The Night of Braa'at (15th Night of Sha'baan)

Allah Ta'aalaa has, afforded His bondsmen certain selected opportunities whereby they may reap his infinite mercy and forgiveness. The night occurring between 14th and 15th day of Sha'baan is one such opportunity.  Countless people are forgiven by Allah Ta'aala during this blessed night. Due to this reason this Night is called "The Night of Braa'at" (The night of freedom from the Fire of Jahannam (hell).   

The virtue of this night:

The virtue of this night established from the Ahaadith is that from the very beginning of the night Allah Ta'aala turns with special mercy and attention towards the creation and forgives those who repents and seeks forgiveness.

On the night of Braa'at the special rain of mercy and forgiveness of Allah Ta'aala begins to shower down right from the beginning of the night and continues until dawn.

The sins of countless people are pardoned. Furthermore, the number of pronouncements seeking forgiveness far supercede those, which occur on other nights.

What should be done on this Night?

In order to obtain maximum benefit from this auspicious night, one should allocate a specific portion of the night for solitude and close communion with Allah Ta’aala. Other observances that may be practiced are:

Salaah is one the most preferable acts to be performed during this night. It is also advisable that each part of the Salaah like qiyam, rukoo' and sajdah should be longer than normal. Also try and recite as much qiraat in salaah as possible.

The Recitation of the Holy Quran is another form of worship that is very beneficial on this night.

Engage ones heart in Zikr (remembrance of Allah Ta’aala).

One should also recite abundant Durood on Rasoolullah, sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Zikr can also be recited while walking, lying on bed and during other hours of work or leisure.

The best benefit one can draw from the blessings of this night is du'aa and supplications. Du'aa (supplication) itself is an 'Ibadah, and Allah Ta’aalaa gives reward on each du'aa along with the fulfillment of the supplicator's need .

Women during menstruation cannot perform Salaah, nor can they recite the Qur'aan, but they can recite any Zikr, Tasbeeh, Durood shareef and can pray to Allah for whatever purpose they like in whatever language they wish. They can also recite the Arabic prayers mentioned in the Quran or in the Hadith with the intention of supplication (and not with the intention of recitation).

Unfortunate People

It is understood from Ahaadith that even on this great night, some unfortunate individuals are deprived of Allah's forgiveness. They are:

1. Idolaters 2. Those who harbour enmity against others. 3. Those who consume alcohol. 4. Those who disobey their parents. 5. Those who wear their trousers, kurtas, lungis, etc. below their ankles. 6. Those who commit urder. 7. Those who sever family ties.

Fast of 15th of Sha'baan

It is advisable to fast the 15th of Sha'baan as an optional (Nafl) fast. One can also keep a fast of Qadhaa' on this day and it is hoped that he can also benefit himself from the merits of this fast.

What should not be done on this Night

  1. As mentioned earlier, the Night of Braa’at is a night in which special blessings are directed towards the Muslims. Therefore, this night should be spent in total submission to Allah Ta’aalaa, and one should refrain from all those activities, which may displease Allah Ta’aala. Although it is always incumbent upon every Muslim to abstain from sins, yet this abstinence becomes all the more necessary in such nights, because committing sins on such an occasion is tantamount to responding to divine blessings with disobedience and felony. Such an arrogant attitude only invites the wrath of Allah Ta’aala. Therefore, one should strictly abstain from these sins, particularly those mentioned earlier in the article, as these deprive one of the blessings of this night.
  2. On this night some people indulge in some activities, which they regard as necessary for the celebration of the Night of Braa’at, like cooking some special type of meal, or illuminating houses or mosques, or improvised structures. All such activities are not only baseless and innovated in the later days by ignorant people, but in some cases they are pure imitation of some rituals performed by non-Muslim communities. Such imitation in itself is a sin; performing it in a blessed night like the Night of Braa’at makes it worse. Muslims should strictly abstain from all such innovations.
  3. Some people spend this night holding religious meetings and delivering long sermons. Such activities are also not advisable, because these acts can easily be performed on other nights. This night requires devotion for the pure acts of worship only.
  4. The acts of worship like Salaah; recitation of the Qur'aan and Zikr should preferably be performed on this night individually, not collectively. The Nafl Salaah should not be performed in congregation, nor should Muslims arrange gatherings in the mosques in order to celebrate the night in a collective manner.

On the contrary, this night is meant for worshipping Allah in solitude. It is the time to enjoy the direct contact with the Lord of the Universe, and to devote one's attention to Him and Him alone. These are the precious hours of the night in which nobody should intervene between one and his Creator, and one should turn to Allah with total concentration, not disturbed or intermitted any one else.

That is why Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam observed the acts of worship on this night in total seclusion, not accompanied by anyone, not even by Sayyidah Aaishah, (radhiyallahu anha), and that is why all forms of optional worship (Nafl Ibadah), should be observed individually.

Some strange and Innovative Practices with Shab-e-Braa'at

The occasion of Shab-e-Braa'at has become synonymous with some baseless beliefs and practices to mention just a few:

  1. Burning Bright Lights and Candles: There is no substantiation for these acts, which are pure innovation. The Muslims of Pakistan and India being in close contact with the Hindus probably began imitating them in their practices, thus resulting in imitation of their celebration practices.

Maa thabata bis sunnah p. 215

  1. Preparing of Sweetmeets: Some consider this compulsory. Without it there can be no Shab-e-Braa'at. This is absolutely baseless. Some say that this act gains significance from the fact that on the occasion of Uhud when the blessed tooth of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) became Shaheed, he had some Halwa. Others say that Hadhrat Hamzah (radhiyallahu anhu) was martyred on this day and the sweetmeats are in commemoration of him. These are fabricated and concocted theories. How can it ever be possible when it is a known fact that the battle of Uhud in which Hadhrat Hamzah was martyred took place in Shawwaal and not Sha’baan.
  2. Souls visit families: Some people firmly believe that the souls of the deceased visit their families' homes and see whether any food has been prepared in their honour or not. Some people feel that if a person dies before Shab-e-Braa’at, he is not counted amongst the dead. These are baseless ideologies that clearly contradict Ahaadith.
  3. Distribution of Food: Some feel that it is compulsory to distribute food on this night with the intention of Eisaal-e-Thawaab. There is no link between this practice and the significance of the night. No special acts of charity, etc. have been prescribed for this night.

Fataawa Imdadiyya vol, 4 pg 27

  1. Hadith on Rajab, Sha'baan and Ramadhaan: Some people quote the following narration in their lectures: 'Rasoolullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said, 'Rajab is Allah's month, Sha'baan is my month and Ramadaan is the month of my Ummah.'

It should be noted that this 'Hadith' is a fabrication. (Akhbaare Mowdhoo p. 329)