Significance Of Shab-E-Baraat In Islam In the Lightnig Of Hadith

Significance Of Shab-E-Baraat In Islam :

Among the various Muslim rituals and celebrations, one of the most prominent is the celebration of Shab e Barat in the month of Shabaan. Muslims all across the globe celebrate Shab e Barat with religious zest and make special preparations for this night in the form of standing up in prayers all night and keeping fast during the day. The 15th of Shaban is one of the most revered nights among Muslims in which Muslims seek Allah’s forgiveness and blessings and repent over their sins. The lines below discuss the significance of Shab e Barat in the light of two major hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said with regards to Shab e Barat observance.

Every year, Shab-e-Barat is observed on the night between the 14 and 15 of Sha'aban, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar. In Islam, Shab-e-Barat means the night of forgiveness, or Day of Atonement. It is considered to be the night when God forgives sinners. Muslims believe that on Shab-e Barat, God writes their destinies for the coming year, after taking into account their past actions. This is why the night is spent in asking for his mercy for any transgression.

Significance Of Shab-E-Baraat in Hadith :

Hadith#1:

The hadith is narrated by Hazrat Ali (RA) in which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“When it is the fifteenth of Shaban, then stand (in worship) at night and fast during the day. Because Allah descends in this night at sunset to the first heaven and says: ‘Is there any seeker of forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Is there any seeker of sustenance, that I may sustain him? Is there anyone in affliction, that I may remove his affliction? Is there anyone like this, like that (and so on)’. This continues until Fajr.” (Ibn Majah)

This hadith of Prophet (PBUH) gives two kinds of acts of worship a Muslim is to perform with regards to the celebration of Shab e Barat, whereas both these forms of worship share a single goal, and that is of asking of anything from Allah Almighty.

As per this hadith a Muslim is supposed to stay up during the night and indulge in the worship of Allah Almighty, whereas, during the day he or she must keep fast in Shaban and earn a reward for it especially on the specific day. The reason why Prophet (PBUH) commended worshiping at night is the fact that after the sunset of the 14th of Shaban, Allah Almighty comes to the first heaven, from where He calls upon the people and calls them to ask whatever they want and He will grant them. Therefore, no matter whatever is there that a Muslim wants from life, he or she can ask for it from Allah Almighty during this night. There can be no better sign of Shab e Barat compared to the freedom of asking whatever a person can ask from Allah Almighty, however, in order to do so, a Muslim must take the path of prayers, which make the appeal more effective and add to the reward of the Muslim. 

Hadith#2:

In another hadith, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“In the fifteenth night of Shaban, Allah manifests and forgives all His creation except for the Mushrik (idolater) and the spiteful.” (Ibn Majah)

This hadith also shows another significant element of the fifteenth of Shaban. It is the night in which Allah Almighty forgives all those who believe in Him and who don’t hate others.

Being human is like making errors and mistakes, therefore, it is quite natural that throughout the year a Muslim does make mistakes. The Shab e Barat night is the one in which a Muslim can repent on the previous mistakes and sins with a true heart and receive forgiveness from Allah Almighty. It is in this night that a Muslim can turn towards Allah Almighty and find His doors of forgiveness open for him or her. Therefore, every Muslim must make use of this night and repent in front of Allah Almighty so that He forgives the sins that a person committed throughout the year.

Moreover, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also went out to pray for the deceased in the graveyard on this night as well, therefore, in addition to praying for his forgiveness, a Muslim must also visit the graveyard and ask Allah for the forgiveness of the ones who are no more a part of the life of a Muslim. Hence, Shab e Barat needs to be utilized to seek forgiveness for one’s self and all those who matter at present or the ones who have passed away to the hereafter. 

What should be done in this night?

1. As mentioned earlier, the Night of Bara’ah is a night in which special
blessings are directed towards the Muslims. Therefore, this night should be
spent in total submission to Allah Almighty, and one should refrain from all
those activities, which may displease Allah. Although it is always incumbent
upon every Muslim to abstain from sins, yet this abstinence becomes all the
more necessary in such nights, because committing sins in this night will
amount to responding to divine blessings with disobedience and felony. Such
an arrogant attitude can invite nothing but the wrath of Allah. Therefore,
one should strictly abstain from all the sins, particularly from those
mentioned in the Hadith No. 3 quoted earlier in this article, because these
sins make one devoid of the blessings of this night.

2. In this night some people indulge in some activities which they regard as
necessary for the celebration of the Night of Bara’ah, like cooking some
special type of meal, or illuminating houses or mosques, or improvised
structures. All such activities are not only baseless and innovated in the
later days by ignorant people, but in some cases they are pure imitation of
some rituals performed by non-Muslim communities. Such imitation in itself
is a sin; performing it in a blessed night like the Night of Bara’ah makes
it worse. Muslims should strictly abstain from all such activities.

3. Some people spend this night in holding religious meetings and delivering
long speeches. Such activities are also not advisable, because these acts
can easily be performed on other nights. This night requires one to devote
himself to the pure acts of worship only.

4. The acts of worship like Salah, recitation of the Qur’an and dhikr should
be performed in this night individually, not collectively. The Nafl Salah
should not be performed in Jama’ah, nor should the Muslims arrange
gatherings in the mosques to celebrate the night in a collective
manner.

On the contrary, this night is meant for worshipping Allah in solitude. It
is the time to enjoy the direct contact with the Lord of the Universe, and
to devote one’s attention to Him and Him alone. These are the precious hours
of the night in which nobody should intervene between one and his Lord, and
one should turn to Allah with total concentration, not disturbed or
intermitted by anyone else.

That is why Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam, observed the
acts of worship in this night in total seclusion, not accompanied by anyone,
not even by his favorite life companion Sayyidah ‘Aishah, Radi-Allahu anha,
and that is why all forms of the optional worship (Nafl Ibadah), are advised

by him to be done in an individual, not in a collective manner.

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