Do you know that our Prophet ﷺ would fast more in Shaban than in any other month except Ramadan? Shaban, the month between Rajab and Ramadan, is a golden opportunity to prepare your heart and soul for the blessed days ahead.
Good preparation in Shaban means a more rewarding Ramadan, Insha’Allah. Check out the full blog to discover the virtues of Shaban and tips to make this month count for a better Ramadan!
What is Shaban Meaning?
Sha’ban comes from the word Sha’aba which means to appear, emerge, or branch out. Since it emerges between Rajab and Ramadan, it is named this.
Also, it is said that Arabs used to Sha’aba i.e. disperse in raids and forays in this month. So, it could also be another source of the name of the month of Sha’ban.
When is Shaban 2025?
The next Sha’ban (1446H) will likely start on the 31st of January 2025. However, the date may vary in different regions, as Islamic months are based on moon sightings.
What is the Importance of the Month of Shaban?
Sha’ban, the month just before Ramadan, is a perfect time to prepare for the blessed month of Ramadan. It also holds great significance of its own. Some of the important aspects of Sha’ban are as follows:
- Our Prophet ﷺ would fast in Sha’ban more than any other month except Ramadan. Aishah (R) said:
فَمَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم اسْتَكْمَلَ صِيَامَ شَهْرٍ إِلاَّ رَمَضَانَ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ أَكْثَرَ صِيَامًا مِنْهُ فِي شَعْبَانَ
“I never saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fasting more than he did in Sha’ban.” [Sahih al Bukhari: 1969]
- Deeds are raised to Allah during Sha’ban.
Usama ibn Zayd (R) said, “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ , I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in Sha’ban.’ He ﷺ said: ‘That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan, 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.’” [Sahih al-Targhib wa’l-Tarhib, p. 425]
- Rasulullah ﷺ used to love to fast in Sha’ban.
It is reported, “The most beloved of months for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to fast in was Sha’ban, and his fasting in Sha’ban was continuous with his fasting in Ramadan.” [Sahih Sunan Abu Dawud: 2/461]
- Scholars of the past (Salaf) would believe that fasting in Sha’ban is better than fasting in other months, even the sacred ones.
Ibn Rajab (RA) said: “Fasting in Sha’ban is better than fasting in the Sacred Months, and the best of voluntary fasts are those that are (observed in the months) closest to Ramadhan, before or after.”
- Allah forgives all the believers in general; except the polytheists and the jealous people on the 15th night of Sha’ban (mid shaban or laylatun nisf min shaban). [Silsilat ul-Ahadith-as Sahiha, Volume No. 3, Page No. 135, Hadith No. 1144]
Good Deeds to Do on Sha’ban
There are a lot of good deeds that one should perform in the month of Sha’ban. We have listed some of the good deeds you can perform in this virtuous month:
1. Keep Voluntary Fasts
Rasulullah ﷺ used the fast most of the days of Sha’ban. Thus, the significance of fasting in the month of Sha’ban is great. As his Ummah, we should follow his Sunnah and keep as many voluntary fasts as we can in Sha’ban as well.
Also, many people fast, specifically on the 15th of Sha’ban, thinking it is a Sunnah. But all the hadiths mentioning this act are either weak or fabricated. The sound option is to fast on the 13th, 14th, and 15th of Sha’ban as part of Ayyamul Beed fastings.
P.S. Scholars have differed in opinion as to whether one should fast in the last 15 days of the month of Sha’ban. So, it is better to fast either most of the days of the whole month or the first 15 days.
2. Recite the Quran
Ramadan is the month of revelation of the Quran. Naturally, it is the month when we recite it the most. To get the best results and the most rewards from Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, we should start the habit of reciting it more, starting from Sha’ban.
Salamah ibn Kuhayl (R) said: “It was said that Sha’ban was the month of the Quran readers.”
3. Make Lots of Duas
We should make lots of duas to Allah in Sha’ban to reach us Ramadan. Rasulullah ﷺ used to say:
اَللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَناَ فِيْ رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبانَ وَبَلّغْنَا رَمَضَانْ
“O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban, and let us reach Ramadan.” [Tabarani al Awsat: 3939].
This Hadith is classified as weak. But there is nothing wrong with a person asking Allah to make him/her reach Ramadan.
4. Perform Voluntary Prayers
Especially start the practice of praying Tahajjud and having Sehri from Sha’ban. It will help you get used to the Ramadan schedule quicker and gain you the best rewards.
The virtues of the night of the 15th of Sha’ban (mid Shaban or laylatun nisf min Shaban) have been mentioned in a Sahih Hadith. If you want, you can perform nafl (voluntary) prayers and ask for forgiveness from Allah on this night.
But kindly do so at your home individually, as no prayer in congregation is found in the Sunnah during this night.
5. Start Saving Sadaqah Money for Ramadan
Rasulullah ﷺ was the most generous in giving Sadaqah during Ramadan. As his Ummah, we should follow his Sunnah and try to hand out Sadaqah and Zakat during Ramadan. To do it properly, we should do our Zakat calculations in Sha’ban and prepare the money to be given in Ramadan.
Besides saving money for Ramadan, you should give charity in Shaban too to make it a habit for upcoming Ramadan. You can give Sadaqah to GTAF to bring more people closer to Allah and help millions understand Islam better through Islamic apps.
Let’s watch the video to get the list of good deeds on the month of Shaban
Things to Avoid During Shaban
There are certain things we should avoid during the blessed month of Sha’ban. Some of these are: Committing Sins, Engaging in Bid’ah, Being lazy in preparation for Ramadan, etc.
In many parts of the world, the 15th night of Sha’ban i.e. Shab-e-Barat, is celebrated jubilantly. People decorate the mosques with lighting and set off fireworks that night. Women at home prepare sweets(halwa) and bread(roti) at home.
All these are done in the name of Sunnah. But in reality, these are despised Bid’ah (innovation) in Islam and have nothing to do with Sunnah. We should avoid such acts and adhere to the Prophetic Sunnah in the blessed month of Sha’ban.
FAQs
Q. Is fasting in Shaban recommended?
Ans. Yes. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ would fast in Sha’ban more than any other month except Ramadan. Thus, fasting as many days as possible in Sha’ban is recommended.
Q. How many days should one fast in Sha’ban?
Ans. Scholars have differed in opinion as to whether one should fast the last 15 days of the month of Sha’ban. So, the sound option is to fast either the entirety of Sha’ban or to fast the first 15 days. But one should avoid only fasting in the last 15 days if they haven’t fasted in the first 15 days of this month.
Conclusion
Sha’ban has great significance for us. We should start getting ready for Ramadan from this blessed month. As a part of the Sunnah, we should fast for as many days as we can during this month. May Allah accept our good deeds and purify our hearts.
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