MONTH SHA'BAN - sunnah fasting

[Shishani]

It is mustahabb to fast a great deal
in the month of Sha’baan​

It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast the whole of Sha’baan.

Ahmad (26022), Abu Dawood (2336), al-Nasaa’i (2175) and Ibn Maajah (1648) narrated that Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fast two consecutive months apart from the fact that he used to join Sha’baan and Ramadaan.”

According to a version narrated by Abu Dawood: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never used to fast any complete month in the year, apart from Sha’baan, which he used to join to Ramadaan.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2048.

The apparent meaning of this hadeeth is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast the entire month of Sha’baan.

But it was also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast all of Sha’baan apart from a few days.

Muslim (1156) narrated that Abu Salamah said: “I asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) about the fasting of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and she said: ‘He used to fast until we thought that he would always fast, then he would not fast until we thought that he would always not fast, but I never saw him fast in any month more than he fasted in Sha’baan. He used to fast all of Sha’baan, and he used to fast all of Sha’baan apart from a few days.’”

The scholars differed as to the way of reconciling between these hadeeths.

Some of them said that this had to do with differences of time – in some years the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fasted all of Sha’baan, and in other years he fasted all of that month apart from a few days. This was the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him). See Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 15/416.

Others said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never fasted any month in full apart from Ramadaan, and they interpreted the hadeeth of Umm Salamah as meaning that he fasted all of Sha’baan apart from a few days. They said that this is possible from a linguistic point of view, that if a man fasts for most of a month it may be said that he fasted the whole month.

 

[Shishani]

Virtues of Sha'ban​

This is the great month of Sha`baan, most of which our beloved Prophet

used to fast. It is of paramount importance for us to keep alive this Sunnah and use it to get ready for the best time of the year to be a Muslim and feel like a Muslim—the month following this one, blessed Ramadan.

And what can be a better preparation than learning what the best example for humankind said about Sha`baan.

Usaamah ibn Zayd

said: "The Prophet

used to fast so many days in succession that we would say: `He will never break his fast.' At other times he would go without fasting for so long until we said: `He will never again fast,' except for two days, which he would fast even if they occurred during the times he was not fasting consecutive days. Furthermore, he would not fast in any month as many days as he fasted during Sha`baan. I said: `O Messenger of Allaah! Sometimes you fast so much it is as if you will never break your fast. At other times you leave fasting for such a long period it is as if you will never again fast [voluntarily], except for two days that you always fast.’ He

asked: `Which two days are those?' I replied, `Monday and Thursday.' The Prophet

said: `Those are two days in which the deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I love that my deeds are presented [to Him] while I am fasting'. I said: `I do not see you fasting in any month like you fast during Sha`baan.' The Prophet

said: ‘That is a month occurring between Rajab and Ramadan that many people neglect. It is a month in which the deeds ascend to the Lord of the Worlds, The All-Mighty and Majestic, and I love for my deeds to ascend while I am fasting.’ ” [Ahmad and An-Nasaa'i]

And ‘Aa’ishah, the Mother of the Believers

said: "I did not see the Messenger of Allaah fast any month in its entirety except Ramadan. And I did not see him fast as frequently in any other month as he did during Sha`baan." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

Master Hadeeth scholar Zainuddeen ibn Rajab al-Hanbali

said that "To fast in Sha'baan is [to me] better than fasting in the Sacred Months [like the month of Rajab]. Also, the best of voluntary fasts are those done closest to Ramadan—before or after it- for they are, thus, like the voluntary so-called as-Sunan ar-Rawaatib prayers, which are done before and after obligatory prayers. [One of the main reasons for such Rawaatib] is that they compensate for one's shortfalls in the manner he made those obligatory prayers. The same may be said of the fasts observed [immediately] before [as many as one chooses to in Sha`baan] and after Ramadan [the six days of Shawwaal]. Furthermore, like as-Sunan al-Rawaatib of prayer are better than other voluntary prayers, so are the immediate fasts observed before and after Ramadan. They are better than other voluntary fasts."

The Prophet

said: "The best fasting after [i.e., second to] Ramadan is that of [the month of] Muharram." [Muslim].

So, which is a better month to fast in, Sha'baan or Muharram? Most scholars are of the opinion that the fasting in Sha'baan is better because of the Hadeeth narrated by Abu Daawood in his "Book of Sunan" that "The most beloved of months for the Messenger of Allaah

to fast in was Sha`baan, and his fasting in Sha'baan was continuous with his fasting in Ramadan." This authentic Hadeeth applies in the most general way to Sha'baan while the narration by Muslim may be seen as restricted to the first nine days of Muharram as indicated by other Hadeeths. And in addition to this and what Ibn Rajab

stated above, the Prophet

fasted most of Sha'baan and maintained that Sunnah until he passed away.

May Allaah accept your Fast! Ameen!