Nisf Shaban - Iecrc

In the Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful Prayers and Peace upon His Noble Messenger

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Laylat-ul-Baraa`ah / Shab-e-Baraat / Night of Absolution (15th of Sha’baan) Sha’baan is the 8th month of the Islamic Lunar Hijri calendar. Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani (may Allah be well pleased with him) writes in his great book, Ghunyatu Talibeen that the angels have two Nights of Festival in heaven, just as the Muslims have two Days of Festival on earth. The angels celebrate the Laylat-ul-Baraa`ah (Night of Absolution), i.e. the 15th of Sha’baan, and the Laylat-ul-Qadr (Night of Power), while the Muslims celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr (Day of Breakfast) and the Eid-ul-Adha (Day of Sacrifice). reported the Holy Prophet as saying: Hazrat Abu Hurayra “Jibreel came to me on the night of mid-Sha’baan and said to me: ‘O Muhammad , raise your head heavenwards!’ I asked him: ’What night is this?’ and he replied: ‘This is the night when Allah opens three hundred of the gates of mercy, forgiving all who do not make anything His partner. The only exceptions are those who practice sorcery or divination, are addicted to wine, or persist in usury and illicit sex; these He does not forgive until they repent.’ At a quarter of the night, Jibreel came down and said: ‘O Muhammad , raise your head!’ So I looked up, to behold the gates of Paradise wide open. At the first gate an angel was calling: ‘Good news for those who bow in worship in this night!’ At the second gate an angel was calling: ‘Good news for those who prostrate themselves in worship this night!’ At the third gate an angel was calling: ‘Good news for those who offer supplication this night!’ At the fourth gate an angel was calling: ‘Good news for those who make remembrance this night!’ At the fifth gate an angel was calling: ‘Good news for those who weep this night from fear of Allah!’ At the sixth gate an angel was calling: ’Good news for those who submit this night!’ At the seventh gate an angel was calling: ‘Will anyone ask, that his request may be granted?’ At the eighth gate an angel was calling: ‘Will anyone seek forgiveness, that he may be forgiven?’ I said: ‘O Jibreel, how long will these gates remain open?’ He replied: ‘From the beginning of the night until the break of dawn.’ Then he said: ‘O Muhammad , tonight Allah has as many slaves emancipated from the Fire as the number of woolly hairs on the flocks and herds of Kalb1.’”

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Kalb was a tribe well known for it very woolly sheep. IECRC Sha’baan Document – 08/24/07

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Salat ul-Khayr (the Prayer of Benefits) The ritual prayer traditional for the night of mid-Sha’baan consists of 100 cycles2 (raka’ah), including one thousand repetitions of Qul huwa Allahu Ahad [Al-Quran: 112] (i.e., 10 recitations in each cycle) The blessings of this prayer are many and varied. Our righteous predecessors used to gather to perform it in congregation. It contains much merit and rich reward. It is reported of Iman Hasan al-Basri , that he once said: “Thirty of the Companions of Allah’s Messenger related to me that Allah will look 70 will fulfill times upon one who performs this prayer on this night, and with each glance He seventy of that person’s needs, the least of them being forgiveness.”

Excellence of the Month of Sha’baan and fasting in it , the Prophet once said: According to Hazrat Abu Hurayra “Sha’baan is my month, Rajab is Allah’s month, and Ramadan is the month of my Community. Sha’baan is the expiator, while Ramadan is the purifier.” The Holy Prophet also said: “Sha’baan is a month between Rajab and Ramadan. People tend to neglect it but that is when the deeds of His servants ascend to the Lord of All the Worlds, so I would rather mine rose up while I was fasting.” Hazrat Umm Salama is reported as having said: fast more often than in “In no other month, apart from Ramadan, did Allah’s Messenger Sha’baan. And that was because each Sha’baan, all who must die in the course of that year have their names transcribed from the list of the living onto that of the dead, and a man may embark on a journey even while his name is listed among those about to die.” According to Hazrat Abdullah , the Holy Prophet said: “Anyone who fasts on the last Monday of Sha’baan will be granted forgiveness.” [please note that it is forbidden to fast one or two days before Ramadan.]

Information Source: Hazrat Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani’s Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tareeq al-Haqq (Sufficient Provision for Seekers of the Path of Truth) – Volume 3, pages 54-69 Please handle this document with care and respect as it contains Allah’s

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and His Beloved Prophet’s

Names.

These can be performed in sets of 2 cycles (50 sets to make 100 cycles) or 4 cycles (25 sets to make 100 cycles) IECRC Sha’baan Document – 08/24/07

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