Ten Virtues of the Month of Sha’ban
By : Ali Farkhan Tsani, Senior Editor of MINA News Agency
We are currently in the days of the month of Sha’ban, approaching the holy month of Ramadan.
The month of Sha’ban is a month of preparation for the holy month of Ramadan full of blessings.
There are at least 10 (ten) virtues of this month of Sha’ban, which we need to use as a guide to the holy month of Ramadan:
1. The Most Forgotten Month
The month of Sha’ban appears between two months, namely Rajab and Ramadan. Its appearance in the middle between the two months, often makes people forget the good things in it.
The month that is often forgotten is precisely because it contains various virtues.
In a hadith it is stated:
ذَلِكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ
Meaning: “(Sha’ban) is the month that many people neglect, the month between Rajab and Ramadan.” (HR An-Nasa’i and Ahmad).
2. Month of Charity Raised
In a hadith from Osama bin Zaid, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, I have never seen you fast in a month as you fast in the month of Sha’ban.”
The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam then replied:
ذَلِكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ، وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الْأَعْمَالُ إِلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ، فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ
Meaning: “That is the month that many people neglect, the month between Rajab and Ramadan. This is the month in which deeds are raised towards the Lord of the worlds. And I want when my charity is lifted, I am in a state of fasting.” (HR An-Nasa’i and Ahmad).
3. Months of the Prophet Increase Fasting
The testimony of the wife of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam, ‘Aisyah Radhiyallahu ‘Anha, states:
فَمَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ – صلى الله عليه وسلم – اسْتَكْمَلَ صِيَامَ شَهْرٍ إِلاَّ رَمَضَانَ ، وَمَا رَأَيْتُهُ أَكْثَرَ صِيَامًا مِنْهُ فِى شَعْبَانَ
Meaning: “I have never seen the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fast more than fasting in the month of Sha’ban.” (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim).
As for the secret or wisdom of why the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam fasted a lot in the month of Sha’ban is because the fast of Sha’ban is like the worship of caretaker (sunnah worship that accompanies obligatory worship).
As the obligatory prayer, it is a prayer that has virtue because it accompanies the obligatory prayer, before or after it. Thus fasting in the month of Sha’ban is like the fast of the nurse before the fast of Ramadan.
4. Month of Replacing Debt Fasting Last Ramadan
Considering that the month of Sha’ban comes before the holy month of Ramadan, this month is the last opportunity for Muslims who have debts for fasting last year’s Ramadan, to make up for it.
Moreover, Muslim women who generally have regular monthly obstacles (menstruation). If last year’s Ramadan still had debt, it is hoped that this month of Sha’ban can pay it off. So that entering the month of Ramadan, you will have no more debt for fasting in Ramadan.
5. Month of Blessing
The month of Sha’ban is one of the months prayed for by the Prophet sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam with blessings, in addition to the months of Rajab and Ramadan.
In a hadith it is stated:
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا فِى رَجَبٍ وَشَعْبَانَ وَبَلِّغْنَا رَمَضَانَ
Meaning: “O Allah, bless us in the month of Rajab and Sha’ban, and convey to us in the month of Ramadan.” (HR Ahmad).
6. Month of the Decline of Ramadan Fasting Orders
The commandment to fast for Ramadan was revealed in the month of Sha’ban in the second year of Hijriyah, when the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam began to build a revealed society in Medina.
The verse about the command to fast in Ramadan reads:
يٰٓاَيُّهَا الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِيْنَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُوْنَۙ
Meaning: “O you who believe! Fasting has been made obligatory on you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may become pious.” (Surah al-Baqarah/2: 183).
7. Month of the Commandment to Pray to the Prophet
Some scholars argue, Surah Al-Ahzab verse 56 which contains the command to pray to the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam, came down in the month of Sha’ban.
The verse about prayer reads:
إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّوْنَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَآأَيُّهَاالَّذِيْنَ آمَنُـوْا صَلُّوْا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوْا تَسْلِيْمًا
Meaning: “Verily Allah and His angels pray for the Prophet. O you who believe, pray for the Prophet and salute him.” (Surah al-Ahzab/33: 56).
For that, in the month of Sha’ban it is also good for us to increase our prayers to the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘Alaihi Wasallam.
8. Month of Quran Readers
Some scholars refer to the month of Sha’ban as the month of Syahrul Qura, the month of the readers of the Qur’an. While the month of Ramadan is called Syahrul Quran, the month of the Quran.
The habits of the previous pious traders, among others, every month of Sha’ban and Ramadan closed their shops.
They want to be more solemn ‘and more time to read, study and reflect on the content of the Qur’an. This is at the same time familiarizing yourself so that it becomes easier to enter the month of the Qur’an, Ramadan.
So, it’s good for those who have not gotten used to the Quran regularly, this month of Sha’ban is the best opportunity to read it. Those who are used to the “one day one juz” practice, for example, can be upgraded to “one day two juz” or “one day three juz”, and so on or also begin to study the reading of books of interpretation, can also be translated, listen to Islamic books again, and so on.
9. Month of Amaliyah Preparation Month of Ramadan
Considering that the month of Sha’ban comes a month before the holy month of Ramadan, this month can be used as preparation for the practice of the month of Ramadan.
In accordance with the meaning of Sha’ban, it comes from the word “syi’ab” which means a path to the top or a climbing path. This means that the month of Sha’ban is a month of preparation for climbing provided by Allah to His believing servants to tread and prepare themselves with various deeds to face the peak of the holy month of Ramadan.
So in this month of Sha’ban, we are gradually starting to get used to voluntary fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, for example, increasing tadarus Al-Quran, dhikr and prayer, doing good, helping fellow brothers, likes to donate in the way of Allah, etc.
So that it is time for the holy month of Ramadan, we are used to it, and make Ramadan the peak of practice.
10. Month of the Final Sermon of Sha’ban
The Propeth Shallalhu ‘Alaihi Wasallam at the end of the month of Sha’ban gave a sermon in front of his companions to explain the virtues and privileges of the holy month of Ramadan.
The contents of the final sermon of the Prophet Shallalhu ‘Alaihi Wasallam, while welcoming the month of Ramadan are as follows:
أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ قَدْ أَظَلَّكُمْ شَهْرٌ عَظِيْمٌ، شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ، شَهْرٌ فِيْهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ، جَعَلَ اللهُ صِيَامَهُ فَرِيْضَةً، وَقِيَامَ لَيْلِهِ تَطَوُّعًا،
مَنْ تَقَرَّبَ فِيْهِ بِخِصْلَةٍ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ، كَانَ كَمَنْ أَدَّى فَرِيْضَةً فِيْمَا سِوَاهُ، وَمَنْ أَدَّى فِيْهِ فَرِيْضَةً كَانَ كَمَنْ أَدَّى سَبْعِيْنَ فَرِيْضَة فِيْمَا سِوَاهُ،
وَهُوَ شَهْرُ الصَّبْرِ، وَالصَّبْرُ ثَوَابُهُ الْجَنَّةُ، وَشَهْرُ الْمُوَاسَاةِ، وَشَهْرٌ يَزْدَادُ فِيْهِ رِزْقُ الْمُؤْمِنِ،
مَنْ فَطَّرَ فِيْهِ صَائِمًا كَانَ مَغْفِرَةً لِذُنُوْبِهِ، وَعِتْقَ رَقَبَتِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَكَانَ لَهُ مِثْلَ أَجْرِهِ مِنْ غَيْرِ أَنْ يَنْتَقِصَ مِنْ أَجْرِهِ شَيْءٌ،
قَالُوْا: لَيْسَ كُلُّنَا نَجِدُ مَا يفطرُ الصَّائِمُ. فَقَالَ : يُعْطِي اللهُ هَذَا الثَّوَابَ مَنْ فَطَّرَ صَائِمًا عَلَى تَمْرَةٍ أَوْ شَرْبَةَ مَاءٍ أَوْ مَذقَةَ لَبَنٍ،
وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ أَوَّلُهُ رَحْمَةٌ، وَأَوْسَطُهُ مَغْفِرَةٌ، وَآخِرُهُ عِتْقٌ مِنَ النَّارِ، مَنْ خَفَّفَ عَنْ مَمْلُوْكِهِ غَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ، وَأَعْتَقَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ،
وَاسْتَكْثِرُوْا فِيْهِ مِنْ أَرْبَعِ خِصَالٍ، : خِصْلَتَيْنِ تَرْضْوَنِ بِهِمَا رَبَّكُمْ، وَخِصْلَتَيْنِ لَا غِنًى بِكُمْ عَنْهُمَا، فَأَمَّا الْخِصْلَتَانِ اللَّتَانِ تَرْضَوْنَ بِهِمَا رَبَّكُمْ فَشَهَادَةُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَتَسْتَغْفِرُوْنَهُ، وَأَمَّا اللَّتَانِ لَا غِنَى بِكُمْ عَنْهُمَا فَتَسْأَلُوْنَ اللهَ الْجَنَّةَ وَ تَعُوْذُوْنَ بِهِ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَمَنْ أَشْبَعَ فِيْهِ صَائِمًا سَقَاهُ اللهُ مِنْ حَوْضِيْ شَرْبَةً لَا يَظْمَأُ حَتَّى يَدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ.
Meaning: “O mankind, indeed a great month has come near to you, a month full of blessings, in which there is a night that is better (in value) than a thousand months, a month in which Allah decrees fasting during the day as fard, and prayerntarawih) in the evening as a sunnah.
Whoever draws near to Allah in this month with one good deed (sunnah practice), then his reward is like that of doing fardhu deeds in other months. Whoever performs fardhu deeds in this month, then his reward is like having done 70 fardhu deeds in other months.
This is the month of patience and the reward for patience is heaven, this month is the month of generosity and sympathy (one feeling) towards others. And the month in which the sustenance of the believers is increased.
Whoever feeds (to break the fast) of a fasting person, then he will be forgiven of his sins and freed from the fire of hell and he will get the same reward as fasting without reducing the reward of the fasting person in the slightest.
They (the companions) said: “O Messenger of Allah! not all of us have something to give to the fasting person to break his fast.” The Messenger of Allah replied: “Allah will give this reward to the one who gives iftar even with a date, or a sip of water, or a drop of milk”.
This is the month in the beginning (the first ten days) Allah sends down mercy, in the middle (the middle ten days) Allah forgives, and in the last (the last ten days) Allah frees His servants from the fire of hell.
Whoever relieves his slave in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of hell.
And do four things more in this month, two things that can bring pleasure to your Lord, and two things you definitely need. Two things that bring pleasure to Allah are shahadah (Laailaaha illallaah) and istighfar to Allah, and two things that you definitely need is to ask Him to enter heaven and take refuge in Him from the fire of hell and whoever gives a drink to a fasting person (to break his fast), then Allah will give him a drink from my lake, where with one drink he will not feel thirsty until he enters heaven “. (Narrated by Ibn Khuzaemah).
Shaykh Al-Albany views this hadith as a dha’if (weak) hadith as in his book, Dha’if at-Targhib wat Tarhib.
However, even though this hadith has a weak history, it is a combination of separate authentic hadiths, and can be used to provide advice on the virtues of the holy month of Ramadan.
So, in some mosques and places, usually fill or end the month of Sha’ban by holding various activities such as sermons, tausiyah, tabligh akbar, seminars or conferences, one of which is to remind the presence of the holy month of Ramadan.
Thus the 10 (ten) virtues of the month of Sha’ban before the holy month of Ramadan. Hopefully we can use it as well as possible to increase our good deeds. Amen. (A/RE1)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
