Shabe Barat – Is It Really Bid’ah?

With the blessed month of Ramadan only around the corner, we will see the whole Ummah coming together in this beautiful time of the year to worship their Lord. Without a doubt, it is the best time of the year where the Muslims leave their differences aside, and come together to fast in unison all around the world from dawn till dusk.

Unfortunately in the run up to Ramadan, we see year after year, the Muslims (mainly those from the Asian Subcontinent) partaking in an event which has no basis in the Shari’ah. This is the celebration of what they call ‘Shabe Barat’ or ‘Laylatul Nisf Min Sha’ban’ or ‘Laylatul Barat’. Every year, we find many of the people putting on their best clothes and perfume, going to the Masajid, visiting the graveyard, staying awake all night etc. This occurs on the night of the 15th of Sha’ban.

Many Muslims make the mistake of saying ‘Where does it say you cannot do it?’ but they forget that the burden of proof is upon the claimant. In Islam we have a principle that ‘Every action requires divine ruling’. So the question any sincere Muslim must ask him/herself is if I am going to do an action, does it have any evidence in the Shari’ah of Islam. So if a person wishes to pray, he must seek the divine ruling regarding it, so that he prays in the correct time, in the correct place and in the correct manner. The reason we say this is because the Messenger Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said in a very famous Hadith,
من عمل عملاً ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد
‘Any action, not based upon what I have commanded, will be rejected.’ [صحيح مسلم]

Using this as our foundation, we have seen that there is no authentic evidence whatsoever, from the Qur'an, Sunnah or even from the four Imams of Ahlul Sunnah Wal Jama’ah (Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Shafi’i, Imam Malik and Imam Ahmad), to single this night out for worship.

Instead we should be trying our utmost in worshipping and obeying Allah عز وجل as much as we can throughout the whole year. We should remind ourselves that if Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and the Sahaba رضي الله عنهم أجمعين never did such an action, have we now come up with something which is better than what they did?

You may hear some people quoting a Hadith from Tirmidhi, claiming that it is mentioned here that we should pray during the night of the 15th of Sha’ban and fast during the following day. The Muhadditheen (Scholars of Hadith) have unanimously concluded that this Hadith is extremely weak and therefore this cannot be used as evidence. If one does wish to fast during the following day however, then this is permissible due to the fact that there are many Ahadith encouraging the fasting during the middle days of every month (i.e. 13th, 14th and 15th), and also Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم used to increase his fasting in the month of Sha’ban.

Imam al-Shawkaani said in Al-Fawaa’id Al-Majmoo’ah,
“The hadeeth: ‘O ‘Ali, whoever prays one hundred rak’ahs on Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan, reciting in each rak’ah the Opening of the Book [Surah al-Faatihah] and Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad ten times, Allaah will meet all his needs…’ This is mawdoo’ (fabricated) [i.e., it is falsely attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him]. Its wording clearly states the reward that the person who does this will attain, and no man who has any common sense can doubt that this is fabricated. Also, the men of its isnaad (chain) are majhool (unknown). It was also narrated via another isnaad, all of which is mawdoo’ (fabricated) and all of whose narrators are majhool (unknown).

In Al-Mukhtasar he said, ‘The hadeeth about the salah for the middle of Sha’ban is false, and the hadeeth of ‘Ali narrated by Ibn Hibban – “ When it is the night of the middle of Sha’ban, spend that night in prayer and fast that day” – is da’eef (weak).

Many people think they are getting closer to Allah عز وجل by singling out this particular day as a special time of worship, when in reality they are opposing the Sunnah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. The danger of innovation in Islam is something quite serious to the extent the Scholars of Islam said innovation is worse than sin. This is because when you are committing a sin, you may seek repentance for it, but with the innovation, you think you are doing a good deed and you will not seek repentance for it.

Adhering to the Sunnah of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم will keep you away from innovation because verily the innovation will only lead to misguidance and the misguidance will only lead you to the hellfire.

We warn all of our brothers and sisters of this innovation and urge you to stay away from elevating this day to something which was never practised in the past. Those of you who do not follow this practice should advise others against it and those of you, who do practice it, should question yourselves and the Imams who encourage it.

Remember, Allah عز وجل says,
‘...And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it), and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Severe in punishment.’ [59:7]

If this is something Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم never came with, who are we to introduce this into the Deen of Islam which is complete and perfect?