#570: Is there any Salāt recommended for the Nisf of Shaʿbān

QUESTION

” Slm sir /ma I want an urgent answer to dis Questn? Is there a particular dua or solat (nawafil) in nisfu shaban”

ANSWER

Wa alaykum Salām Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh.

Know, o beloved one, that there is nothing recommended in the Sharī’ah by the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – concerning making any special prayers or Salāt for the day or night of the Half of Sha’abān.

And that which is known within so many of our people concerning the Nisf (half which is 15th) of Sha’abān encouraging certain number of Raka’āt and Supplications has no basis in the Sunnah of the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – nor of the Pious Predecessors.

Rather, what is known and differed upon by our Ulamā is that the Night of the Nisf of Sha’abān is a special night in which the Mercies and Forgiveness of Allāh is dominant, and about which they did not specify a Prayer of Ibādah.

Some of the Ulamā held that the night of the Half of Sha’abān had its merits. Their evidence in this regard is the Hadīth that is recorded by Imām Al-Bayhaqī – rahimahullāh – in Shu’ubu Al-Īmān from Abū Tha’alabah Al-Khushanī – radiyallāhu ‘anhu – that the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:

إذا كان ليلة النصف من شعبان اطلع الله إلى خلقه، فيغفر للمؤمنين، ويملي للكافرين، ويدع أهل الحقد بحقدهم حتى يدعوه

“When it is the Night of the Half of Sha’abān, Allāh looks unto His Creation, forgives the Believers and grant respite to the Kāfirīn. And then abandons the people of Rancour to themselves unless they call upon Him.”

On its authenticity, Shaykh Muhammad Nāsiruddīn Al-Albānī considered it Hasan in his compilation As-Sahīh Al-Jāmi’

This is why some of the Salaf would increase their Ibādāt in the night of the Half of Sha’abān and exert efforts in its regards.

Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbalī – rahimahullāh – referred to this disagreement among the Salaf when he said in Latā’ifu Al-Ma’ārif:

“On the Night of the Half of Sha’abān, the Tābi’ūn among the People of Shām like Khālid Ibn Ma’adān, Mak’hūl and Luqmān Ibn ‘Āmir and others used to honor it and exert efforts in making Ibādah in its night. And it is from them that the People took its Merits and honouring it. It was said that in its regards they relied on Narrations from the Isrā’īlī Traditions. And then when this practice of theirs became widespread to the people in different lands, the People differed about it. Of them are those that accepted it from them and concurred with them on honoring it. Of these are some of the Fervent Worshippers in Basra and others, while most of the Ulamā of the People of Hijāz rebuked this.”

Shaykhu Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – rahimahullāh – said in Al-Fatāwah Al-Kubrā supporting this position:

“As for the Night of the Half of Sha’abān, there are merits. And of the Salaf are those that used to exert efforts to praying in it. But to gather in the Masjid for its observance is a Bid’ah”

Imām An-Nawawī – rahimahullāh – mentioned in the Majmū’ that Imām Ash-Shāfi’ī – rahimahullāh – encouraged honoring the night and seeking more Ibadāt in it.

This position is also upheld by the Imams: Ibn Hajar Al-Haytamī, Ibn Nujaym Al-Hanafī, Ibn ‘Ābidīn Al-Hanafī, Al-Mubārakfūrī and others.

Therefore, to exert efforts in it to excel in Ibādāt is known and accepted to these Ulamā but to specify Ibādāt to a certain number of Raka’āt or to gather for its observance is an Innovation.

And of the Ulamā are those that disagree with this with the following arguments:

1. That all of the Ahādith in its regards are weak and not sound of evidence

2. And if anything was sound in evidence, it is the Hadīth of Al-Bayhaqī mentioned above. And it is known that Allāh does this every night as it is known in the Hadīth that is agreed upon by both Al-Bukhārī and Muslim where the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:

ينزل ربنا تبارك وتعالى كل ليلة إلى السماء الدنيا حين يبقى ثلث الليل الآخر يقول: من يدعوني فأستجيب له، من يسألني فأعطيه، من يستغفرني فأغفر له

“Our Lord, the Majestic and Most High descends to the Heaven next to the World when the Last third of the Night is left, and says: Who will Call upon Me that I may respond to him, who will ask Me that I may give him, who will seek My forgiveness that I may forgive him.”

If this is not specific to the Night of the Half of Sha’abān, then why specifying it with any Ibādah?

3. There is no Hadith to show that the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – or any of the Sahābah practiced it, except that the Tābi’īn differed about it, as was mentioned by Ibn Rajab in the quotation above.

This position is upheld by Abdullah Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Hāfidh Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbalī, Abū Bakr At-Tartūshī, Ash-Shawkānī, Abdurrahman Ibn Ismā’īl Al-Maqdisī, and others. Shaykh Abdulazīz Ibn Bāz also held this position.

What is more authentic of both positions, and Allah knows best, is the later position, and for the reasons referred.

And Allāh knows best.

Bārakallāhu fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran

15th Sha’ban 1439AH

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