Wednesday, May 20, 2015

The three Bid`aat regarding the month of Sha`baan

The three Bid`aat (religious innovations) which some people do in the month of Sha`baan:

بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد

Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Saaleh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:

“I would like to warn against the three things which are done in the middle of Sha`baan:

The First issue:

Amongst the general mass, there are many people who think that the night of the middle of Sha`baan (i.e. the 15th of Sha`baan) is Laylatul-Qadr (the Night of Decree) and that one (who prays in this night) gets the reward that has been mentioned in the Sunnah (i.e. his previous sins would be forgiven). But what is known is that Laylatul-Qadr occurs in the month of Ramadhaan and the evidence for that is the saying of Allaah تبارك وتعالى in the Qur’aan:

﴿إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ﴾

{Verily! We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the night of Al-Qadr} [Surah al-Qadr (97): 1]

And in the saying of Allaah تعالى:

﴿حم * وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُبِينِ * إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُّبَارَ‌كَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنذِرِ‌ينَ * فِيهَا يُفْرَ‌قُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ‌ حَكِيمٍ﴾

{Haa-Meem. By the manifest Book (this Qur’aan) that makes things clear, We sent it (this Qur’aan) down on a blessed night. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of worship]. Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments.} [Surah al-Dhukhaan (44): 1-4]

This is the Text which is clear that the Qur’aan was sent down on Laylatul-Qadr, in which matters of ordainment are decreed. Then Allaah تعالى also says:

﴿شَهْرُ‌ رَ‌مَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْ‌آنُ هُدًى لِّلنَّاسِ وَبَيِّنَاتٍ مِّنَ الْهُدَىٰ وَالْفُرْ‌قَانِ﴾

{The month of Ramadhaan in which was revealed the Qur’aan, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong).} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 185]

This is sure, clear and certain proof that Laylatul-Qadr occurs in the month of Ramadhaan, rather it occurs in the last ten (nights) of Ramadhaan.


The Second issue:

Some people specially mark this night (of the middle of Sha`baan) by establishing prayers in the night and Fasting in the day, based upon the Weak Ahaadeeth. Since these Ahaadeeth are not authentic, then specially marking out the middle of Sha`baan for establishing night prayers should not be done.

But if a person is in the habit of getting up for night prayers, then he should pray in the night of the middle of Sha`baan like he prays in any other night without marking it as a special occasion. Similarly, one should not make it a special occasion to Fast only in the middle of Sha`baan because nothing such has been reported from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

But if one Fasts for three days of al-Beedh (i.e. the night when the Moon is full) and they are the thirteenth, the fourteenth and the fifteenth day (of the Lunar calendar); so if one Fasts on these three days, then his Fasting will be in accordance with the Sunnah. But one should not believe that this (Fasting these three days in Sha`baan) is better than Fasting in any other month, even though the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to Fast much in this month of Sha`baan, more than any other month, sometimes he would Fast for almost the complete month except for a few days.


The Third issue:

Some people specially prepare food on the 15th of Sha`baan and invite others over it or they distribute it to the neighbors and relatives believing that there is more virtue if one does it specially on this night. But I say: The matter is not like (how they perceive). Nothing has been legislated that one should mark this night by specially preparing food or inviting people for food or giving out Sadaqah (charity). It is like any other day, one should prepare food on this day like the way he does on any other day of the year.

These are the three Bid`aat which some people have fallen into, which I wanted to warn against.”

[Majmoo` al-Fataawa of Shaikh Ibn al-`Uthaymeen (7/279-281)]

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