IN the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Sha’ban is the name of the (eighth) month, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (Tasha’aba) in search of water, or it was said that they dispersed to carry out raids and forays. Or it was said that it is so called because it Sha’aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadan. The plural forms of the word Sha’ban are Sha’banat and Sha’abin.
Significance of Sha’ban
Prophet Muhammad SAW said: “It is a month where people tend to neglect, between the months of Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are raised to the Lord of the worlds, and I like my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.” Sunan An-Nasa’i.
The Prophet SAW increased his acts of worship by fasting more compared to other months (other than Ramadan).
Sha’ban is the month when the verse commanding selawat was revealed: As cited by Imam Al-Qastallani and Abu Dzar Al-Harawi, it is in the month of Sha’ban when verse 56 from Surah Al-Ahzab was revealed to the Prophet SAW. Scholars, therefore, have constantly reminded us to further increase in sending selawat (prayers) and salutations upon our Prophet SAW in light of the verse:
Indeed Allah and His angels bestow their prayers upon the Prophet. O you who believe, bestow prayers and peace upon him in abundance. (Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:56)
Also, it is the month that the Qiblah was changed on 15th of Sha’ban.
In addition, Al-Imam Ibn Kathir in Al-Bidayah Wan-Nihayah, mentioned the majority of scholars are inclined to the view that the 15th of Sha’ban is also the date when the changing of the Qiblah (direction of prayer) took place.
The Qiblah for Muslims in the earlier period of the Prophet’s SAW time was initially facing the Baitul-Maqdis, the holy city where Masjid Al-Aqsa is located until Allah SWT later revealed to His beloved Prophet SAW about two months after the Hijrah:
“We have certainly seen the turning of your face, (O Muhammad), toward the heaven, and We will surely turn you to a qiblah with which you will be pleased. So turn your face toward al-Masjid al-Haram. And wherever you (believers) are, turn your faces toward it (in prayer).” (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:144)
All these blessed significance and events that took place in the month of Sha’ban are also considered as forms of encouragement for us to increase performing good deeds, such as waking up for the night vigil prayers (qiyamul lail), fasting, acts of remembrance (zikir) or as simple as reciting our supplications (dua).
Prophet’s fasting in Sha’ban
‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: “The Messenger (SAW) used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha’ban.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim).
According to a report by Muslim: “He used to fast all of Sha’ban, he used to fast all but a little of Sha’ban.”
A group of scholars, including Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on them, thought that the Prophet (SAW) did not fast all of Sha’ban, but he fasted most of it. This is supported by a report in Sahih Muslim narrated from ‘Aishah, RA, who said: “I never knew of him – meaning the Prophet (SAW) – fasting for any entire month apart from Ramadan.” According to another report by Muslim, ‘Aishah, RA, said: “I never saw him fast for any entire month from the time he came to Madinah, apart from Ramadan.”
It was reported in al-Sahihayn that Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said: “The Messenger of Allah (SAW) did not fast any entire month apart from Ramadan.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim). Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, regarded it as Makruh (disliked) to fast any entire month apart from Ramadan. Ibn Hajar, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “He observed more voluntary fasts in Sha’ban than in any other month, and he used to fast most of Sha’ban.”
Usamah ibn Zayd said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in Sha’ban.’ He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ‘That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.’” (Reported by an-Nasai). According to a report Reported by Abu Dawud; she said: “The most beloved of months for the Messenger of Allah (SAW) to fast in was Sha’ban, and his fasting in Sha’ban was continuous with his fasting in Ramadan.” (asSahih Sunan Abu Dawud).
Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “Fasting in Sha’ban is better than fasting in the Sacred Months, and the best of voluntary fasts are those that are (observed in the months) closest to Ramadan, before or after. The status of these fasts is like that of al-Sunan al-Rawatib which are done before and after Fardh (obligatory prayers) and which make up for any shortfall in the number of obligatory prayers. The same applies to fasts observed before and after Ramadan. Just as al-Sunan ar-Rawatib are better than other kinds of voluntary prayers, so fasts observed (in the months) before and after Ramadan are better than fasts at other times.”
The month to which people do not pay attention
The phrase “Sha’ban is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan” indicates that because it comes between two important months, the sacred Month of Rajab and the month of fasting, people are preoccupied with those two months and they do not pay attention to Sha’ban. Many people think that fasting in Rajab is better than fasting in Sha’ban, because Rajab is one of the Sacred Months, but this is not the case.
In the Hadith quoted above, there is an indication that even though certain times, places and people may be commonly thought to possess a particular virtue, there may be others that are better than them.
It also indicates that it is Mustahabb (recommended) to make good use of the times when people tend to be negligent, by doing acts of worship. A group of the Salaf used to fill the time between Maghrib and ‘Isha with prayer, saying that it was a time when many people were negligent. Another example is the remembrance of Allah (dhikr) in the marketplace, because this means one is remembering Him in a place where people tend to be negligent and among people who are negligent. There are a number of benefits that come from making good use of times when people are often negligent, and using these times for worship, including the following:
It is more concealing of one’s good works, and hiding and concealing voluntary (Nafl) actions is better, especially fasting, because it is a secret between a slave and his Lord. Hence it was said that there is no element of showing off in fasting. The Salaf thought it was Mustahabb for a person who was fasting to do things that would conceal the fact that he was fasting. It was reported that Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “When you get up in the morning and you are fasting, then apply perfume.” Qatadah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: “It is Mustahabb for the [man] who is fasting to apply perfume so that there will be no sign that he is fasting.”
In the same vein, doing righteous deeds at times when people are distracted and negligent is more difficult. One of the indications of how virtuous a deed is, is how difficult it is: if everyone is doing a certain action, it is easy, but if most people are negligent, this makes it more difficult for those who do remember Allah.( Muslim) narrated from the Hadith of Ma’qil ibn Yasar, may Allah be pleased with him: “[The Prophet (SAW) said:] ‘Worship at times of tribulation (Fitnah) is like Hijrah to me.” (The phrase “worship at times of tribulation” refers to times of upheavals and trials, when people follow their own desires, and those who adhere to Islaam are doing something difficult.)
It was said that it was because this is a month which people do not pay attention to. This is the most correct view, because of the Hadith of Usamah, may Allah be pleased with him, quoted above, in which it says: “That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan.” (Reported by an-Nasai)
When Sha’ban began, if the Prophet SAW still had some voluntary fasts outstanding that he had not fasted, he would make them up during Sha’ban so that his voluntary fasts would be complete before Ramadan came. Similarly, if he had missed some Sunnah prayers or he had missed Qiyam al-Layl, he would make it up. ‘Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, used to make the most of this opportunity to make up any obligatory Ramadan fasts that she had missed because of menstruation; during other months she was too busy with the Prophet (SAW) to fast. We should also note here that anyone who has any missed fasts to make up has to make them up before the next Ramadan comes. It is not permissible to delay it until after the following Ramadan except in cases of necessity (such as a valid excuse that continues between the two Ramadans). Whoever is able to make them up before the (second) Ramadan and does not do so, has to make them up after the (second) Ramadan and in addition to that, he has to repent and to feed one poor person for each day that he missed. This is the view of Malik, ash-Shafi’i and Ahmad.
