The Sunnah of Allah’s Messenger (saws) in the Month of Sha'baan

Shabaan is the eight month of the Islamic calendar. It falls between two sacred months, Rajab and Ramadaan. Allah's Messenger (saws) used to spend most part of Shabaan by fasting, Imaam Bukhari reports in his Saheeh that Aa'ishah (ra) said: “The Messenger (saws) used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and he would not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) fasting for an entire month except in Ramadaan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Shabaan.”

Some ignorant people however have themselves specified particular nights of the year, when they stay awake all night and worship Allah. It is believed that anyone who worships Allah in these specific nights, it will recompense for his yearly deeds and will be enough for his salvation and entering Jannah. One among these nights is the night of mid Shabaan (15th Shabaan), which is popularly known as 'Shabb-e-Baraa't', Insha'Allah we'll elaborate further on this issue in a bit.

Ibn Rajab said: “Fasting in Shabaan is better than fasting in the sacred months (i.e. Dhul-Qadah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab - Surah Tawbah (9):36), and the best of voluntary fasts are those that are (observed in the months) closest to Ramadaan, before or after. The status of these fasts is like that of al-Sunan al-Rawaatib, which are done before and after fard (prayers) and which make up for any shortfall in the number of obligatory prayers. The same applies to fasts observed before and after Ramadaan. Just as al-Sunan al-Rawaatib are better than other kinds of voluntary prayers, so fasts observed (in the months) before and after Ramadaan are better than fasts at other times.” [Lataa'if al-Ma'aarif fimaa li Mawaasim al-'Aam min al-Wazaa'if, by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali] 

When Allah's Messenger (saws) was asked, why he fasted so abundantly in the month of Shabaan, he (saws) said: "(Shabaan) is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadaan, 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.” [an-Nisa'i, see Saheeh al-Targheeb wa'l-Tarheeb, p. 425] This and other Ahaadeeth of Allah's Messenger (saws) encourage performing good deeds when people are likely to become negligent of Allah's remembrance and worship, like remembering Allah in the market place, where people get busy in their dealings and in times of difficulty - Allah's Messenger (saws) said: “Worship at times of tribulation (fitnah) is like Hijrah (migration) to me.” [Saheeh Muslim (2984)] The virtue and superiority of worshiping Allah when people tend to become negligent of Allah's remembrance is because worship at such times is more difficult than worshiping Allah when everybody is engaged in the worship.
 

Kalimah of Tawheed...

All praise belongs to Allah. May the salaah and salaam be upon the messenger of Allah, his family, companions, and those who allied with him. As for what follows:

The following is some speech in the explanation of the meaning of la ilaha illallah, which is the kalimah of tawhid, that which is the right of Allah upon His slaves. The highest word, the most noble and most valuable. The one who clings on to it, indeed, becomes safe. And he who adheres to it, indeed, is protected. The most trustworthy handhold, the word of taqwa, the Hanifiyyah, the Millah of Ibrahim, (la ilaha illallah) for which the creations were created, and for it the Earth and heavens were established. For it the messengers were sent, and the Books were revealed.

Allah said:
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ
“And I have not created the jinn and mankind except that they worship me.”
And He said:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ
“And We did not send any Messenger before you but We inspired him (saying): none has the right to be worshipped but I , so worship Me.”

However!

It (la ilaha illallah) has an expression and meaning, for the statement is its outer core and the meaning is its inner essence. The statement is its shell and the meaning is the pearl; and what can a person do with the husk in the absence of its core?! And what can a person do with the shell with the absence of its jewels?!

With its meaning it is as the soul in the body, and there is no benefit of having a body with the absence of the soul. Just like that, there is no benefit of this kalimah  in the absence of its meaning.

The Murtadd Vote...!

Allāh ordered His slaves to worship and submit to Him alone and commanded them to disassociate from tāghūt and disbelieve in it.

“Whoever disbelieves in tāghūt and believes in Allāh has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.” [2:256] 

“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, (saying), ‘Worship Allāh and disassociate from tāghūt.’” [16:36]

 

The Prophet (saws) explained this, saying, “Islām has been built upon five matters: Worshiping Allāh and disbelieving in anything (worshiped) besides Him…” [Muslim]

Tāghūt linguistically is from the Arabic root tagha (or tughyān), meaning to transgress the limits. This limit – in the context of the Qurān and the Sunnah – is the tawhīd of Allāh, the tāghūt thus being anyone and anything by which the unique attributes of Allāh and sole right to be worshiped are transgressed upon. From the pillars of the tawhīd of Allāh is that He alone has the right to legislate. Hence, the execution of, judgment by, and seeking judgment from any legislation besides His are major shirk. The evidences for this from the Qurān and the Sunnah are explicit and plenteous.

“Have you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you, and what was revealed before you? They wish to seek judgment from tāghūt, while they were commanded to disbelieve in it; and Shaytān wishes to lead them far astray.” [4:60] 

“Do they have ‘partners’ (whom they associate with Allāh) who have legislated for them of a deen that which Allāh has not permitted?” [42:21] 

“Those who do not rule by what Allāh has revealed are indeed the disbelievers.” [5:44]

Draw Closer to Your Lord !!!

When a person contemplates the state of people who are trapped in forbidden lusts and those who pursue the satisfaction of their instincts and desires, you will find that they share a common factor, which is evident in their every movement and moment of repose, and which is reflected in their facial features: a weak connection with Allah.

How can a heart which is connected to Allah, a heart that knows Him and has tasted the pleasure of being close to Him, find pleasure or comfort in looking at nude pictures, watching pornographic movies or stealing surreptitious gazes at what is unlawful? Thus, everyone who has fallen into one of the sins related to sexual desires, or returned to it after repentance and abandoning it, has been dragged to this state due to the weakness of his faith. Weak faith facilitates the way to his soul which is a persistent enjoiner of evil, as well as to the accursed Shaytaan, and thus he was trapped in the swamps of sexual desire after being firm for a long time in the gardens of faith.

Faith in Allah is the shield against falling into prohibitions, second only, of course, to the guidance of Allah. The Prophet (saws) said: "The adulterer is not a believer at the time he commits adultery." [Al-Bukhari]

Thus, when faith inhabits the heart, dominates the feelings, and flows to the organs to lead them to the pleasure of Allah, the person will not dare to think of committing an act of disobedience. The eye will not dare to look at what is prohibited, nor will any part of the body dare to disobey the commands of Allah. Building faith in the heart is not easy; however, the one who insists on knocking on the door will be let in eventually.

Imaam Ahmad's hikma of reasoning... and his suffering on speaking the Haqq !

Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal died 241H.

When I arose (the next morning) I made my way to the door (of al-Mu’tasim) and the people were entering, so I entered along with them. Al Mu’tasim approached and sat on his chair and said ”Bring Ahmad ibn Hanbal “, and so he was brought. When he stood in front of him, Al Mu’tasim said to him, ”How were you in your cell yesterday, O Ahmad?"

Imam Ahmad said. ”In goodness and alhumdulillah except that in my cell, O Ameerul Mumineen, I saw something amazing.“ He said to him ”And what did you see?” So he replied ”I arose in the middle of the night, performed ablution for the prayer and prayed two rakah. In one rakah I recited Alhumdulillah and Qul Authoo bi rabin naas, and in the second rakah I recited Alhumdulillah and Qul authoo bi rabil Faalaq. Then I sat down, read the tashahud and gave salutation (to my right and left)… and then I stood again, made the takbeer and recited Alhumdulillah… and then I desired to read: Qul huwallahu ahad, And I was not able to. I tried hard to read something else from the Quran and I was not able. Then I stretched my eyes to the corner of the prison and (behold) I saw the Quraan laid out on the floor, dead. So I washed it and shrouded it, then prayed over it and buried it."

So Al Mu’tasim said ”Woe be to you, O Ahmad, and does the Quraan die!?" So Ahmad said to him “Well that is what you say – That its created. And everything created dies.” Al Mu’tasim said ”Ahmad has subdued us, Ahmad has subdued us.”

The two knocks of Imaan...

Impart unto us O Mother Hajar,
Of how the feeling of Imaan conquered,
The burning feeling of jealousy and fear,
O Companions who dug the trench,
Could you formulate unto us in even a rhyme,
Of how the reasoning of Imaan shot up far beyond,
Surpassing the supportable reasoning of pretense (munafiq).

The three mortals were crossing over a valley. Empty, dry, hot, wild and uninhabited. No animals in sight, no plants. They consisted of a man who began to come in to old age and a woman who carried a newly born baby. The feeling of tiredness made them stop. And the hungry baby started to breastfeed on the mother.
But the man, the righteous husband, suddenly walked heading towards the north. There were tears welling in his eyes. He kept on walking. The wife then realized that she and her baby were being left by the man. She thus ran after him, trying to catch up. She trotted with her still reddish baby shaking inside the carrier.
“Why are leaving us O Ibrahim?” she cried, full of questions.
That man, Ibrahim, did not answer. He stopped for a while, took a deep breath and withheld his tears.
“Why are you leaving us O Ibrahim?”
Ibrahim was still quiet. A thousand and one feelings raged in his heart. He, who had been waiting for the apple of his eye for decades. He, who had been spending his nights with duaa, begging for a little cry that could break the silence in his house. Now Allah had given that gift, Isma’il. And now, Allah suddenly asked him to leave Isma’il and his mother in this lifeless land. He would feel lonely again. He would be struck by a feeling of worry that has no limits. But what power does a slave has? And why should he think bad of Allah? Yes, he is pleased with His command. Only that, he could not afford to answer Hajar. The watery layers in his eyes started to suffuse. It was raining within.
“Is this an order from Allah?” suddenly Hajar changed her question.
Ibrahim instantly felt crushed. He stopped for a second, and then turned back. He looked straight into Hajar’s limpid and teary eyes. Both his arms clutched Hajar’s arms. “Yes,” he said. He took a long and deep breath. “This is Allah’s order.”
It was a moment of serenity. They embraced each other. “If this is Allah’s order,” Hajar whispered at her husband’s ear, “He would never disappoint us at all.”