What is Shaban in Islam?

Shaban is the eight-month of the Islamic calendar; it comes between Rajab and Ramadan so most of the people tend to overlook the importance of this month.

Sha’ban month’s importance is huge, during this month there are many opportunities to increase our good deeds and get closer to Allah and the prophet peace and blessing be upon him by sending Salwat upon him. What is Shaban in Islam?

What does Shaban mean?

Shaban is the eight-month of the Islamic calendar that is called the Hijri calendar. it is said that the names of the Arabic months were the names that existed before Islam comes. The name of each month represents the weather at that time.

For example, the name of the month Ramadan came from the word “Ramadha” which indicates intense heat. While Shaban comes from the word “Sha `a ba”, which has many meanings that include branching and separating.

The true reason why it is named Shaban is not known however there are some explanations like:

• During this month People used to scatter in Shaban to engage in raids and fights after they were restrained in Rajab.
• People used to go searching for water in this month.

 

What happens on Shaban? (Raising the worships of the year in Shaban)

Our deeds are raised to Allah every week on Monday and Thursday, on daily basis after Fajr and ASR, and on yearly basis during Shaban. The prophet peace and blessing be upon him said:

‘Angels take turns among you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn and afternoon prayers. Those (of the angels) who spend the night among you, then, ascend, and their Lord asks them, though He is the best informed about them, “How did you leave My servants?“. They say, “We left them while they were praying and we came to them while they were praying”’. [Muslim]

So the prophet loved Fasting during Shaban to gain more rewards, and we should do like the prophet and worship Allah more during this month. We can do that by reading Quran, remembering Allah, and fasting like the prophet used to do.

What is the importance of Shaban?

• The month in which deeds are raised to Allah:

Our deeds are raised to Allah every week on Monday and Thursday, on daily basis after Fajr and ASR, and on yearly basis during Shaban. The prophet peace and blessing be upon him said:

‘Angels take turns among you by night and by day, and they all assemble at the dawn and afternoon prayers. Those (of the angels) who spend the night among you, then, ascend, and their Lord asks them, though He is the best informed about them, “How did you leave My servants?“. They say, “We left them while they were praying and we came to them while they were praying”’. [Muslim]

So the prophet loved Fasting during Shaban to gain more rewards, and we should do like the prophet and worship Allah more during this month. We can do that by reading Quran, remembering Allah, and fasting like the prophet used to do.

 

• The month before Ramadan:

During this month Muslims start preparing for the upcoming month, Ramadan. By fasting in Shaban, reading Quran. We get rewarded for Just having the intention to do something good, so you should prepare your plan for Ramadan and Shaban and decide how will you increase your worshiping.

For example, you could do some of the following:

• Make a reading Quran schedule.
• Help the ones in need without waiting for anything in return.
• Try your best to stay away from any bad habits.
• Ask Allah for forgiveness and to give you the strength to commit to your plan.
• Gather with your family members and have a great time.
• Do volunteering work.
• Make your Tahajjud praying schedule.
• Save some money for charity work and sadaqah.

The month of the Prophet (saw)

The Prophet said, ‘Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha’ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah’.

So during this month, we should increase our Salawat upon the prophet (blessing) to come closer to him. we could also take the chance and get to know more about the prophet, learn the Duas he loved the most, and follow his sunnah.

• The month of momentous events:

Most Muslims neglect the importance of Shaban and focus on the miracles that happened on Rajab (Al-Isra’ Wal-Mi’raj) and Ramadan (the Quran was revealed to the prophet during Ramadan). However, Shaban has many miracles of its own too. let’s get to know about them.

1. Splitting of the moon:

Anas bin Malik narrated, ’the people of Makkah asked Allah’s Messenger to show them a miracle. So he showed them the moon split into two halves between which they saw the Hira’ mountain [the Mountain of Light]’. [Bukhari]

As you can see this great miracle that occurred in Shaban and was mentioned in the Holy Quran:

’The Hour has come near, and the moon has split [in two]’. [The Noble Qur’an, 54:1]

2. Changing of the Qiblah:

In the past, the Qiblah used to be Masjid Al-Aqsa Al-Mubarakah, but when the prophet was living in Madinah the following verses were revealed to him:

 ‘We have certainly seen the turning of your face, [O Prophet (saw)], 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…’ [The Noble Qur’an, 2:144]

 

• Here are some of the verses revealed in the month of Shaban:

’The month of Ramadan is the one in which the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind and as clear signs that show the right way and distinguish between right and wrong. So whoever witnesses (the new moon of) the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey, then an equal number of other days (i.e. he must make up the missed fasts). Allah intends for you ease and does not intent for your hardship, and (He wants) you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that (to) which He has guided you, and perhaps you will be grateful’. [The Noble Qur’an, 2:185]

During Sha’ban, Muslims were also commanded to send Salawat upon the Prophet (saw). As mentioned before, Sha’ban is the month of the Prophet (saw) and we should take advantage of this opportunity to draw closer to him. The Prophet (saw) said, ‘The person closest to me on the Day of Judgement is the one who sent the most Blessings [Salawat] upon me’. [Tirmidhi]

 

The best etiquette for making du’a is to begin by praising Allah and then sending Salawat upon the Prophet (saw).

How do Muslims celebrate Shaban?

Muslims celebrate Shaban by worshiping Allah more. They read Quran, remeber Allah, and fast like the prophet used to do.

Why do we fast on 15 Shaban and 13 Shaban?

Muslims fast the white days of every hijri month, the white days are 13, 14, and 15. On those days it is said that our deeds are raised to Allah. So in order to seek forgiveness Muslims fast those three days to atone for any bad thing they have done.

There is a hadith about the 15 th of shaban saying: Allah will say “is there any person repenting so that I forgive him, and any person seeking provision so that I provide for him, and any person with distress so that I relieve him, and so on until dawn.” reported by Ibn Majah.

On the night between the 14th and 15th of Shaban Allah gives his mercy to us. So on the night of the 15th Shaban after Maghrib we should read surah Yasin and ask Allah for forgiveness.

 

What are the virtues of fasting?

• The prophet pease and blessing be upon him said: “The sleep of a fasting person is regarded as an act of ibaadah, his remaining silent is regarded as a لإasbeeh, the reward for his good deeds is multiplied, his duas are accepted, and his sins are forgiven.”
• It is also said in a hadith that fasting saves us from hellfire, also fasting helps us to stay away from doing any bad habits.
• Fasting help us stop all the bad habits like lies, backbiting, and committing sins, because fasting while still doing what is wrong is not fasting at all.
• Any dua that you make when opening the fast is accepted.
• The prophet said: “You should fast because fasting is a shield in order to save oneself from hell and in order to save oneself from the difficulties of time.”

What is the Virtues of sha’ban islamqa?

• All our deeds are raised to allah during Shaban:

“It is a month in which the deeds are taken up to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my deeds be taken up when I am fasting.” (Al-Nisai)

• The Prophet used to love fasting this month.

“The most beloved of months for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to fast in was Sha’ban”. (Abu Dawud)

• The Prophet used to fast frequently this month:

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.” (Al-Bukhari)

• Fasting during this month is a Sunnah:

“That is a month occurring between Rajab and Ramadan that many people neglect” (Al-Nisai) “Whoever revives a Sunnah from my Sunnah and the people practice it, will have the same reward of those who practice it without their reward diminishing” (Sunan ibn Maajah)

• Fasting this month will prepare you for Ramadan:

In Shaban you can start practicing fasting to prepare yourself for Ramadan and train yourself on staying away from doing any bad thing.

Hadith about sha’ban month:

• Shaban is the month that comes before Ramadan, and the prophet used to say about it: “Rajab is the month of Allah, Shaban is my month and Ramadan is the month of the Nation”.
• The blessed companion Usama ibn Zaid, reports that he asked Prophet Muhammad: “Messenger of Allah, I have seen you fasting in the month of Shaban so frequently that I have never seen you fasting in any other month.” Prophet Muhammad replied: “That (Shaban) is a month between Rajab and Ramadan, which is neglected by many people. And it is a month in which an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so, I wish that my deeds be presented at a time when I am in a state of fasting.”
• Ummul Mu’mineen ‘Aishah, said, “Prophet Muhammad, used to fast for most of Shaban. I said to him, ‘Messenger of Allah, is Shaban your favorite month for fasting?’ He said, ‘In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting.’ “

From the hadiths, we understand the importance and virtues of Sha’ban. Fasting is a Sunnah that we need to follow.

Which month is Shaban?

Shaban is the eight-month of the Islamic calendar called the Hijri calendar.

How many days are in the month of Shaban?

It depends on the moon’s crescent so it is either 29 or 30.

What did the Prophet do in Shaban?

The Prophet used to fast frequently this month.

“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.” (Al-Bukhari)