How To Get The Most Out of Sha'ban

All praise is due to Allah and His praise and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and his followers until the day of judgment. I bear witness that Allah is the only one worthy of worship and Muhammad his last and final messenger.

My dear brothers and sisters, according to the sighting of the moon today will be the completion of the month of Rajab and إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى we gonna start the month of Sha'ban from next day and Sha'ban is the 8th month in the Hijri calendar. It is called شَعْبَانُ from the word شِعْبٌ which means a valley, either because it comes between the month of Ramadan and the month of Rajab and these are two sacred months—شَهْرَا مِنَ الشُّهُورِ الْمُعَظَّمَةِ—very special months, so it's like a valley between these two mountains, two important months in the calendar. Or they said that the Arabs used to go during this month, search for water in Sha'ban to prepare for Ramadan, so they collect a lot of water during this month, so they call that period of time Sha'ban because they spread all over the valleys around Mecca.

The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said, as Usama bin Zaid reported: قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لِمَا أَرَاكَ تَصُومُ شَهْرًا مِنَ الشُّهُورِ مَا تَصُومُ مِنْ شَعْبَان "I have not seen you fast so many days in a month like the way you fast the month of Sha'ban." Then the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: ذَلِكَ شَهْرٌ يَا غَفَلُونَ نَاسًا "This is a month where a lot of people don't pay attention to this month. It is between the month of Rajab and the month of Ramadan, and it is a month where the deeds will be represented before Allah, and I would like my deed when it's presented before Allah I will be fasting in that time."

This hadith, which is an authentic hadith in Sunan al-Nasa'i, shows us that it is highly recommended for people to fast during the month of Sha'ban. To the extent that Aisha رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا has said: مَا رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ اسْتَكْمَلَا صِيَامَ شَهْرٍ مَا رَأَيْتُهُ اسْتَكْمَلَ مِنْ صِيَامِ شَهْرِ شَعْبَان "I have not seen any month that the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ would fast the whole entire month like the way he does in Sha'ban." And she means by that not that he fasted the 30 days straight, because the only month you're allowed to fast 30 or 29 days straight is the month of Ramadan. Other than Ramadan, you're not allowed. But what she meant by that, in some narration she said: كَانَ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ وَرَمَضَان "He will fast both," meaning كَانَ يَصُومُ مِنْ أَوَّلِهِ وَأَوْسَطِهِ وَآخِرِهِ "He will fast in the beginning of the month, in the middle of the month, and towards the end of the month." So most of the month of Sha'ban will be covered by fasting. That's what she رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا meant.

In another narration she said: كَانَ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ كُلَّهُ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا "He would fast most of Sha'ban except just a few days." And the days in Sha'ban that you're not allowed to fast is the day before Ramadan, the one day before Ramadan you're not allowed to fast. مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمَ الشَّكِّ فَقَدْ عَصَىٰ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ "Those who fast the last day of the month of Sha'ban have disobeyed the Prophet," as Ammar ibn Yasir reported.

When the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said this is a month where a lot of people don't pay attention to it, this is an interesting observation that shows you that Muslims should care about the time and the area where people don't pay much attention to it and use this to increase their عِبَادَةٌ (worship). So they become special. For example, there's a time why many of the Salaf love to pray between Maghrib and Isha—extra volunteer prayers. Why? Because between Maghrib and Isha it's a time when a lot of people don't pay much attention to it. It's a short period of time. People are eating, you know, talking to the kids, relaxing. So a lot of the Salaf, the early generation, used to increase their sunnah or their عِبَادَةٌ or their prayer during that time. Also, the last third of the night, where people are mostly sleeping, so people take advantage of a time where people don't pay much attention to عِبَادَةٌ.

From the same logic, Abdullah ibn Zubair said, Mujahid reported that there was a great rain, so the house was flooded. It was flooded in Mecca. He said, so Abdullah ibn Zubair came, so he swam in the house alone so that the house wouldn't be left abandoned. People were, you know, everybody hiding from the flood. Abdullah ibn Zubair went to and he made طَوَافٌ (circumambulation), swimming around the Ka'aba. Whenever he needed the Black Stone, he would dive, then he would go up and complete the طَوَافٌ. He would dive to kiss the Black Stone, then go up, and he would continue. He said, and Abdullah ibn Zubair didn't see the door of عِبَادَةٌ as people didn't pay attention to him. Except for his obligations, whenever he see people start abandoning something from the Sunnah or something from the religion, he would make sure that he would fulfill that area. So, for example, if people don't much do a certain act of worship, he would make sure that he would revive that Sunnah, revive that practice.

This also shows you that when you do an act of worship in a time or an area where people don't pay much attention to it, that means this is more sincere because it's not showing off. People will not notice it. People don't know about it. It's more likely to be something that has more sincerity, and more sincerity means more reward for you.

Also, the scholars رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ said this fasting before Ramadan is كَالسُّنَنِ الرَّاتِبَةِ like the established Sunnah prayers. For example, Dhuhr prayer has two رَكْعَةٌ before you pray Dhuhr and four رَكْعَةٌ before you pray Dhuhr. Maghrib has two رَكْعَةٌ afterwards. Sha'ban is the same thing. It's just one of the سُنَنٌ that you do before the فَرِيضَةٌ comes, which is the month of Ramadan. It prepares you for that month. That's why the scholars رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ said fasting Sha'ban is more rewarding than fasting Muharram, than fasting Rajab, than fasting any one of the sacred months, ذُو الْحِجَّةِ or others. It's one of the most highly recommended times for you to fast.

Also, we see that the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said in this hadith: إِنَّهُ تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الْأَعْمَالُ إِلَى اللَّهِ "This is a month where the deeds will be presented before Allah," and I would like my deed to be presented before Allah while I'm in a state of fasting. Why? Because fasting is such a beautiful act of worship that Allah loves you so much. So it's more likely that Allah will accept from you and reward you more. And it's because of the state that you're in, which is the state of صِيَام (fasting).

And when the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said that the deeds will be presented before Allah, الأَعْمَالُ تُعْرَضُ عَلَى اللَّهِ, there are three types of presentations of our deeds, or three different ways, or three different categories. There is عَرْضٌ (presentation) of every day where deeds of all the people are presented before Allah every day. In different times, in the morning and in the evening, or the beginning of the day and the end of the day. So the deeds of every single human being will be presented before Allah. The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: يُرْفَعُ إِلَيْهِ عَمَلُ اللَّيْلِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ النَّهَارِ وَعَمَلُ النَّهَارِ قَبْلَ عَمَلِ اللَّيْلِ "The action that people did during the daytime and during the nighttime will be presented before Allah twice every single day."

So that's why the angels who carry these records usually gather in the time of Asr. That's why Salat al-Asr is such a beautiful prayer, and Salat al-Fajr. The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: يَتَعَاقَبُونَ فِيكُمْ مَلَائِكَةٌ بِاللَّيْلِ وَمَلَائِكَةٌ بِالنَّهَارِ وَاجْتَمَعُوا فِي صَلَاةِ الْفَجْرِ وَصَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ "These angels gather in Salat al-Fajr and Salat al-Asr." So whoever starts his day or starts his night with something righteous, something good, Allah will bless his day, bless his night. That's why كَانَ الضَّحَّاقُ يَبْكِي. al-Dahhaq, Ibn Muzahim, from the great Taabi'een, used to weep at the end of the day, and he would say: وَاللَّهِ مَا أَدْرِي مَا رُفِعَ عَمَلِي بَيْنَ يَدَيْ اللَّهِ لِيَوْمِ "I don't know by the end of the day—tonight my deeds are before Allah, and I don't know what Allah will do with it." And he would be in tears just thinking about it this way.

There is also another presentation—there is عَرْضٌ every week. Another presentation for the deeds is every week, twice, Monday and Thursday. The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said: تُعْرَضُ أَعْمَالُ النَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ فِي كُلِّ جُمُعَةٍ يَعْنِي فِي كُلِّ إِسْبُوعٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ فِي الِاثْنَيْنِ وَيَوْمِ الْخَمِيسِ "It will be represented every week before Allah twice, Monday and Thursday." فَيُغْفَرُ لِكُلِّ عَبْدٍ مُؤْمِنٍ إِلَّا عَبْدًا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ أَخِيهِ شَحْنَاءٌ فِي يُقَالُ أُتْرُكُوا هَذَيْنِ حَتَّى يَسْتَصْلِحَا أَوْ حَتَّى يَفِيءَ The Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ said that when these deeds were presented before Allah Monday and Thursday, it will be forgiven for those who have sought forgiveness among the believers, except two believers, two believers among them there is hatred, they cut off each other. You know, those people—Allah was saying, "Hold on to them, hold the record, no forgiveness yet until they solve the matter between themselves."

That call is made twice every week for you, and that's so beautiful. It is so bad to live one person told me—this sheikh, I don't know if I should say that or not. Somebody told me, "Sheikh, is it possible for someone to live while he doesn't have any enemy or any hatred towards somebody or cutting off somebody?" When he told me that, I was saying, "Is it possible to have somebody live all his life while he has enemies and hatred?" There are some people who can't imagine living without, you know, problems with people. The default should not be that you have a problem with people. That's what I think. The norm is that you should not have problems with people. But there are some who think that they have to live with this. But that's not true. Learn how to forgive and to forget. And I always say, if you can do both, do one of them.

There is also another presentation of the deeds, which is every year. Every year at one time, all the deeds will be presented before Allah, which comes from the Prophet. And that's during the month of Sha'ban. And that's why he loves on Monday and Thursday to be fasting while the deeds are presented before Allah. That's why he loves to fast on Thursday when the deeds are presented before Allah.

What this hadith means to the early scholars, great scholars, and he's thinking by Thursday night—he's telling his wife, "Today our deeds are before Allah. Allah is looking at our record, seeing what we have done this week." That feeling in itself is a great sense of servitude to Allah. That's in itself something that Allah rewards tremendously for it. It is even more rewarding than any action that you might have done during the week. Why all these multiple times? What exactly are the deeds that are presented—are they the same one, or others, or a certain category? Allah knows. We don't know. That belongs to Him. This is His business, سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ. He deals with it the way He sees fit.

So this is the case, my brothers and sisters. Choose for yourself what your record is gonna look like this Sha'ban when it comes to Allah. How's your year gonna be ended with? How's every week your deeds will be presented before Allah? The month of Sha'ban is an introduction for Ramadan to train you. So when Ramadan comes, you hit the ground running, as we say. It's not difficult for you to fast. It's not difficult for you to read the Quran. It's not difficult for you to make قِيَام (Qiyam). You're already training yourself in Sha'ban and preparing yourself. And that intention that you have is to do all this during the month of Sha'ban—it is something making, إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ, get the reward of everything that you're planning to do in Ramadan, regardless if you're able to make it or not, because Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ only knows what will happen a month from now.

May Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ accept from all of us our good deeds.

And indeed, Abu Bakr al-Balkhi used to say, may Allah have mercy upon him: شَهْرُ رَجَبٌ شَهْرُ الزَّرْعِ وَشَهْرُ شَعْبَانَ شَهْرُ السَّقْيِ وَشَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ الْحَصَادِ "Rajab is the month of planting, Sha'ban is the month of watering your plants, and Ramadan is the month of harvest." He used to say, "If you don't plant any seeds and you did not water your seeds, you're not going to get anything in Ramadan." In other words, if you don't prepare yourself for Ramadan, Ramadan will come and pass like any other month. You will not get the full advantage of it.

The early generation used to say, as Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, they used to call the month of Sha'ban the month of recitation. We are so connected, yes, Ramadan is the month of the Quran. But guess what? Also, Sha'ban is the month of recitation, the month of reading (قِرَاءَةٌ), because of the amount of Quranic recitation that they used to do.

Also, so many of the scholars have taken advantage of the month of Sha'ban to increase their صَدَقَات (charity). Why? Because nothing can purify you from your sins and shortcomings like صَدَقَات (charity). إِنَّهَا تُذْهِبُ غَضَبَ الرَّبِّ كَمَا يُذْهِبُ الْمَاءُ النَّارَ It's such a beautiful way of purification. الْمَاءُ يُطْفِي النَّار وَيَدْفَعُ الْمَالُ الْهَتْرَ Charity and fasting—doing this before Ramadan makes you so pure, so Ramadan will become a full advantage for you, taking full advantage for you. That's why many of the scholars are pleased to issue الزَّكَاةَ (Zakat) in Sha'ban. Some scholars even talk specifically that it's highly recommended to do your زَكَاةَ in Sha'ban before Ramadan. But, يَعْنِي, all praise be to Allah, it is easy.

Finally, the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ also mentioned that in the middle of Sha'ban, this night, there's a lot of people who make this middle of Sha'ban as a special night for Isra' and Mi'raj (The Night Journey and Ascension). الْإِسْرَاءُ وَالْمِعْرَاج, by the way, nobody knows. We don't have any proof about when الْإِسْرَاءُ وَالْمِعْرَاج occurred, in which month, in which week, in which day it was done. We only know which year, but we don't know. No report of which month, which day, which week. All these opinions came based on very weak narrations. So the date exactly, nobody knows. And the Sahaba never celebrated, and the Prophet صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ never celebrated something called الْإِسْرَاءُ وَالْمِعْرَاج as a celebration, as an Eid or anything of that nature.

But anyway, in the middle of Sha'ban, there is a hadith which is حَسَنٌ (Hasan—acceptable), and this hadith is so important for me, and I would like to end with it as we talk about purifying your relationship with Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ before Ramadan comes. In the middle of Sha'ban, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ forgave so many people that night, except those who have hatred in their heart towards one another. This hadith teaches us that it is so important, in order for you to maximize your benefit from any time of عِبَادَةٌ, to have an absolutely pure relationship between you and Allah, and to also clear what is between you and people. Just cut all this negativity. Take out of your heart all this hatred and evil, envy and bad jealousy, anger and frustrations and doubt. Just clear your heart so that when the month of Ramadan comes, you are ready to flourish, you are ready to thrive.

I ask Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ to help us to reach the month of Ramadan and to maximize our benefit from it.