Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
The Sha‘bān Letter
- compiled and translated by Sidi Amjad Tarsin
All praises are due to Allah the Exalted who has blessed us to be on the doorstep of Ramadan. Many of the pious predecessors used to spend months preparing for the efforts they were going to exert in the holy month of Ramadān. These are excerpts from the book, “Kanz An-Najāḥ wa As-Surūr” (The Treasuries of Success and Happiness) regarding the greatness of Sha‘bān and some of the recommended things to do during this month.
Repentance & Fasting:
It is highly recommended to repent frequently (tawbah) and increase in acts of worship, especially fasting. Whosoever prepares themselves with acts of worship and repentance in Sha‘bān will reap the benefits of those acts in Ramadān.
Usama ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, “I have never seen you offer fast in a month as you do in Sha‘bān.” The Prophet said, “It is a month people disregard that is between Rajab and Ramadān. In that month deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds, so I like my deeds to be presented while I am fasting.” [Nasa'i].
Salutations Upon the Prophet (peace be upon him):
Sha‘bān is the month of the Prophet peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, for he said, “Sha‘bān is my month.”
It was in this month that the famous verse regarding sending blessing and peace on the Prophet was revealed:
{ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَـتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِيِّ يٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً}
{ Allah and His Angels send their blessings upon the Prophet, O you who believe send blessings upon him and salutations of peace} (33:56)
Therefore, it is highly encouraged to increase in sending one’s salutations upon the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him. Scholars have said, “Rajab is the month of repentance, Sha‘bān is the month of sending salutations upon the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, and Ramadān is the month of the Qur’an.”
The 15th Night of Sha‘bān:
On the relation of ‘Atā’ ibn Yasār, may Allah be well pleased with him, who said, “On the 15th night of Sha‘bān the Angel of Death, peace be upon him, copies down the names of all those who will die from that Sha‘bān to the next Sha‘bān…and there is no night after Laylat Al-Qadr better than the 15th night of Sha‘bān.”
Other hadiths also describe the 15th night as being the night in which Allah decrees everyone’s provisions, even after-worldly provisions (Paradise, Hell), therefore it is important to bring that night to life through Prayer, reading Qur’an, and repentance.
Related by Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be well pleased with him and his father, that the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said, “There are five nights on which du‘ā’ is not turned back: Friday eve, on the eve of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha‘bān, Laylat Al-Qadr, and on the eve of the two ‘Eids.”
It is also recommended to say the du‘ā’:
اللّهُمَ إنَّكَ عفوٌ كريمٌ تُحِبَّ العَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَني، اللّهُمَّ إنّي أسْألُكَ العَفْوَ والعَافية والمُعَافَاةَ الدَّائِمة في الدِّين والدُّنيا والأخِرَة
Allahumma innaka ‘Afūwun Karīmun tuḥib ul ‘afwa fa‘afu ‘annī, Allahumma innī as’aluka al-‘afū, wa al-‘āfīyah wa al-mu‘āfāt ad-da’imah fī ad-dīni wa ad-dunyā wa al-ākhirah.
O Allah, You are Pardoning and Generous and You love to pardon, so pardon me. O Allah, I ask You for pardoning, good health [in body], and to be [spiritually] health always in my religion, and in this life, and in the hereafter.
It is also highly recommended to read Surah Yā-Sīn 3 times that night, each time with a specific intention:
1. The first time with the intention of Allah increasing the length of your life in worship and good deeds.
2. The second time with the intention of Allah protecting you from tribulations.
3. Lastly, with the intention of Allah not making you reliant on other people.
Clarification: “Giving life to the night” is said to be staying up most of the night in worship, although other scholars have said just one hour. Others have said just be determined to pray ‘Ishā in congregation and Fajr in congregation and that will fulfill “giving life to the night.”
May Allah bless us and the entire Ummah throughout this month, and bless us even more in Ramadan. Amin.
Ya Haqq!
Note: Reposted from the most excellent Interpreter’s Path blog of AbdulKarim Yahya
Posted by darvish 
Hazrat Ali’s Sermon on Eid ul-Fitr
September 6, 2010Salaam and Greetings of Peace:
The blessed month of Ramadan will be over in a few days, and so it is fitting to repost this from last year. On the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) delivered a sermon in which he said:
“O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which is similar to the one on which you shall be standing (before your Lord). Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of your prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you (your souls) shall come out of your bodies to go to your Lord. When you stand on places of your prayer, remind yourselves of your standing in the presence of your Lord (on the day of Judgment). And when you return to your homes (after prayer), remind yourselves about your returning to your homes in Paradise. O Servants of Allah! Verily the minimum reward for those men and women who fasted (during Ramadan), is an Angel, who calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadan (saying): O SERVANTS OF ALLAH! REJOICE THE GLAD TIDING THAT ALL YOUR PREVIOUS SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN…”
- From the Nahjul-Balaghah.
Eid-ul-Fitr is a unique festival. It has no connection with any historical event nor is it related to the changes of seasons or cycles of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly affairs. Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when Muslims thank God for having given them the will, the strength and the endurance to observe the fast and obey His commandments during the holy month of Ramadan.
Alhamdulillah! May Allah bless us all, and grant that we use this Eid as a lens to focus the sun of good works, which have shone so brightly during Ramadan, to light the way through this coming year until the next Ramadan. Amin! Amin!
Eid Mubarak!
Ya Haqq!