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#31 – The Virtue of Sha’ban
Mar 7 – 13, 2022
Sha’baan 4 – 10, 1443

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The Virtue of Sha'ban

What have Allah and His Messenger said about

The Virtue of Sha'ban

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، جَمِيعًا عَنِ ابْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، – قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، – عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَبِيدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَائِشَةَ – رضى الله عنها – عَنْ صِيَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ كَانَ يَصُومُ حَتَّى نَقُولَ قَدْ صَامَ ‏.‏ وَيُفْطِرُ حَتَّى نَقُولَ قَدْ أَفْطَرَ ‏.‏ وَلَمْ أَرَهُ صَائِمًا مِنْ شَهْرٍ قَطُّ أَكْثَرَ مِنْ صِيَامِهِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ كَانَ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ كُلَّهُ كَانَ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ‏.‏
Abu Salama reported:
I asked ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) about the fasting of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: He used to observe fast (at times so continuously) that we said: He has fasted (never to break), and he did not observe fast till we said: He has given up perhaps never to fast, and I never saw him observing (voluntary fasts) more in any other month than that of Sha’ban. (lt appeared as if) he observed fast throughout the whole of Sha’ban except a few (days).

[Sahih Muslim 1156f]
أَخْبَرَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتُ بْنُ قَيْسٍ أَبُو الْغُصْنِ، – شَيْخٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ – قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَمْ أَرَكَ تَصُومُ شَهْرًا مِنَ الشُّهُورِ مَا تَصُومُ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏ “‏ ذَلِكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الأَعْمَالُ إِلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ ‏”‏ ‏.‏
Usamah bin Zaid said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting any month as much as Shaban.’
He said: ‘That is a month to which people do not pay much attention, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are taken up to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my deeds be taken up when I am fasting.”‘

[Sunan an-Nasa’i 2357 – Hasan]

The Month of Sha’ban

The month of Sha’ban is one of the meritorious months for which we find some peculiar instructions in the sunnah of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). It is reported in the authentic ahadith that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) used to fast most of the month in Sha’ban. These fasts were not obligatory on him but Sha’ban is the month immediately preceding the month of Ramadan. Therefore, some preparatory measures are suggested by the Holy Prophet through his oral instructions and his practice. Some of these are given below:


The gist of some of the quoted ahadith is that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) himself used to fast most of the month of sha’ban, because he had no apprehension of weakness or weariness before the commencement of Ramadan. As for others, he ordered them not to fast after the 15th of Sha’ban for the fear that they would lose their strength and freshness before Ramadan starts, and would not be able to welcome the month of Ramadan with enthusiasm.

[Taken from “Islamic Months”, Mufti Taqi Uthmani]

Spiritual Reminders

The Importance of Sha’ban
Sha’bān, the eighth Islamic month is second only to Ramadān in virtue, blessings and greatness. It is due to this virtue and greatness that the Prophet sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam used to emphasise its importance not only verbally but practically too.

‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā narrates, “Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam used to fast till we would say that he would never stop fasting and he would abandon fasting till we would say that he would never fast. I never saw Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam fasting for a whole month except the month of Ramadān and did not see him fasting in any month more than in the month of Sha’bān.” (Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Nasa’ī)
‘Ā’ishah radhiyallāhu ‘anhā narrates, “Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam used to fast the (whole) month of Sha’bān except for a few days.” (An-Nasa’ī)
Usāmah radhiyallāhu ‘anhu asked, “O Rasūlullāh! I do not see you fasting in any month as much as in Sha’bān.” He replied, “It is a month people are negligent of between Rajab and Ramadān. It is a month in which deeds are raised towards the Lord of the worlds. Therefore, I like my deeds to be raised whilst I am fasting.” (An-Nasa’ī)

[Taken from “The Signiricance of Sha’bān”, Shaykh Muhammad Saleen Dhorat]

YOUR WEEKLY DOSE OF

Sirah

Campaign Against Bani Al-Mustaliq
News reached the Prophet [pbuh] on Sha‘ban 2nd. to the effect that the chief of Bani Al-Mustaliq, Al-Harith bin Dirar had mobilised his men, along with some Arabs, to attack Madinah. Buraidah bin Al-Haseeb Al-Aslami was immediately despatched to verify the reports. He had some words with Abi Dirar, who confirmed his intention of war. He later sent a reconnoiterer to explore the positions of the Muslims but he was captured and killed. The Prophet [pbuh] summoned his men and ordered them to prepare for war. Before leaving, Zaid bin Haritha was mandated to see to the affairs of Madinah and dispose them. On hearing the advent of the Muslims, the disbelievers got frightened and the Arabs going with them defected and ran away to their lives. Abu Bakr was entrusted with the banner of the Emigrants, and that of the Helpers went to Sa‘d bin ‘Ubada. The two armies were stationed at a well called Muraisi. Arrow shooting went on for an hour, and then the Muslims rushed and engaged with the enemy in a battle that ended in full victory for the Muslims.

[Al-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, page 207, Issam Diab’s English Translation]

Sunnah Acts

Fasting in Sha’ban
It was narrated that ‘Aishah said:
“The Messenger of Allah used to fast (all of) Shaban except a little.”

[Sunan an-Nasa’i 2355]

Adhkar/Dua

Dua Before The Month of Ramadan
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِي شَعْبَانَ وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ
O Allah, bless us in Sha’ban and bring us to Ramadan.

[Mishkat al-Masabih 1369]
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