Mid-Sha'ban
Encyclopedia : M : MI : MID : Mid-Sha'ban
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Mid-Sha'ban is the 15th day of the month of Sha'ban in the Islamic calendar. It is remembered by some Muslims, but for different reasons.
Other names
- Nim Sha'ban in Iran.
- Nisf Sha'ban in Arabic speaking countries.
- Shab e Bara'at in the Indian Subcontinent.
Shia view
Birth of Imam al-Mahdi
Shias believe that on the 15th of Sha'ban, 255 AH (868 CE), Muhammad al-Mahdi was born. Shias believe him to be the twelfth, final and current Shia Imam and also the Mahdi, a very important Islamic figure who is believed by all Muslims to bring absolute justice to the world by establishing Islam as the global religion.
Sunni view
Some Sunni groups believe that Mid-Sha'ban is a night of worship and salvation and it is commonly believed that during this night, Allah prepares the destiny for all people on Earth for the coming year.
Hadiths
There are some hadiths that speak about this night and the middle of Sha'aban. According to Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqi ( [pakistanlink.com on Shab-e-Baraat]), Imam Al-Mundhiri in his famous book At-Targhib wat-Tarhib (vol. 2, pp. 116-120) reported fourteen hadiths on the subject of this night. However, the scholars of hadith say that most of the hadiths concerning this night are not authentic. There is no mention about this night in Mishkat Al-Masabih, in Sahih Muslim or in Sahih Bukhari.
Significance
Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi in his Urdu book Bahishti Zewar (Heavenly Ornaments), part 6, pp 61-62, summarizes the significance of this night as follows:
“Its significance is this that 15th night and 15th day of this month are very blessed ones. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), urged Muslims to stay up during the night and fast during the day. At this night the prophet used to go to the graveyard of Madinah and prayed for the dead. Therefore, it is desirable that the Muslims should pray during that night and fast during the following day. They should also seek the forgiveness of their dead either by reciting the Qur’an or by feeding the hungry or by giving the money in charity or by just praying for them.” This is the religious aspect of Shab-e-Baraat.
Traditional Observance
But according to the tradition, people prepare sweet dishes and set fireworks with great pomp and show. Sweet dishes are prepared to benefit the souls of the dead and the fireworks are used to express joy over God’s taking account of the fate of His creation. These things are just social customs and there is no reference to them in the hadiths.
Superstitious beliefs
According to Dr. Muzzamil Siddiqi “There are also some superstitious beliefs about this night. For example, some people believe that the spirits of the deceased visit their relatives during this night. Some believe that there is a special tree in Heaven upon whose leaves are the names of all human beings, and whatever leaves drop during this night, those people are destined to die in this year. Some think that the decisions about the life and death of people are made during this night. All these beliefs and superstitions do not belong to the authentic teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah”.
External links
| Muslim holidays and observances | |||||||||||
| Muslim New Year | Festival of Muharram | Day of Ashura | Imamat Day | Arba'een | Mawlid | |||||||||||
| Imam Musa al Kazim day | Lailat al Miraj | Shab-e-baraat | Ramadan | Laylat al-Qadr | Eid ul-Fitr | Eid ul-Adha | |||||||||||
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