15 Sha'ban: A Night of Forgiveness
The month of Shaban is one of the most blessed months of the Islamic year. It is narrated by Usama Bin Zaid (ra) that once he asked the Prophet (saw), “O Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Sha’ban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month”. The Prophet (saw) replied, “Sha’ban is the month between Rajab and Ramadan which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the Universe, so I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting” [Abu Dawud].
Even though there is a general consensus that the month of Shaban is incredibly sacred, a number of scholars debate the importance of the 15th night of Sha’ban. The reality is that some scholars consider the hadiths about the 15th of Shaban as good (Hassan) while others consider them weak (Dha’if). However, because there are numerous ahadith, and the weakness of many of the ahadith is not severe, the virtue of this night is accepted as authentic by scholars. Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) says, “So many Ahadith and reports exist regarding the excellence of the 15th night of Shaban that one is compelled to accept that this night does possess some virtue”.
Many Muslims celebrate this night with special prayers and fast the following day, while others argue that this practice is not from the Sunnah. Nonetheless, as this night is considered to be blessed by the majority of scholars, we have provided some more information on the blessings of this night and some tips on how you can make the most of it.
What are the blessings of the 15th night of Sha’ban?
The main blessing of this night is that Allah (swt) pours His mercy and forgiveness on this night, between sunset and dawn. Many narrations from the Prophet (saw) show us the magnitude of Allah’s mercy on this night:
The Prophet (saw) also said, “Allah gazes at His creation on the 15th night of Sha’ban and then forgives all His slaves except for two types of people: those who attribute partners unto Allah and those who have rancor for their fellow Muslims” [Ahmad]
Finally, the Prophet (saw) narrated that on this night, from sunset until dawn, Allah asks His servants, “Is there anyone asking forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone seeking provision from Me so that I may provide for him? Is there anyone suffering so that I may relieve his suffering?” [Ibn Majah]
From the above hadith, we can see the immense magnitude of Allah’s mercy on us on this night, SubhanAllah!
Tips on how to take advantage of this night:
1. Fast
There is only one weak hadith on fasting on the 15th of Sha’ban, however, it was the Sunnah of our Nabi (saw) to fast on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every month. He (saw) narrated, “If you fast any part of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth” [Tirmidhi].
As such, you should try and fast on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of the month of Sha’ban to reap the rewards of practicing this Prophetic Sunnah.
2. Make Thikr
Aisha (ra) narrated that once the Prophet (saw) remained in Sajdah for so long during this night that she became scared and touched his foot to make sure he was still alive. He (saw) moved his foot and she heard him reciting the following Dua:
As such, scholars advise that we must recite this Dua frequently during the 15th night of Shaban as it was the habit of our Prophet (saw). One must also recite Istighfaar abundantly on this night as this is the night of forgiveness.
3. Read voluntary prayers
Make preparations for making Ibadat for the major portion of the night. Make ghusl, wear clean clothes, and find a place for prayers where there is minimal disturbance. Read extra Nawafil prayers on this night such as Salat Al-Tasbeeh, Salat As-Shukr, And Tahajjud salah as it was the habit of our Prophet (saw) to engage in long salah during the night.
4. Recite the Quran
Read Quran abundantly during this night as it is a beneficial activity for reaping rewards. The Prophet (saw) said, “Verily, the one who recites the Quran beautifully, smoothly, and precisely, he will be in the company of noble and obedient angels. And as for the one who recites with difficulty and stammering or stumbling through its verses, then he will have twice that reward” [Bukhari].
5. Make sincere Tawbah
This is the night of forgiveness so make Dua to Allah (swt), praise Him, and cry unto Him for forgiveness for all your previous sins. Allah’s mercy is endless on this night so make the most of it by making sincere tawbah!
May Allah (swt) allow us to reap the blessings of this night. May He forgive our sins, increase our provision and relieve us of hardship. May Allah (swt) bless us in Sha’ban and allow us to reach Ramadan with good health, Inshallah Ameen!
