The significance of Shab-e-Barat
Thursday, 5 July 2012
Md Forhad Hossain
Prophet Mohammad (SM) declared Sha'ban, the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, as his own month. Abu Saeed Khudri (RA) quotes the Prophet (SM) as saying, "Inna rajaba shahrullah, was shabana shahree wa ramadana shahrul ummati" (Hadith).
Every year Prophet Mohammad (SM) used to pray much all through the month with a view to receiving the mercy of Almighty Allah. Once Usama ibn Zayd (RA) asked the Prophet, "O holy Prophet, I don't observe you keeping fast in other months as you do in Sha'ban. Why?" Prophet Mohammad (SM) replied that men must be conscious about the month of Sha'ban in which their deeds are placed before Allah. "I fast so that my deeds are placed before Allah during the period of fasting." The Prophet (SM) also requested his followers to keep fast in the month of Sha'ban, especially on the day after the Holy Night of Shab-e-Barat (Ibn Majah).
The preceding night of the 15th of Sha'ban is an auspicious night known as Lailatul Barat popularly known as Shab-e-Barat in the Sub-continent. It is a night of privilege and salvation that the Benevolent Providence in His infinite mercy blesses each and every Muslim with a unique opportunity to receive the most coveted Divine mercy.
Shab-e-Barat has not been directly or specifically mentioned in the Holy Quran like 'Lailatul Qadr.' It does, in no way, empower any Muslim to ignore or belittle the inner significance of the night. The word 'Shab' in Persian means night and 'Barat' means salvation or privilege. The Holy Quran is written in the Arabic language. So it is futile to search for the word 'Shab-e-Barat' in the Holy Quran.
Recently, a few Alem and Olamas (theologians) have ruled out the existence of the Night, as it is not directly mentioned in the Holy Quran. But we have to remember that it does not necessarily mean that we can ignore the night showing the above mentioned causes. There are numerous authentic Hadiths which prove the existence and significance of Shab-e-Barat.
According to the Usul-e-Fiqh, both the Holy Quran and the Hadith are divine revelations. The first one is called Wahee-e-Matlu and the latter, Wahee-e-Gairi. The Holy Quran and the Hadith both come from Prophet Mohammad (SM), who is the best of all creation, the Ashraf amongst the Ashraful Makhlukat (the best of creations).
The Night has been indirectly mentioned in Sura Ad Dukhan of the Holy Quran as 'Lailateen Mubarakateen.' Ikrama (RA) who was the student of the leader of the Mofassir (specialist of the Holy Quran) Abbas (RA) commented that "Lailateen Mubaraketeen' mentioned in the Holy Quran means 'Shab-e-Barat.' A few commentators, especially Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi and others are of the opinion that the verse may allude to the night of 'Shab-e-Qadr', the 27th night of the month of Ramadan.
In Tafseer-e-Sabee, it is clarified that the revealing process of the Holy Quran started on 'Shab-e-Barat' and ended on 'Shab-e-Qadr.' In that sense, there is no paradox in the revelation of the Holy Quran. Prophet Mohammad (SM) referred to the holy night as 'Lailatun Nisfe min Shaban' (Baihaki). It is also known as 'Lailatus Sakki' 'Lailatur Rahmat' etc.
There are, lots of authentic Hadiths and evidence of Prophet Mohammad (SM) which testify the fact that the Holy Prophet himself used to say special prayers on the Night. Ayesha Siddiqua (RA) reported that Prophet Mohammad (SM) was so deeply absorbed in his meditation that she became awfully nervous and thought that he had shuffled off his mortal coil. The fourth Caliph of Islam, Ali (RA) reported that Prophet (SM) said, 'On this night, from the moment the sun sets, Allah descends into the firmament of this earth and goes on asking until the sunrise. Is there any seeker of salvation so that I can give it to him; is there any one in need of food so that I can feed him; is there any one suffering so that I can cure him? (Ibne-Majah).
Osman Ibne Abul Us (RA) reported that the Prophet Mohammad (SM) said, 'Allah forgives every Muslim on this night but the unbelievers, the jealous, the cruel and the adulterers (Baihaki). There are also many Hadiths which do very clearly indicate that Prophet Mohammad (SM) not only said special prayers on this sacred night but also visited the Jannatul Baqi which is a graveyard of his disciples, and prayed for their departed souls. There is also an authentic Hadith which stated that Ayesha Siddiqua (RA) went to the Jannatul Baqi on one of those nights in search of Holy Prophet Mohammad (SM).
The above mentioned glorious incidents testify to Prophet Mohammad's (SM) belief in the importance, serenity and divine excellence of the auspicious night of privilege. The Prophet (SM) instructed his wives to honour the sanctity and divine majesty of this Night.
So the observance of the Night is not anything new in the annals of Islam. The millions of Muslims across the world, including Bangladesh, celebrate the night as a Sunnah of the Prophet. Unfortunately, however, there are many among us who not only deny the dignity of the Night but also discourage cooking and distribution of food stuff to the members of the family and the poor people. Actually there is no harm if delicious 'halwa' (sweet dish), bread or rich food is cooked on this occasion, but let such food be prepared to be shared with the poor people.
Our lesson of the Night is to see the path of goodness, to be always ready to respond to the cry of the needy, and to avoid falsehood and embrace truthfulness in every spheres of our life.
The writer, a former lecturer in Economics, is a banker at NCC Bank Ltd., working at its Human Resources Division at the Head Office.
Prophet Mohammad (SM) declared Sha'ban, the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, as his own month. Abu Saeed Khudri (RA) quotes the Prophet (SM) as saying, "Inna rajaba shahrullah, was shabana shahree wa ramadana shahrul ummati" (Hadith).
Every year Prophet Mohammad (SM) used to pray much all through the month with a view to receiving the mercy of Almighty Allah. Once Usama ibn Zayd (RA) asked the Prophet, "O holy Prophet, I don't observe you keeping fast in other months as you do in Sha'ban. Why?" Prophet Mohammad (SM) replied that men must be conscious about the month of Sha'ban in which their deeds are placed before Allah. "I fast so that my deeds are placed before Allah during the period of fasting." The Prophet (SM) also requested his followers to keep fast in the month of Sha'ban, especially on the day after the Holy Night of Shab-e-Barat (Ibn Majah).
The preceding night of the 15th of Sha'ban is an auspicious night known as Lailatul Barat popularly known as Shab-e-Barat in the Sub-continent. It is a night of privilege and salvation that the Benevolent Providence in His infinite mercy blesses each and every Muslim with a unique opportunity to receive the most coveted Divine mercy.
Shab-e-Barat has not been directly or specifically mentioned in the Holy Quran like 'Lailatul Qadr.' It does, in no way, empower any Muslim to ignore or belittle the inner significance of the night. The word 'Shab' in Persian means night and 'Barat' means salvation or privilege. The Holy Quran is written in the Arabic language. So it is futile to search for the word 'Shab-e-Barat' in the Holy Quran.
Recently, a few Alem and Olamas (theologians) have ruled out the existence of the Night, as it is not directly mentioned in the Holy Quran. But we have to remember that it does not necessarily mean that we can ignore the night showing the above mentioned causes. There are numerous authentic Hadiths which prove the existence and significance of Shab-e-Barat.
According to the Usul-e-Fiqh, both the Holy Quran and the Hadith are divine revelations. The first one is called Wahee-e-Matlu and the latter, Wahee-e-Gairi. The Holy Quran and the Hadith both come from Prophet Mohammad (SM), who is the best of all creation, the Ashraf amongst the Ashraful Makhlukat (the best of creations).
The Night has been indirectly mentioned in Sura Ad Dukhan of the Holy Quran as 'Lailateen Mubarakateen.' Ikrama (RA) who was the student of the leader of the Mofassir (specialist of the Holy Quran) Abbas (RA) commented that "Lailateen Mubaraketeen' mentioned in the Holy Quran means 'Shab-e-Barat.' A few commentators, especially Abu Bakr Ibn al-Arabi and others are of the opinion that the verse may allude to the night of 'Shab-e-Qadr', the 27th night of the month of Ramadan.
In Tafseer-e-Sabee, it is clarified that the revealing process of the Holy Quran started on 'Shab-e-Barat' and ended on 'Shab-e-Qadr.' In that sense, there is no paradox in the revelation of the Holy Quran. Prophet Mohammad (SM) referred to the holy night as 'Lailatun Nisfe min Shaban' (Baihaki). It is also known as 'Lailatus Sakki' 'Lailatur Rahmat' etc.
There are, lots of authentic Hadiths and evidence of Prophet Mohammad (SM) which testify the fact that the Holy Prophet himself used to say special prayers on the Night. Ayesha Siddiqua (RA) reported that Prophet Mohammad (SM) was so deeply absorbed in his meditation that she became awfully nervous and thought that he had shuffled off his mortal coil. The fourth Caliph of Islam, Ali (RA) reported that Prophet (SM) said, 'On this night, from the moment the sun sets, Allah descends into the firmament of this earth and goes on asking until the sunrise. Is there any seeker of salvation so that I can give it to him; is there any one in need of food so that I can feed him; is there any one suffering so that I can cure him? (Ibne-Majah).
Osman Ibne Abul Us (RA) reported that the Prophet Mohammad (SM) said, 'Allah forgives every Muslim on this night but the unbelievers, the jealous, the cruel and the adulterers (Baihaki). There are also many Hadiths which do very clearly indicate that Prophet Mohammad (SM) not only said special prayers on this sacred night but also visited the Jannatul Baqi which is a graveyard of his disciples, and prayed for their departed souls. There is also an authentic Hadith which stated that Ayesha Siddiqua (RA) went to the Jannatul Baqi on one of those nights in search of Holy Prophet Mohammad (SM).
The above mentioned glorious incidents testify to Prophet Mohammad's (SM) belief in the importance, serenity and divine excellence of the auspicious night of privilege. The Prophet (SM) instructed his wives to honour the sanctity and divine majesty of this Night.
So the observance of the Night is not anything new in the annals of Islam. The millions of Muslims across the world, including Bangladesh, celebrate the night as a Sunnah of the Prophet. Unfortunately, however, there are many among us who not only deny the dignity of the Night but also discourage cooking and distribution of food stuff to the members of the family and the poor people. Actually there is no harm if delicious 'halwa' (sweet dish), bread or rich food is cooked on this occasion, but let such food be prepared to be shared with the poor people.
Our lesson of the Night is to see the path of goodness, to be always ready to respond to the cry of the needy, and to avoid falsehood and embrace truthfulness in every spheres of our life.
The writer, a former lecturer in Economics, is a banker at NCC Bank Ltd., working at its Human Resources Division at the Head Office.