Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Misconceptions Regarding Shab-e-Barat (15th of Shaban) & their Answers

Misconception # 1:
Allah descends to the first heavens on this night to forgive us.

Answer:
The Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said: "Every night when it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the Superior, the Blessed, descends to the nearest heaven and says: Is there anyone to invoke Me that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone to ask Me so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone asking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?. " (Bukhari 1145,Muslim 1261)
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Misconception # 2:
This is the night when our fate, lifespan, and provisions are decreed.

Answer:
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When the drop of (semen) remains in the womb(of mother) for forty (days) or forty nights, the angel comes and says:
“My Lord, will he be good or evil?” And both these things would be written.
Then the angel says: “My Lord, would he be male or female?” And both these things are written.
And his deeds and actions, *his death*, his livelihood; these are also recorded. [Sahih Muslim Hadith 6392]
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Misconception # 3:
Deeds are shown (to Allaah) on 15th shaban

Answer:
Prophet (peace be upon him) said “Deeds are shown (to Allaah) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like my deeds to be shown when I am fasting.” [Tirmidhi, 747; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1041. ]
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Misconception # 4:
The night of the 15th of Shabaan should be singled out for special kinds of worship, prayer, etc. and they have a great reward

Answer:
There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the night of the fifteenth of Shabaan.So this night is ordinary like other nights and the reward for praying/worshiping in this night will be the same as other nights
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Misconception # 5:
Fasting on the day of 15th shaban has a special and great reward

Answer:
Fasting on 13th 14th 15th of every month is recommended not only on 15th shaban
Prophet (peace be upon him) said “If you fast any part of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” [Tirmidhi, 761; al-Nasaa’i, 2424; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1038. ]
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Misconception # 6:
This is the night when the souls of departed ones return to their families.

Answer:
This thing has no basis in quran or ahadith…. The souls can never return to this world. This is a fabrication and lie invented by people
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Misconception # 7:
Look at all those people doing it. How can they all be wrong?

Answer:
Allah says, “And if you obey most of those in the earth, they will lead you astray from Allah's way; they follow but conjecture and they only lie.” [Al qur’an 6:116]

So this is a weak argument that majority of people do it and believe in it so it is true.