Shab-e-Barat: Unveiling Its True Islamic Significance
📚 The Legal Status of Shab-e-Barat:
⏪ In the subcontinent (Pakistan and India), this night is also referred to as Shab-e-Qadr, although the terms Shab-e-Barat or Shab-e-Qadr are not mentioned in the Hadiths. Some narrations do mention this night in relation to the night of the 15th of Sha’ban, but both Shab-e-Qadr and Shab-e-Barat refer to Laylat al-Qadr, the night mentioned in the Quran.
In Surah Al-Qadr, it is stated:
﴿إِنّا أَنزَلنـٰهُ فى لَيلَةِ القَدرِ ﴿١﴾… سورةالقدر “Indeed, We sent it (the Qur’an) down in the Night of Decree.”
As for the celebration of this night, there are various customs followed in our region:
☀ First, some people prepare good and delicious food (like halwa) and distribute it, and then enjoy it themselves.
☀ Second, fireworks are set off, and gunpowder is extensively used.
☀ Third, it is a common custom to clean and decorate homes in preparation for this night, with the belief that the souls of the deceased return on this day.
☀ Fourth, some people visit graveyards on this night, often in groups, with the intention of making supplications.
☀ Fifth, the most well-known custom is fasting during the day and engaging in worship and remembrance at night.
None of these five practices can be considered free of doubt as innovations (Bid’ah), and some even fall under the category of superstitions.
◀ Firstly, this night of the 15th of Sha’ban cannot be called an Islamic festival at all, and trying to make it like Eid or Hajj is wrong.
◀ Additionally, the practices of preparing halwa, setting off fireworks, and decorating homes are not part of any Islamic festival. These are self-made rituals, either introduced by some religious leaders for their own interests or borrowed from Hindus. There is no concept of fireworks in Islam associated with any celebration.
◀ The belief that the souls of the dead return is also false. There is no proof of this in the Quran or Hadith. After death, a soul cannot return, neither on the night of Sha’ban nor on any other day. Allah says:
(These people will not cease until, when death comes to one of them, he will say, "My Lord, send me back, so that I may do righteous deeds in that which I have left behind." Never! It is but a word he is speaking; and behind them is a barrier until the Day they are resurrected.)
(Surah Al-Mu’minun, 23:99-100)
It is Allah alone who takes the souls at the time of death, and He takes the soul of one who has not died during sleep, then He retains the one upon whom He has decreed death and sends back others for a specified time. There are many signs in this for those who reflect.
(Surah Az-Zumar, 39:42)
◀ The practice of visiting graveyards on this night is also not established by authentic Hadith. Visiting graves in general, at any time or night, is permissible in Islam, and the Prophet (ﷺ) did encourage visiting graves. However, there is no proof that visiting graves on this particular night or in a collective manner due to the night’s virtues is something prescribed. A narration from Tirmidhi is sometimes cited, but scholars have declared this chain of narration weak. Therefore, weak Hadith cannot be used as proof.
◀ As for the fifth practice, which many people observe – fasting during the day and engaging in worship and remembrance at night – and the specific gatherings held to discuss its virtues:
The following narrations are often cited:
👈 1. Sunan Ibn Majah: Book: The Establishment of Prayer and its Method (The 15th night of Sha’ban), chain: Very weak, Hadith # 1388. Narrated by Ali (رضي الله عنه): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When the night of the 15th of Sha’ban arrives, stand in prayer (Qiyam) and fast during the day. That night, Allah descends to the first heaven and keeps asking until dawn: ‘Is there anyone seeking forgiveness, so I may forgive him? Is there anyone asking for sustenance, so I may provide for him? Is there anyone suffering from a calamity, so I may grant him relief?’”
👈 2. Sunan Ibn Majah: Book: The Establishment of Prayer and its Method (The 15th night of Sha’ban), chain: Weak, Hadith # 1389. Narrated by Aisha (رضي الله عنها): She said: “One night I did not find the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at home. I went out to search for him and saw him in the graveyard. He had his head raised towards the sky. When he saw me, he said: ‘Aisha, do you fear that Allah and His Messenger would wrong you?’ I replied: ‘I do not fear, but I thought maybe you had gone to another of your wives.’ He (ﷺ) then said: ‘Allah descends to the heavens on the night of the 15th of Sha’ban and forgives more people than the hairs on the goats of Banu Kalb.’”
👈 3. Sunan Ibn Majah: Book: The Establishment of Prayer and its Method (The 15th night of Sha’ban), chain: Weak, Hadith # 1390. Narrated by Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari (رضي الله عنه): The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Allah looks at His creation on the night of the 15th of Sha’ban and forgives all except those who associate partners with Him and those who hold enmity against others.” Imam Ibn Majah (رحمه الله) narrates this from his teacher Muhammad bin Is-haq, who narrates from his chain that the narration was weak due to a break in the chain.
All the narrations that are cited regarding the virtues of this night are not reliable in terms of their chain of transmission, and the criteria established by the scholars of Hadith for determining authenticity are not met by these narrations. Therefore, it is not reasonable to consider this night as a special Islamic festival based on these weak narrations.
What is established, however, is that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to fast more during the month of Sha’ban than in any other month.
As narrated by Ummul-Mu’minin Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا), she said: “I saw that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never fasted a full month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more in any month than he did in Sha’ban.”
Sahih Muslim: Book: The Rulings and Issues of Fasting (Chapter: It is recommended that no month should be without fasting, other than Ramadan), Hadith # 2721.
Today, due to ignorance of the religion, Muslims are neglectful of the act of fasting in this month, but they give great importance to superfluous rituals.
Allah, the Almighty, says:
“This day I have perfected for you your religion...”
(Surah Al-Ma’idah, 5:3)
And He also says:
“O you who have believed, do not put yourselves forward before Allah and His Messenger but fear Allah. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.”
(Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:11)
And He says:
“Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah, you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah often.”
(Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:21)
⏪ Therefore, any method or practice that deviates from the Quran and Sunnah is an innovation (Bid’ah), and regarding innovations, the noble Prophet ﷺ said:
“Every new matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire…”
This was narrated by An-Nasa’i in the Chapter on How to Deliver the Khutbah of the Eid prayers, by Imam Ahmad from Jabir (رضی اللہ عنہ), and by Abu Dawood from ‘Irbad bin Sariya and Ibn Majah from Ibn Mas’ud (رضی اللہ عنہ).
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to give a sermon, he would say:
“To proceed, indeed, the best speech is the Book of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ, and the worst of affairs are newly invented matters, and every innovation is misguidance.”
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith # 20055)
May Allah grant us the ability to follow the Quran and Sunnah and protect us from shirk and innovation. Ameen.
And Allah knows best.
Muhammad Amir Younas
And peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.