofShaban as opposed to what the ShafiSchool says who deem it offensive. They use theProphetic tradition, Let none of you precede Ramadan fasting by one or two daysunless he be fasting a regular fast. If so, let him fast that day as a proof. However QdIy responded by saying that the prohibition in the tradition applies to fasting beforeout of magnificence for the coming month just as it offensive to pray thesupererogatory prayers before the obligatory with the intent that one is doing so out ofmagnificence for it.

(Tirmidh:) The scholars disliked one to fast directly before Raman merely for thesake of the arrival of Ramadan.

There are numerous prophetic traditions proving that the Prophet fasted these daysand encouraged others to do so, too.

What names are attributed to this night?The Night of Forgiveness:The Prophet said: When the night of the 15th of Shabn comes, stand in prayerthroughout the night and fast the day for God descends to the nearest heavens from

sunset, saying Is there no one who seeks forgiveness so that I may forgive him? Isthere no one who has been afflicted so that I may relieve him? Is there no one whoseeks provision so that I may provide for him? Is there not such and such, is there notsuch and such until the rising of dawn.35

33A tradition related by Bukhr, Tirmidh, Ibn Mjah, Ab Dwd and Nis

34A rigorously authenticated tradition relayed by Suyin al-Jmi a-aghr

35Related by Ibn Mjah, Bayhaq; al-Haytamregarded it weak


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The Night of Mercy:The Prophet said: Verily God grants my community mercy on this night equivalentto the number of hairs on the sheep of the Tribe of Kalb.

The Night of Blessing (al-Laylah al-Mu brakah)This is because the angels come down to the people and mix with them.

The Night of Apportioning (Laylah al-Qismah)It is related by A b. Yasr that it is transcribed of the Angel of Death all the names ofthose who from that day on throughout the year. A man may act unjustly and commitall manner of indecencies; he may marry women and plant trees not knowing that hisname has been written amongst the dead for that year. He said that there is no night in

the year after Night of Decree (laylah al-qadr) more virtuous.

Ibn Abbs relates that God decrees things on this night and they are carried out on theNight of Decree (laylah al-qadr).

The Night of Atonement (Laylah at-Takfr)This night atones for the sins of the whole year and Friday atones for the sins of theweak and Night of Decree (laylah al-qadr) atones for the sins of ones lifetime asmentioned by Imm as-Subk in his Quranic exegesis.

The Night when Prayers are answered (Laylah al-Ijbah)It is related from Ibn Umar that there are five nights on which prayers are answered:Friday, the Night of 1st Rajab, the Night of 15th of Shabn, Night of Decree (laylah al-qadr) and the Nights of Eid.

The Night of Life and the Festival of the Angels (Laylah al-ayh)The angels have two festivals in the year just as mankind has: the 15 th of Shabn andNight of Decree (laylah al-qadr). Their festivals are in the night because they do notsleep.

The Night of Intercession (Laylah ash-Shafah)Named so by Ab Manr an-Nsapr

The Night of Innocence (Laylah al-Barah/ Laylah a-akk)The Night of Destiny (Laylah al-Qadr)


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The Night of Reward (Laylah al-Jizah)The Night of Magnifying (Laylah at-Tam)The Night of Forgiveness (Laylah al-Ghufrn)The Night of Outweighing (Laylah ar-Rujn)A poem in praise of the 15thof Shabn:Shaykh Abdullh al-Ghumrcomposed a poem in merit of this night:

Rajab has passed you by, my friends, with all its blessing,

testifying to a right that you did not fulfil for it. And alas, the first half of Shabn has now passed by whilst you

are engrossed in that which I do not wish to divulge.

Rush to good deeds before it has gone and be wary of the

onslaught of death by warding it off (with good deeds)

How many a young man spent the night of the 15th safe and

secure, not knowing that the end of his scroll had been sealed Stand that honourable night of the 15 th in prayer for the most

virtuous part of this month is the 15th

And fast the day for Allahs sake and have a good faith in Him, sothat you may be victorious on the Day of Calamites by claiming

Allahs benevolence.

Mid Sha'Baan Proofs

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