Shab-e-Barat is a night of blessings and mercies. Shab-e-Barat meaning is the night of blessings this night is also called Laylatul Markah (Blessed Night), Laylatul Bara (the night of salvation from Hell), Laylatul Maghfirah (Night of forgiveness), and Laylatul Qismata Taqdeer (In which fate and destiny should be decided). This night is Laylatul Mubarak also mentioned in the Quran. In one place it is said, “And We revealed the Quran on a blessed night.” if we look Shab-e-Barat significance this night every wise deed is distributed, and in it, the conditions of the whole year are recorded. Sustenance, sickness, health, abundance, distress, comfort, even the time of every person who is born or dies in this year is written on this night. Allah says: “Therein in it, every wise deed is distributed” {Surah Dukhan Ayat 4.}
History of Shab-e-Barat:
The 15 night of Shaban is like a night of virtue. On this night the fate of all human beings is decided. But there is no mention of this night Shab-e-Barat in the Quran. There is a hadith about Shab-e-Barat fazilat that Muhammad (S.A.W.W) said: Oh Ayesha do you know what happens that night? She asked: O Messenger of Allah, tell me what happens in this night. He (S.A.W.W) said: In this night it happens that one of the descendants of Adam (A.S) The person who is born this year and the person who dies that night will be written to die and be born. And the angels who are assigned to these tasks are informed and all the sustenance that the humans will get this year is written down.
And they say, “Is there any good humans who ask forgiveness from us, and we forgive him?” If someone asks for sustenance, should we give him sustenance? And if someone is in trouble, let us take away his trouble. In the same way, they say the same thing till dawn. That is why the Mans should worship and pray well that night. That’s why Allah forgives everyone with His mercy and grace on this night. Except for the disbeliever, the polytheist does not forgive the one who hates. (Mashkuah Bagh-e-jannat Page 274).
Fasting of 15 Sha’ban:
One such is the 15th Shaban, Shab-e-Barat fasting. In this regard, it is not mentioned in the Qur’an that the fast of 15 Sha’ban should be observed or in the hadith. Therefore, it is not permissible to call the fast of Sha’ban as Sunnah or Mustajab. However, the virtue of fasting the whole month of Shaban is proven by hadith. That is, from the first Sha’ban to the 27th Sha’ban. But fasting twenty-eight, twenty-nine, and thirty is banned. One of the reasons for this is that the fasts of Sha’ban and Ramadan should not be combined.
According to a tradition, Muhammad (S.A.W.W) used to fast on the day of ovulation every month That is, they used to fast on the 13, 14 and 15 of this month. Therefore, the fast of Sha’ban can be observed. Therefore, the fast of Sha’ban can be observed. But especially because it is the fast of Shab-e-Barat, it is not correct according to some scholars.
Dua for Shab-e-Barat:
Sha’ban is the month of forgiveness. Therefore, more and more Dua’s of Istighfar should be recited this month. The Dua for Shab-e-Barat which is narrated in Sunan Abi Dawood’s Hadith 1428 is as follows: O Allah, I seek refuge in your pleasure from your displeasure. And through your forgiveness from your punishment, I can’t praise you; of course, it’s like praising by yourself. The special prayers for Shab-e-Barat which Muhammad (S.A.W.W) taught to his companions and then narrated by Hassan Basri: This is the special prayer of the night of Shab-e-Barat which is called Salat-ul-Khair. This prayer is performed in two rakats with a total of 100 rakats.
These hundred Rakats prayers are offered after Isha prayers on the night of Shab-e-Barat. In which after Surah Al-Fatiha in every Rakats Surah Al-Ikhlas is recited 10 times. About this prayer, Hassan Bassari says: I was told by 30 companions of Muhammad (S.A.W.W) who prays this prayer on the night of Barat, Allah looks at him seventy times and fulfills seventy needs by looking at him every time.
Shab-e-Barat’s Nawafil:
In view of the virtue of this night, everyone should be engaged in the recitation of the Quran and Nawafil and dhikr and meditation on this night. It is narrated from Hazrat Ali Murtaza (R.A) that Allah’s Messenger Muhammad (S.A.W.W) said: When the fifteenth night of Sha’ban comes, stay the night, that is, recite the Nawafil. This is a very blessed night. Imam Jafar Sadiq says that when Imam Muhammad Baqir was asked about the night of 15 Shaban. He said: This night is better than all nights except Shab-e-Qadr. Therefore one should try to get closer to God tonight. That night Allah bestows His grace on His servants and forgives their sins. Allah has sworn by His Holy Name that this night they will not return any person empty-handed. Allah has made this night special for us as He has made Shab-e-Qadr night special for us.
This is the great virtue of night awakening. Imam Zayn al-‘Abidin (RA) says: If one wakes up that night and prays, supplicates, and asks for forgiveness. So death will not come to his heart till the day when all hearts will die. The Shab-e-Barat Nawafil, Nafal for repentance must be read in the night Nawafil on 15th of Shaban. In which one has to perform eight rak’ats Salat with two salams, after which one has to glorify Istighfar and repent of one’s sins.
Shab-e-Barat quotes:
Following are famous on Shab-e-Barat Quotes:
- Allah, you have given me an elegant life and a blessed evening, please make my future bright. “On this incredible evening focus on prayers and remember to be thankful to Allah with Nafal prayers.
- On this night take time to understand all the people who indictable you intentionally and unintentionally. Remember them in your prayers and pardon them.
- Allah, this is an exceptional devotion, make everything elegant for me and my family.
- It is the night of acceptance, it is the night when the indenture of the whole human year is dispense above and recompense.
- There’s no love without condoning, there is no forgiveness without love, so my beloved, remember to forgive and forget. That’s not adequate, people have wronged you, I know it impair and perhaps it made you hate them, if you take your time to forgive them, then love them and Allah will reward you copiously.