Shaban
Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, Dua and Ramadan Preparation
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Reposted from the web
Summary: Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, dua and Ramadan Preparation is presented here as a clear English Islamic knowledge article for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. It keeps the original names, Quran and hadith references, dua, photographs, and religious context while focusing on Shaban, Ramadan Prep, Muslim Life.
Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. But Shaban is a month of incredible virtue, specifically highlighted by our beloved Prophet ﷺ. It has great historical importance because it is the month when fasting during Ramadan was made a duty through revelation, and it is the month when the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. Beyond its history, Shaban is a month for fasting and focusing more on the Qur'an, which gives it great spiritual meaning.
What is Shaban? A Month of Fasting
The first virtue of Shaban is that it is a month for fasting. Many of us usually forget to fast during this month because we are looking ahead to Ramadan. ʿĀisha (rA) said in a longer hadith, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fast for an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in Shaban."
ʿĀisha (rA) also said in an authentic report, "The month that Allah's Messenger ﷺ loved to fast in more than any other was Shaban. He used to join it to Ramadan"; meaning, he would not take a break from fasting between Shaban and Ramadan.
From these two hadiths, we see that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan, but the month he fasted most after Ramadan was Shaban. He fasted so much that it was as if he had connected the fasting of Shaban to the month of Ramadan.
When is Shaban?
Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; it comes right before the month of Ramadan. The jurist and spiritual writer Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died 751/1350) beautifully mentions that the Prophet ﷺ fasted almost all of Shaban to honor Ramadan. It is like how the most beloved voluntary prayer (sunnah) is the one before the dawn prayer (Fajr) because it honors the most beloved prayer, Fajr. Just as you use the sunnah to prepare for the required prayer, Shaban is a preparation for and a way to honor Ramadan.
Ibn Al-Qayyim also mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was known to voluntarily fast three days every month, but sometimes he could not. When that happened, he would fast in Shaban to make up those days before the required fast of Ramadan. This was the Prophet's habit for many optional acts of worship that he did regularly but sometimes missed, including the night prayer and optional fasting.
Shaban Tip:
If your spouse or friends have missed fasts to make up, you can support them by fasting with them. This is a way to do good deeds yourself and help both of you.
A Neglected Month
Usāma b. Zayd (RA) said, "I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Why do you fast more in Shaban than any other month?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'That is a month neglected by people between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which one's deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.'"
This powerful hadith gives us two layers to understand the gems of Shaban. First, Shaban is a month most people neglect. Scholars suggest that the best time to compete for the pleasure of Allah is when people are most likely to forget Him. A person striving for excellence (muḥsin) will take advantage of these neglected times. When everyone else is heedless, they will compete for the pleasure of Allah. This is one reason the night prayer is so special, because worship at these times shows that you truly want the pleasure of Allah. The great scholar Ibn al-Jawzī (died 597/1201) says, "This is the proof of your persistence in doing good."
More proof for this idea comes from the Companions' love for the time between the sunset prayer (Maghrib) and the evening prayer (ʿIshāʾ), often called the 'two ʿIshāʾs.' The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved to bring life to the time between the two ʿIshāʾs by remembering Allah, noting that it is an hour when most people are heedless. Similarly, the reward for remembering Allah when entering the marketplace is huge—a million good deeds, the removal of a million bad deeds, and an elevation of a million levels in Paradise (Jannah) with a palace there—because this is a time when we are least likely to remember Allah and worship Him.
On this point, Ibn Rajab notes that worship done when people are generally heedless should be done as secretly as possible. These are deeds of excellence (iḥsān) and should be done in the best way possible.
Shaban Tip:
Seize opportunities to worship Allah in times that are often neglected. Don't delay, make your intention and plan to fast, read the Qur'an, and increase in dhikr! One habit you can form in Shaban is to pray two extra rakahs between Maghrib and 'Isha, a time that was beloved to our Companions. Then in Ramadan, the time between Maghrib and 'Isha, when most people are rewarding themselves for a long day of fasting, becomes a special time to remember Allah when others are heedless.
A Month of Qur'an
Just as fasting in Shaban is neglected by many, so too is reading the Qur'an in this month. Whereas we all intend to increase the amount of Qur'an we read in Ramadan, Shaban is the time that the reciters prepare themselves for the recitation of Ramadan. Shaban was known by some of the pious predecessors as the month of the reciters because of how much of the Qur'an people would read during it.
Salama b. Kuhayl al-Kūfī (d. 121/739), one of the early generation of believers, known as 'the Followers' (tābiʿīn), narrates that when the month of Shaban approached, his people freed their time to recite the Qur'an. He said, "The month of Shaban [is] the month of reciters." Another narration states that "When Shaban would begin, Amr ibn Qais would close his store, and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur'an."
Shaban is a month of preparation for Ramadan, a time to review the Qur'an.
Shaban Tip:
A very practical tip going into the month of Shaban is to take the goal that you have for recitation during Ramadan and do half of it in the month of Shaban. So, if you are planning to recite the whole Qur'an at least once in Ramadan, then do half of a complete reading (khatm) in Shaban. This will make achieving your Ramadan goal easier because you will have prepared yourself in a way that makes the task ahead familiar and thus you're able to push yourself further.
15th of Shaban: A Night of Forgiveness
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said "Allah looks on the night of the half of Shaban (i.e., the 15), so He forgives the entirety of His creation except for a polytheist or a person with enmity." A narration from ʿIkrima al-Barbarī (d. 105/723), the bondsman (mawlā) of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68/687), is frequently quoted in which he calls the 15 of Shaban the 'Night of Exemption' (laylat al-barāʾa), the day that we are freed from the Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaban is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah and the 15 is the particular night that Allah looks at those deeds and forgives all of them. Taking advantage of this night will allow us to enter Ramadan with amnesty, free from the burden of our sins with only the longing for our Creator remaining.
Many great scholars have written about observing the 15 of Shaban and whilst we should fill the night with worship, there are no specific acts that have been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ to be singled out on this night.
Shaban Tip:
The 15 of Shaban is a call to action. This is the time to really reflect deeply. Is that grudge worth missing out on this incredible reward? Do I really want my deeds to not be presented to Allah and to be amongst those people who are not forgiven by Allah on that night? Is my hatred of that person worth me sacrificing the love of Allah?
In a beautiful statement, Ibn Rajab said that fasting in Shaban "takes away the hardship of fasting and leaves only the sweetness of it for the time of Ramadan." For most of us, the first few days of Ramadan are sluggish as we get used to kicking our old habits and changing our schedule. However, by practicing our acts of worship in Shaban we can enter Ramadan with such energy and strength that we only taste the sweetness of our worship. By optimizing our time in Shaban we can begin Ramadan reaping the fruits of our preparation. view all
Summary: Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, dua and Ramadan Preparation is presented here as a clear English Islamic knowledge article for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. It keeps the original names, Quran and hadith references, dua, photographs, and religious context while focusing on Shaban, Ramadan Prep, Muslim Life.
Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. But Shaban is a month of incredible virtue, specifically highlighted by our beloved Prophet ﷺ. It has great historical importance because it is the month when fasting during Ramadan was made a duty through revelation, and it is the month when the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. Beyond its history, Shaban is a month for fasting and focusing more on the Qur'an, which gives it great spiritual meaning.
What is Shaban? A Month of Fasting
The first virtue of Shaban is that it is a month for fasting. Many of us usually forget to fast during this month because we are looking ahead to Ramadan. ʿĀisha (rA) said in a longer hadith, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fast for an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in Shaban."
ʿĀisha (rA) also said in an authentic report, "The month that Allah's Messenger ﷺ loved to fast in more than any other was Shaban. He used to join it to Ramadan"; meaning, he would not take a break from fasting between Shaban and Ramadan.
From these two hadiths, we see that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan, but the month he fasted most after Ramadan was Shaban. He fasted so much that it was as if he had connected the fasting of Shaban to the month of Ramadan.
When is Shaban?
Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; it comes right before the month of Ramadan. The jurist and spiritual writer Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died 751/1350) beautifully mentions that the Prophet ﷺ fasted almost all of Shaban to honor Ramadan. It is like how the most beloved voluntary prayer (sunnah) is the one before the dawn prayer (Fajr) because it honors the most beloved prayer, Fajr. Just as you use the sunnah to prepare for the required prayer, Shaban is a preparation for and a way to honor Ramadan.
Ibn Al-Qayyim also mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was known to voluntarily fast three days every month, but sometimes he could not. When that happened, he would fast in Shaban to make up those days before the required fast of Ramadan. This was the Prophet's habit for many optional acts of worship that he did regularly but sometimes missed, including the night prayer and optional fasting.
Shaban Tip:
If your spouse or friends have missed fasts to make up, you can support them by fasting with them. This is a way to do good deeds yourself and help both of you.
A Neglected Month
Usāma b. Zayd (RA) said, "I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Why do you fast more in Shaban than any other month?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'That is a month neglected by people between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which one's deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.'"
This powerful hadith gives us two layers to understand the gems of Shaban. First, Shaban is a month most people neglect. Scholars suggest that the best time to compete for the pleasure of Allah is when people are most likely to forget Him. A person striving for excellence (muḥsin) will take advantage of these neglected times. When everyone else is heedless, they will compete for the pleasure of Allah. This is one reason the night prayer is so special, because worship at these times shows that you truly want the pleasure of Allah. The great scholar Ibn al-Jawzī (died 597/1201) says, "This is the proof of your persistence in doing good."
More proof for this idea comes from the Companions' love for the time between the sunset prayer (Maghrib) and the evening prayer (ʿIshāʾ), often called the 'two ʿIshāʾs.' The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved to bring life to the time between the two ʿIshāʾs by remembering Allah, noting that it is an hour when most people are heedless. Similarly, the reward for remembering Allah when entering the marketplace is huge—a million good deeds, the removal of a million bad deeds, and an elevation of a million levels in Paradise (Jannah) with a palace there—because this is a time when we are least likely to remember Allah and worship Him.
On this point, Ibn Rajab notes that worship done when people are generally heedless should be done as secretly as possible. These are deeds of excellence (iḥsān) and should be done in the best way possible.
Shaban Tip:
Seize opportunities to worship Allah in times that are often neglected. Don't delay, make your intention and plan to fast, read the Qur'an, and increase in dhikr! One habit you can form in Shaban is to pray two extra rakahs between Maghrib and 'Isha, a time that was beloved to our Companions. Then in Ramadan, the time between Maghrib and 'Isha, when most people are rewarding themselves for a long day of fasting, becomes a special time to remember Allah when others are heedless.
A Month of Qur'an
Just as fasting in Shaban is neglected by many, so too is reading the Qur'an in this month. Whereas we all intend to increase the amount of Qur'an we read in Ramadan, Shaban is the time that the reciters prepare themselves for the recitation of Ramadan. Shaban was known by some of the pious predecessors as the month of the reciters because of how much of the Qur'an people would read during it.
Salama b. Kuhayl al-Kūfī (d. 121/739), one of the early generation of believers, known as 'the Followers' (tābiʿīn), narrates that when the month of Shaban approached, his people freed their time to recite the Qur'an. He said, "The month of Shaban [is] the month of reciters." Another narration states that "When Shaban would begin, Amr ibn Qais would close his store, and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur'an."
Shaban is a month of preparation for Ramadan, a time to review the Qur'an.
Shaban Tip:
A very practical tip going into the month of Shaban is to take the goal that you have for recitation during Ramadan and do half of it in the month of Shaban. So, if you are planning to recite the whole Qur'an at least once in Ramadan, then do half of a complete reading (khatm) in Shaban. This will make achieving your Ramadan goal easier because you will have prepared yourself in a way that makes the task ahead familiar and thus you're able to push yourself further.
15th of Shaban: A Night of Forgiveness
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said "Allah looks on the night of the half of Shaban (i.e., the 15), so He forgives the entirety of His creation except for a polytheist or a person with enmity." A narration from ʿIkrima al-Barbarī (d. 105/723), the bondsman (mawlā) of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68/687), is frequently quoted in which he calls the 15 of Shaban the 'Night of Exemption' (laylat al-barāʾa), the day that we are freed from the Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaban is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah and the 15 is the particular night that Allah looks at those deeds and forgives all of them. Taking advantage of this night will allow us to enter Ramadan with amnesty, free from the burden of our sins with only the longing for our Creator remaining.
Many great scholars have written about observing the 15 of Shaban and whilst we should fill the night with worship, there are no specific acts that have been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ to be singled out on this night.
Shaban Tip:
The 15 of Shaban is a call to action. This is the time to really reflect deeply. Is that grudge worth missing out on this incredible reward? Do I really want my deeds to not be presented to Allah and to be amongst those people who are not forgiven by Allah on that night? Is my hatred of that person worth me sacrificing the love of Allah?
In a beautiful statement, Ibn Rajab said that fasting in Shaban "takes away the hardship of fasting and leaves only the sweetness of it for the time of Ramadan." For most of us, the first few days of Ramadan are sluggish as we get used to kicking our old habits and changing our schedule. However, by practicing our acts of worship in Shaban we can enter Ramadan with such energy and strength that we only taste the sweetness of our worship. By optimizing our time in Shaban we can begin Ramadan reaping the fruits of our preparation. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, dua and Ramadan Preparation is presented here as a clear English Islamic knowledge article for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. It keeps the original names, Quran and hadith references, dua, photographs, and religious context while focusing on Shaban, Ramadan Prep, Muslim Life.
Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. But Shaban is a month of incredible virtue, specifically highlighted by our beloved Prophet ﷺ. It has great historical importance because it is the month when fasting during Ramadan was made a duty through revelation, and it is the month when the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. Beyond its history, Shaban is a month for fasting and focusing more on the Qur'an, which gives it great spiritual meaning.
What is Shaban? A Month of Fasting
The first virtue of Shaban is that it is a month for fasting. Many of us usually forget to fast during this month because we are looking ahead to Ramadan. ʿĀisha (rA) said in a longer hadith, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fast for an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in Shaban."
ʿĀisha (rA) also said in an authentic report, "The month that Allah's Messenger ﷺ loved to fast in more than any other was Shaban. He used to join it to Ramadan"; meaning, he would not take a break from fasting between Shaban and Ramadan.
From these two hadiths, we see that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan, but the month he fasted most after Ramadan was Shaban. He fasted so much that it was as if he had connected the fasting of Shaban to the month of Ramadan.
When is Shaban?
Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; it comes right before the month of Ramadan. The jurist and spiritual writer Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died 751/1350) beautifully mentions that the Prophet ﷺ fasted almost all of Shaban to honor Ramadan. It is like how the most beloved voluntary prayer (sunnah) is the one before the dawn prayer (Fajr) because it honors the most beloved prayer, Fajr. Just as you use the sunnah to prepare for the required prayer, Shaban is a preparation for and a way to honor Ramadan.
Ibn Al-Qayyim also mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was known to voluntarily fast three days every month, but sometimes he could not. When that happened, he would fast in Shaban to make up those days before the required fast of Ramadan. This was the Prophet's habit for many optional acts of worship that he did regularly but sometimes missed, including the night prayer and optional fasting.
Shaban Tip:
If your spouse or friends have missed fasts to make up, you can support them by fasting with them. This is a way to do good deeds yourself and help both of you.
A Neglected Month
Usāma b. Zayd (RA) said, "I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Why do you fast more in Shaban than any other month?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'That is a month neglected by people between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which one's deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.'"
This powerful hadith gives us two layers to understand the gems of Shaban. First, Shaban is a month most people neglect. Scholars suggest that the best time to compete for the pleasure of Allah is when people are most likely to forget Him. A person striving for excellence (muḥsin) will take advantage of these neglected times. When everyone else is heedless, they will compete for the pleasure of Allah. This is one reason the night prayer is so special, because worship at these times shows that you truly want the pleasure of Allah. The great scholar Ibn al-Jawzī (died 597/1201) says, "This is the proof of your persistence in doing good."
More proof for this idea comes from the Companions' love for the time between the sunset prayer (Maghrib) and the evening prayer (ʿIshāʾ), often called the 'two ʿIshāʾs.' The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved to bring life to the time between the two ʿIshāʾs by remembering Allah, noting that it is an hour when most people are heedless. Similarly, the reward for remembering Allah when entering the marketplace is huge—a million good deeds, the removal of a million bad deeds, and an elevation of a million levels in Paradise (Jannah) with a palace there—because this is a time when we are least likely to remember Allah and worship Him.
On this point, Ibn Rajab notes that worship done when people are generally heedless should be done as secretly as possible. These are deeds of excellence (iḥsān) and should be done in the best way possible.
Shaban Tip:
Seize opportunities to worship Allah in times that are often neglected. Don't delay, make your intention and plan to fast, read the Qur'an, and increase in dhikr! One habit you can form in Shaban is to pray two extra rakahs between Maghrib and 'Isha, a time that was beloved to our Companions. Then in Ramadan, the time between Maghrib and 'Isha, when most people are rewarding themselves for a long day of fasting, becomes a special time to remember Allah when others are heedless.
A Month of Qur'an
Just as fasting in Shaban is neglected by many, so too is reading the Qur'an in this month. Whereas we all intend to increase the amount of Qur'an we read in Ramadan, Shaban is the time that the reciters prepare themselves for the recitation of Ramadan. Shaban was known by some of the pious predecessors as the month of the reciters because of how much of the Qur'an people would read during it.
Salama b. Kuhayl al-Kūfī (d. 121/739), one of the early generation of believers, known as 'the Followers' (tābiʿīn), narrates that when the month of Shaban approached, his people freed their time to recite the Qur'an. He said, "The month of Shaban [is] the month of reciters." Another narration states that "When Shaban would begin, Amr ibn Qais would close his store, and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur'an."
Shaban is a month of preparation for Ramadan, a time to review the Qur'an.
Shaban Tip:
A very practical tip going into the month of Shaban is to take the goal that you have for recitation during Ramadan and do half of it in the month of Shaban. So, if you are planning to recite the whole Qur'an at least once in Ramadan, then do half of a complete reading (khatm) in Shaban. This will make achieving your Ramadan goal easier because you will have prepared yourself in a way that makes the task ahead familiar and thus you're able to push yourself further.
15th of Shaban: A Night of Forgiveness
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said "Allah looks on the night of the half of Shaban (i.e., the 15), so He forgives the entirety of His creation except for a polytheist or a person with enmity." A narration from ʿIkrima al-Barbarī (d. 105/723), the bondsman (mawlā) of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68/687), is frequently quoted in which he calls the 15 of Shaban the 'Night of Exemption' (laylat al-barāʾa), the day that we are freed from the Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaban is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah and the 15 is the particular night that Allah looks at those deeds and forgives all of them. Taking advantage of this night will allow us to enter Ramadan with amnesty, free from the burden of our sins with only the longing for our Creator remaining.
Many great scholars have written about observing the 15 of Shaban and whilst we should fill the night with worship, there are no specific acts that have been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ to be singled out on this night.
Shaban Tip:
The 15 of Shaban is a call to action. This is the time to really reflect deeply. Is that grudge worth missing out on this incredible reward? Do I really want my deeds to not be presented to Allah and to be amongst those people who are not forgiven by Allah on that night? Is my hatred of that person worth me sacrificing the love of Allah?
In a beautiful statement, Ibn Rajab said that fasting in Shaban "takes away the hardship of fasting and leaves only the sweetness of it for the time of Ramadan." For most of us, the first few days of Ramadan are sluggish as we get used to kicking our old habits and changing our schedule. However, by practicing our acts of worship in Shaban we can enter Ramadan with such energy and strength that we only taste the sweetness of our worship. By optimizing our time in Shaban we can begin Ramadan reaping the fruits of our preparation.
Summary: Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, dua and Ramadan Preparation is presented here as a clear English Islamic knowledge article for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. It keeps the original names, Quran and hadith references, dua, photographs, and religious context while focusing on Shaban, Ramadan Prep, Muslim Life.
Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. But Shaban is a month of incredible virtue, specifically highlighted by our beloved Prophet ﷺ. It has great historical importance because it is the month when fasting during Ramadan was made a duty through revelation, and it is the month when the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. Beyond its history, Shaban is a month for fasting and focusing more on the Qur'an, which gives it great spiritual meaning.
What is Shaban? A Month of Fasting
The first virtue of Shaban is that it is a month for fasting. Many of us usually forget to fast during this month because we are looking ahead to Ramadan. ʿĀisha (rA) said in a longer hadith, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fast for an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in Shaban."
ʿĀisha (rA) also said in an authentic report, "The month that Allah's Messenger ﷺ loved to fast in more than any other was Shaban. He used to join it to Ramadan"; meaning, he would not take a break from fasting between Shaban and Ramadan.
From these two hadiths, we see that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan, but the month he fasted most after Ramadan was Shaban. He fasted so much that it was as if he had connected the fasting of Shaban to the month of Ramadan.
When is Shaban?
Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; it comes right before the month of Ramadan. The jurist and spiritual writer Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died 751/1350) beautifully mentions that the Prophet ﷺ fasted almost all of Shaban to honor Ramadan. It is like how the most beloved voluntary prayer (sunnah) is the one before the dawn prayer (Fajr) because it honors the most beloved prayer, Fajr. Just as you use the sunnah to prepare for the required prayer, Shaban is a preparation for and a way to honor Ramadan.
Ibn Al-Qayyim also mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was known to voluntarily fast three days every month, but sometimes he could not. When that happened, he would fast in Shaban to make up those days before the required fast of Ramadan. This was the Prophet's habit for many optional acts of worship that he did regularly but sometimes missed, including the night prayer and optional fasting.
Shaban Tip:
If your spouse or friends have missed fasts to make up, you can support them by fasting with them. This is a way to do good deeds yourself and help both of you.
A Neglected Month
Usāma b. Zayd (RA) said, "I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Why do you fast more in Shaban than any other month?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'That is a month neglected by people between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which one's deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.'"
This powerful hadith gives us two layers to understand the gems of Shaban. First, Shaban is a month most people neglect. Scholars suggest that the best time to compete for the pleasure of Allah is when people are most likely to forget Him. A person striving for excellence (muḥsin) will take advantage of these neglected times. When everyone else is heedless, they will compete for the pleasure of Allah. This is one reason the night prayer is so special, because worship at these times shows that you truly want the pleasure of Allah. The great scholar Ibn al-Jawzī (died 597/1201) says, "This is the proof of your persistence in doing good."
More proof for this idea comes from the Companions' love for the time between the sunset prayer (Maghrib) and the evening prayer (ʿIshāʾ), often called the 'two ʿIshāʾs.' The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved to bring life to the time between the two ʿIshāʾs by remembering Allah, noting that it is an hour when most people are heedless. Similarly, the reward for remembering Allah when entering the marketplace is huge—a million good deeds, the removal of a million bad deeds, and an elevation of a million levels in Paradise (Jannah) with a palace there—because this is a time when we are least likely to remember Allah and worship Him.
On this point, Ibn Rajab notes that worship done when people are generally heedless should be done as secretly as possible. These are deeds of excellence (iḥsān) and should be done in the best way possible.
Shaban Tip:
Seize opportunities to worship Allah in times that are often neglected. Don't delay, make your intention and plan to fast, read the Qur'an, and increase in dhikr! One habit you can form in Shaban is to pray two extra rakahs between Maghrib and 'Isha, a time that was beloved to our Companions. Then in Ramadan, the time between Maghrib and 'Isha, when most people are rewarding themselves for a long day of fasting, becomes a special time to remember Allah when others are heedless.
A Month of Qur'an
Just as fasting in Shaban is neglected by many, so too is reading the Qur'an in this month. Whereas we all intend to increase the amount of Qur'an we read in Ramadan, Shaban is the time that the reciters prepare themselves for the recitation of Ramadan. Shaban was known by some of the pious predecessors as the month of the reciters because of how much of the Qur'an people would read during it.
Salama b. Kuhayl al-Kūfī (d. 121/739), one of the early generation of believers, known as 'the Followers' (tābiʿīn), narrates that when the month of Shaban approached, his people freed their time to recite the Qur'an. He said, "The month of Shaban [is] the month of reciters." Another narration states that "When Shaban would begin, Amr ibn Qais would close his store, and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur'an."
Shaban is a month of preparation for Ramadan, a time to review the Qur'an.
Shaban Tip:
A very practical tip going into the month of Shaban is to take the goal that you have for recitation during Ramadan and do half of it in the month of Shaban. So, if you are planning to recite the whole Qur'an at least once in Ramadan, then do half of a complete reading (khatm) in Shaban. This will make achieving your Ramadan goal easier because you will have prepared yourself in a way that makes the task ahead familiar and thus you're able to push yourself further.
15th of Shaban: A Night of Forgiveness
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said "Allah looks on the night of the half of Shaban (i.e., the 15), so He forgives the entirety of His creation except for a polytheist or a person with enmity." A narration from ʿIkrima al-Barbarī (d. 105/723), the bondsman (mawlā) of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68/687), is frequently quoted in which he calls the 15 of Shaban the 'Night of Exemption' (laylat al-barāʾa), the day that we are freed from the Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaban is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah and the 15 is the particular night that Allah looks at those deeds and forgives all of them. Taking advantage of this night will allow us to enter Ramadan with amnesty, free from the burden of our sins with only the longing for our Creator remaining.
Many great scholars have written about observing the 15 of Shaban and whilst we should fill the night with worship, there are no specific acts that have been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ to be singled out on this night.
Shaban Tip:
The 15 of Shaban is a call to action. This is the time to really reflect deeply. Is that grudge worth missing out on this incredible reward? Do I really want my deeds to not be presented to Allah and to be amongst those people who are not forgiven by Allah on that night? Is my hatred of that person worth me sacrificing the love of Allah?
In a beautiful statement, Ibn Rajab said that fasting in Shaban "takes away the hardship of fasting and leaves only the sweetness of it for the time of Ramadan." For most of us, the first few days of Ramadan are sluggish as we get used to kicking our old habits and changing our schedule. However, by practicing our acts of worship in Shaban we can enter Ramadan with such energy and strength that we only taste the sweetness of our worship. By optimizing our time in Shaban we can begin Ramadan reaping the fruits of our preparation.
Shaban Daily Challenge: Conquer Nafs For Allah
Radio·Videos • napio posted the article • 0 comments • 280 views • 2026-01-29 22:35
every single day your assignment for the month of Shaban is what am I doing today that is against my nafs How am I making myself uncomfortable for the sake of Allah subhanaw ta'ala today view all
every single day your assignment for the month of Shaban is what am I doing today that is against my nafs How am I making myself uncomfortable for the sake of Allah subhanaw ta'ala today
Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, Dua and Ramadan Preparation
Articles • yusuf908 posted the article • 0 comments • 24 views • 6 days ago
Reposted from the web
Summary: Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, dua and Ramadan Preparation is presented here as a clear English Islamic knowledge article for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. It keeps the original names, Quran and hadith references, dua, photographs, and religious context while focusing on Shaban, Ramadan Prep, Muslim Life.
Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. But Shaban is a month of incredible virtue, specifically highlighted by our beloved Prophet ﷺ. It has great historical importance because it is the month when fasting during Ramadan was made a duty through revelation, and it is the month when the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. Beyond its history, Shaban is a month for fasting and focusing more on the Qur'an, which gives it great spiritual meaning.
What is Shaban? A Month of Fasting
The first virtue of Shaban is that it is a month for fasting. Many of us usually forget to fast during this month because we are looking ahead to Ramadan. ʿĀisha (rA) said in a longer hadith, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fast for an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in Shaban."
ʿĀisha (rA) also said in an authentic report, "The month that Allah's Messenger ﷺ loved to fast in more than any other was Shaban. He used to join it to Ramadan"; meaning, he would not take a break from fasting between Shaban and Ramadan.
From these two hadiths, we see that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan, but the month he fasted most after Ramadan was Shaban. He fasted so much that it was as if he had connected the fasting of Shaban to the month of Ramadan.
When is Shaban?
Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; it comes right before the month of Ramadan. The jurist and spiritual writer Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died 751/1350) beautifully mentions that the Prophet ﷺ fasted almost all of Shaban to honor Ramadan. It is like how the most beloved voluntary prayer (sunnah) is the one before the dawn prayer (Fajr) because it honors the most beloved prayer, Fajr. Just as you use the sunnah to prepare for the required prayer, Shaban is a preparation for and a way to honor Ramadan.
Ibn Al-Qayyim also mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was known to voluntarily fast three days every month, but sometimes he could not. When that happened, he would fast in Shaban to make up those days before the required fast of Ramadan. This was the Prophet's habit for many optional acts of worship that he did regularly but sometimes missed, including the night prayer and optional fasting.
Shaban Tip:
If your spouse or friends have missed fasts to make up, you can support them by fasting with them. This is a way to do good deeds yourself and help both of you.
A Neglected Month
Usāma b. Zayd (RA) said, "I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Why do you fast more in Shaban than any other month?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'That is a month neglected by people between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which one's deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.'"
This powerful hadith gives us two layers to understand the gems of Shaban. First, Shaban is a month most people neglect. Scholars suggest that the best time to compete for the pleasure of Allah is when people are most likely to forget Him. A person striving for excellence (muḥsin) will take advantage of these neglected times. When everyone else is heedless, they will compete for the pleasure of Allah. This is one reason the night prayer is so special, because worship at these times shows that you truly want the pleasure of Allah. The great scholar Ibn al-Jawzī (died 597/1201) says, "This is the proof of your persistence in doing good."
More proof for this idea comes from the Companions' love for the time between the sunset prayer (Maghrib) and the evening prayer (ʿIshāʾ), often called the 'two ʿIshāʾs.' The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved to bring life to the time between the two ʿIshāʾs by remembering Allah, noting that it is an hour when most people are heedless. Similarly, the reward for remembering Allah when entering the marketplace is huge—a million good deeds, the removal of a million bad deeds, and an elevation of a million levels in Paradise (Jannah) with a palace there—because this is a time when we are least likely to remember Allah and worship Him.
On this point, Ibn Rajab notes that worship done when people are generally heedless should be done as secretly as possible. These are deeds of excellence (iḥsān) and should be done in the best way possible.
Shaban Tip:
Seize opportunities to worship Allah in times that are often neglected. Don't delay, make your intention and plan to fast, read the Qur'an, and increase in dhikr! One habit you can form in Shaban is to pray two extra rakahs between Maghrib and 'Isha, a time that was beloved to our Companions. Then in Ramadan, the time between Maghrib and 'Isha, when most people are rewarding themselves for a long day of fasting, becomes a special time to remember Allah when others are heedless.
A Month of Qur'an
Just as fasting in Shaban is neglected by many, so too is reading the Qur'an in this month. Whereas we all intend to increase the amount of Qur'an we read in Ramadan, Shaban is the time that the reciters prepare themselves for the recitation of Ramadan. Shaban was known by some of the pious predecessors as the month of the reciters because of how much of the Qur'an people would read during it.
Salama b. Kuhayl al-Kūfī (d. 121/739), one of the early generation of believers, known as 'the Followers' (tābiʿīn), narrates that when the month of Shaban approached, his people freed their time to recite the Qur'an. He said, "The month of Shaban [is] the month of reciters." Another narration states that "When Shaban would begin, Amr ibn Qais would close his store, and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur'an."
Shaban is a month of preparation for Ramadan, a time to review the Qur'an.
Shaban Tip:
A very practical tip going into the month of Shaban is to take the goal that you have for recitation during Ramadan and do half of it in the month of Shaban. So, if you are planning to recite the whole Qur'an at least once in Ramadan, then do half of a complete reading (khatm) in Shaban. This will make achieving your Ramadan goal easier because you will have prepared yourself in a way that makes the task ahead familiar and thus you're able to push yourself further.
15th of Shaban: A Night of Forgiveness
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said "Allah looks on the night of the half of Shaban (i.e., the 15), so He forgives the entirety of His creation except for a polytheist or a person with enmity." A narration from ʿIkrima al-Barbarī (d. 105/723), the bondsman (mawlā) of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68/687), is frequently quoted in which he calls the 15 of Shaban the 'Night of Exemption' (laylat al-barāʾa), the day that we are freed from the Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaban is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah and the 15 is the particular night that Allah looks at those deeds and forgives all of them. Taking advantage of this night will allow us to enter Ramadan with amnesty, free from the burden of our sins with only the longing for our Creator remaining.
Many great scholars have written about observing the 15 of Shaban and whilst we should fill the night with worship, there are no specific acts that have been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ to be singled out on this night.
Shaban Tip:
The 15 of Shaban is a call to action. This is the time to really reflect deeply. Is that grudge worth missing out on this incredible reward? Do I really want my deeds to not be presented to Allah and to be amongst those people who are not forgiven by Allah on that night? Is my hatred of that person worth me sacrificing the love of Allah?
In a beautiful statement, Ibn Rajab said that fasting in Shaban "takes away the hardship of fasting and leaves only the sweetness of it for the time of Ramadan." For most of us, the first few days of Ramadan are sluggish as we get used to kicking our old habits and changing our schedule. However, by practicing our acts of worship in Shaban we can enter Ramadan with such energy and strength that we only taste the sweetness of our worship. By optimizing our time in Shaban we can begin Ramadan reaping the fruits of our preparation. view all
Summary: Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, dua and Ramadan Preparation is presented here as a clear English Islamic knowledge article for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. It keeps the original names, Quran and hadith references, dua, photographs, and religious context while focusing on Shaban, Ramadan Prep, Muslim Life.
Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. But Shaban is a month of incredible virtue, specifically highlighted by our beloved Prophet ﷺ. It has great historical importance because it is the month when fasting during Ramadan was made a duty through revelation, and it is the month when the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. Beyond its history, Shaban is a month for fasting and focusing more on the Qur'an, which gives it great spiritual meaning.
What is Shaban? A Month of Fasting
The first virtue of Shaban is that it is a month for fasting. Many of us usually forget to fast during this month because we are looking ahead to Ramadan. ʿĀisha (rA) said in a longer hadith, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fast for an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in Shaban."
ʿĀisha (rA) also said in an authentic report, "The month that Allah's Messenger ﷺ loved to fast in more than any other was Shaban. He used to join it to Ramadan"; meaning, he would not take a break from fasting between Shaban and Ramadan.
From these two hadiths, we see that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan, but the month he fasted most after Ramadan was Shaban. He fasted so much that it was as if he had connected the fasting of Shaban to the month of Ramadan.
When is Shaban?
Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; it comes right before the month of Ramadan. The jurist and spiritual writer Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died 751/1350) beautifully mentions that the Prophet ﷺ fasted almost all of Shaban to honor Ramadan. It is like how the most beloved voluntary prayer (sunnah) is the one before the dawn prayer (Fajr) because it honors the most beloved prayer, Fajr. Just as you use the sunnah to prepare for the required prayer, Shaban is a preparation for and a way to honor Ramadan.
Ibn Al-Qayyim also mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was known to voluntarily fast three days every month, but sometimes he could not. When that happened, he would fast in Shaban to make up those days before the required fast of Ramadan. This was the Prophet's habit for many optional acts of worship that he did regularly but sometimes missed, including the night prayer and optional fasting.
Shaban Tip:
If your spouse or friends have missed fasts to make up, you can support them by fasting with them. This is a way to do good deeds yourself and help both of you.
A Neglected Month
Usāma b. Zayd (RA) said, "I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Why do you fast more in Shaban than any other month?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'That is a month neglected by people between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which one's deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.'"
This powerful hadith gives us two layers to understand the gems of Shaban. First, Shaban is a month most people neglect. Scholars suggest that the best time to compete for the pleasure of Allah is when people are most likely to forget Him. A person striving for excellence (muḥsin) will take advantage of these neglected times. When everyone else is heedless, they will compete for the pleasure of Allah. This is one reason the night prayer is so special, because worship at these times shows that you truly want the pleasure of Allah. The great scholar Ibn al-Jawzī (died 597/1201) says, "This is the proof of your persistence in doing good."
More proof for this idea comes from the Companions' love for the time between the sunset prayer (Maghrib) and the evening prayer (ʿIshāʾ), often called the 'two ʿIshāʾs.' The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved to bring life to the time between the two ʿIshāʾs by remembering Allah, noting that it is an hour when most people are heedless. Similarly, the reward for remembering Allah when entering the marketplace is huge—a million good deeds, the removal of a million bad deeds, and an elevation of a million levels in Paradise (Jannah) with a palace there—because this is a time when we are least likely to remember Allah and worship Him.
On this point, Ibn Rajab notes that worship done when people are generally heedless should be done as secretly as possible. These are deeds of excellence (iḥsān) and should be done in the best way possible.
Shaban Tip:
Seize opportunities to worship Allah in times that are often neglected. Don't delay, make your intention and plan to fast, read the Qur'an, and increase in dhikr! One habit you can form in Shaban is to pray two extra rakahs between Maghrib and 'Isha, a time that was beloved to our Companions. Then in Ramadan, the time between Maghrib and 'Isha, when most people are rewarding themselves for a long day of fasting, becomes a special time to remember Allah when others are heedless.
A Month of Qur'an
Just as fasting in Shaban is neglected by many, so too is reading the Qur'an in this month. Whereas we all intend to increase the amount of Qur'an we read in Ramadan, Shaban is the time that the reciters prepare themselves for the recitation of Ramadan. Shaban was known by some of the pious predecessors as the month of the reciters because of how much of the Qur'an people would read during it.
Salama b. Kuhayl al-Kūfī (d. 121/739), one of the early generation of believers, known as 'the Followers' (tābiʿīn), narrates that when the month of Shaban approached, his people freed their time to recite the Qur'an. He said, "The month of Shaban [is] the month of reciters." Another narration states that "When Shaban would begin, Amr ibn Qais would close his store, and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur'an."
Shaban is a month of preparation for Ramadan, a time to review the Qur'an.
Shaban Tip:
A very practical tip going into the month of Shaban is to take the goal that you have for recitation during Ramadan and do half of it in the month of Shaban. So, if you are planning to recite the whole Qur'an at least once in Ramadan, then do half of a complete reading (khatm) in Shaban. This will make achieving your Ramadan goal easier because you will have prepared yourself in a way that makes the task ahead familiar and thus you're able to push yourself further.
15th of Shaban: A Night of Forgiveness
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said "Allah looks on the night of the half of Shaban (i.e., the 15), so He forgives the entirety of His creation except for a polytheist or a person with enmity." A narration from ʿIkrima al-Barbarī (d. 105/723), the bondsman (mawlā) of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68/687), is frequently quoted in which he calls the 15 of Shaban the 'Night of Exemption' (laylat al-barāʾa), the day that we are freed from the Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaban is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah and the 15 is the particular night that Allah looks at those deeds and forgives all of them. Taking advantage of this night will allow us to enter Ramadan with amnesty, free from the burden of our sins with only the longing for our Creator remaining.
Many great scholars have written about observing the 15 of Shaban and whilst we should fill the night with worship, there are no specific acts that have been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ to be singled out on this night.
Shaban Tip:
The 15 of Shaban is a call to action. This is the time to really reflect deeply. Is that grudge worth missing out on this incredible reward? Do I really want my deeds to not be presented to Allah and to be amongst those people who are not forgiven by Allah on that night? Is my hatred of that person worth me sacrificing the love of Allah?
In a beautiful statement, Ibn Rajab said that fasting in Shaban "takes away the hardship of fasting and leaves only the sweetness of it for the time of Ramadan." For most of us, the first few days of Ramadan are sluggish as we get used to kicking our old habits and changing our schedule. However, by practicing our acts of worship in Shaban we can enter Ramadan with such energy and strength that we only taste the sweetness of our worship. By optimizing our time in Shaban we can begin Ramadan reaping the fruits of our preparation. view all
Reposted from the web
Summary: Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, dua and Ramadan Preparation is presented here as a clear English Islamic knowledge article for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. It keeps the original names, Quran and hadith references, dua, photographs, and religious context while focusing on Shaban, Ramadan Prep, Muslim Life.
Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. But Shaban is a month of incredible virtue, specifically highlighted by our beloved Prophet ﷺ. It has great historical importance because it is the month when fasting during Ramadan was made a duty through revelation, and it is the month when the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. Beyond its history, Shaban is a month for fasting and focusing more on the Qur'an, which gives it great spiritual meaning.
What is Shaban? A Month of Fasting
The first virtue of Shaban is that it is a month for fasting. Many of us usually forget to fast during this month because we are looking ahead to Ramadan. ʿĀisha (rA) said in a longer hadith, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fast for an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in Shaban."
ʿĀisha (rA) also said in an authentic report, "The month that Allah's Messenger ﷺ loved to fast in more than any other was Shaban. He used to join it to Ramadan"; meaning, he would not take a break from fasting between Shaban and Ramadan.
From these two hadiths, we see that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan, but the month he fasted most after Ramadan was Shaban. He fasted so much that it was as if he had connected the fasting of Shaban to the month of Ramadan.
When is Shaban?
Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; it comes right before the month of Ramadan. The jurist and spiritual writer Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died 751/1350) beautifully mentions that the Prophet ﷺ fasted almost all of Shaban to honor Ramadan. It is like how the most beloved voluntary prayer (sunnah) is the one before the dawn prayer (Fajr) because it honors the most beloved prayer, Fajr. Just as you use the sunnah to prepare for the required prayer, Shaban is a preparation for and a way to honor Ramadan.
Ibn Al-Qayyim also mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was known to voluntarily fast three days every month, but sometimes he could not. When that happened, he would fast in Shaban to make up those days before the required fast of Ramadan. This was the Prophet's habit for many optional acts of worship that he did regularly but sometimes missed, including the night prayer and optional fasting.
Shaban Tip:
If your spouse or friends have missed fasts to make up, you can support them by fasting with them. This is a way to do good deeds yourself and help both of you.
A Neglected Month
Usāma b. Zayd (RA) said, "I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Why do you fast more in Shaban than any other month?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'That is a month neglected by people between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which one's deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.'"
This powerful hadith gives us two layers to understand the gems of Shaban. First, Shaban is a month most people neglect. Scholars suggest that the best time to compete for the pleasure of Allah is when people are most likely to forget Him. A person striving for excellence (muḥsin) will take advantage of these neglected times. When everyone else is heedless, they will compete for the pleasure of Allah. This is one reason the night prayer is so special, because worship at these times shows that you truly want the pleasure of Allah. The great scholar Ibn al-Jawzī (died 597/1201) says, "This is the proof of your persistence in doing good."
More proof for this idea comes from the Companions' love for the time between the sunset prayer (Maghrib) and the evening prayer (ʿIshāʾ), often called the 'two ʿIshāʾs.' The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved to bring life to the time between the two ʿIshāʾs by remembering Allah, noting that it is an hour when most people are heedless. Similarly, the reward for remembering Allah when entering the marketplace is huge—a million good deeds, the removal of a million bad deeds, and an elevation of a million levels in Paradise (Jannah) with a palace there—because this is a time when we are least likely to remember Allah and worship Him.
On this point, Ibn Rajab notes that worship done when people are generally heedless should be done as secretly as possible. These are deeds of excellence (iḥsān) and should be done in the best way possible.
Shaban Tip:
Seize opportunities to worship Allah in times that are often neglected. Don't delay, make your intention and plan to fast, read the Qur'an, and increase in dhikr! One habit you can form in Shaban is to pray two extra rakahs between Maghrib and 'Isha, a time that was beloved to our Companions. Then in Ramadan, the time between Maghrib and 'Isha, when most people are rewarding themselves for a long day of fasting, becomes a special time to remember Allah when others are heedless.
A Month of Qur'an
Just as fasting in Shaban is neglected by many, so too is reading the Qur'an in this month. Whereas we all intend to increase the amount of Qur'an we read in Ramadan, Shaban is the time that the reciters prepare themselves for the recitation of Ramadan. Shaban was known by some of the pious predecessors as the month of the reciters because of how much of the Qur'an people would read during it.
Salama b. Kuhayl al-Kūfī (d. 121/739), one of the early generation of believers, known as 'the Followers' (tābiʿīn), narrates that when the month of Shaban approached, his people freed their time to recite the Qur'an. He said, "The month of Shaban [is] the month of reciters." Another narration states that "When Shaban would begin, Amr ibn Qais would close his store, and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur'an."
Shaban is a month of preparation for Ramadan, a time to review the Qur'an.
Shaban Tip:
A very practical tip going into the month of Shaban is to take the goal that you have for recitation during Ramadan and do half of it in the month of Shaban. So, if you are planning to recite the whole Qur'an at least once in Ramadan, then do half of a complete reading (khatm) in Shaban. This will make achieving your Ramadan goal easier because you will have prepared yourself in a way that makes the task ahead familiar and thus you're able to push yourself further.
15th of Shaban: A Night of Forgiveness
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said "Allah looks on the night of the half of Shaban (i.e., the 15), so He forgives the entirety of His creation except for a polytheist or a person with enmity." A narration from ʿIkrima al-Barbarī (d. 105/723), the bondsman (mawlā) of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68/687), is frequently quoted in which he calls the 15 of Shaban the 'Night of Exemption' (laylat al-barāʾa), the day that we are freed from the Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaban is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah and the 15 is the particular night that Allah looks at those deeds and forgives all of them. Taking advantage of this night will allow us to enter Ramadan with amnesty, free from the burden of our sins with only the longing for our Creator remaining.
Many great scholars have written about observing the 15 of Shaban and whilst we should fill the night with worship, there are no specific acts that have been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ to be singled out on this night.
Shaban Tip:
The 15 of Shaban is a call to action. This is the time to really reflect deeply. Is that grudge worth missing out on this incredible reward? Do I really want my deeds to not be presented to Allah and to be amongst those people who are not forgiven by Allah on that night? Is my hatred of that person worth me sacrificing the love of Allah?
In a beautiful statement, Ibn Rajab said that fasting in Shaban "takes away the hardship of fasting and leaves only the sweetness of it for the time of Ramadan." For most of us, the first few days of Ramadan are sluggish as we get used to kicking our old habits and changing our schedule. However, by practicing our acts of worship in Shaban we can enter Ramadan with such energy and strength that we only taste the sweetness of our worship. By optimizing our time in Shaban we can begin Ramadan reaping the fruits of our preparation.
Summary: Authentic Muslim Life Guide in the Muslim World: Shaban Virtues, dua and Ramadan Preparation is presented here as a clear English Islamic knowledge article for Muslim readers, starting with this scene: Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. It keeps the original names, Quran and hadith references, dua, photographs, and religious context while focusing on Shaban, Ramadan Prep, Muslim Life.
Shaban is a month people often overlook because they are busy looking forward to the excitement of Ramadan and its long nights of worship. But Shaban is a month of incredible virtue, specifically highlighted by our beloved Prophet ﷺ. It has great historical importance because it is the month when fasting during Ramadan was made a duty through revelation, and it is the month when the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Mecca. Beyond its history, Shaban is a month for fasting and focusing more on the Qur'an, which gives it great spiritual meaning.
What is Shaban? A Month of Fasting
The first virtue of Shaban is that it is a month for fasting. Many of us usually forget to fast during this month because we are looking ahead to Ramadan. ʿĀisha (rA) said in a longer hadith, "I never saw Allah's Messenger ﷺ fast for an entire month except for Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting in any month more than in Shaban."
ʿĀisha (rA) also said in an authentic report, "The month that Allah's Messenger ﷺ loved to fast in more than any other was Shaban. He used to join it to Ramadan"; meaning, he would not take a break from fasting between Shaban and Ramadan.
From these two hadiths, we see that the Prophet ﷺ never fasted an entire month other than Ramadan, but the month he fasted most after Ramadan was Shaban. He fasted so much that it was as if he had connected the fasting of Shaban to the month of Ramadan.
When is Shaban?
Shaban is the eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; it comes right before the month of Ramadan. The jurist and spiritual writer Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyya (died 751/1350) beautifully mentions that the Prophet ﷺ fasted almost all of Shaban to honor Ramadan. It is like how the most beloved voluntary prayer (sunnah) is the one before the dawn prayer (Fajr) because it honors the most beloved prayer, Fajr. Just as you use the sunnah to prepare for the required prayer, Shaban is a preparation for and a way to honor Ramadan.
Ibn Al-Qayyim also mentions that the Prophet ﷺ was known to voluntarily fast three days every month, but sometimes he could not. When that happened, he would fast in Shaban to make up those days before the required fast of Ramadan. This was the Prophet's habit for many optional acts of worship that he did regularly but sometimes missed, including the night prayer and optional fasting.
Shaban Tip:
If your spouse or friends have missed fasts to make up, you can support them by fasting with them. This is a way to do good deeds yourself and help both of you.
A Neglected Month
Usāma b. Zayd (RA) said, "I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Why do you fast more in Shaban than any other month?' The Prophet ﷺ replied, 'That is a month neglected by people between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which one's deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds, so I love for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.'"
This powerful hadith gives us two layers to understand the gems of Shaban. First, Shaban is a month most people neglect. Scholars suggest that the best time to compete for the pleasure of Allah is when people are most likely to forget Him. A person striving for excellence (muḥsin) will take advantage of these neglected times. When everyone else is heedless, they will compete for the pleasure of Allah. This is one reason the night prayer is so special, because worship at these times shows that you truly want the pleasure of Allah. The great scholar Ibn al-Jawzī (died 597/1201) says, "This is the proof of your persistence in doing good."
More proof for this idea comes from the Companions' love for the time between the sunset prayer (Maghrib) and the evening prayer (ʿIshāʾ), often called the 'two ʿIshāʾs.' The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ loved to bring life to the time between the two ʿIshāʾs by remembering Allah, noting that it is an hour when most people are heedless. Similarly, the reward for remembering Allah when entering the marketplace is huge—a million good deeds, the removal of a million bad deeds, and an elevation of a million levels in Paradise (Jannah) with a palace there—because this is a time when we are least likely to remember Allah and worship Him.
On this point, Ibn Rajab notes that worship done when people are generally heedless should be done as secretly as possible. These are deeds of excellence (iḥsān) and should be done in the best way possible.
Shaban Tip:
Seize opportunities to worship Allah in times that are often neglected. Don't delay, make your intention and plan to fast, read the Qur'an, and increase in dhikr! One habit you can form in Shaban is to pray two extra rakahs between Maghrib and 'Isha, a time that was beloved to our Companions. Then in Ramadan, the time between Maghrib and 'Isha, when most people are rewarding themselves for a long day of fasting, becomes a special time to remember Allah when others are heedless.
A Month of Qur'an
Just as fasting in Shaban is neglected by many, so too is reading the Qur'an in this month. Whereas we all intend to increase the amount of Qur'an we read in Ramadan, Shaban is the time that the reciters prepare themselves for the recitation of Ramadan. Shaban was known by some of the pious predecessors as the month of the reciters because of how much of the Qur'an people would read during it.
Salama b. Kuhayl al-Kūfī (d. 121/739), one of the early generation of believers, known as 'the Followers' (tābiʿīn), narrates that when the month of Shaban approached, his people freed their time to recite the Qur'an. He said, "The month of Shaban [is] the month of reciters." Another narration states that "When Shaban would begin, Amr ibn Qais would close his store, and devote himself to the recitation of the Qur'an."
Shaban is a month of preparation for Ramadan, a time to review the Qur'an.
Shaban Tip:
A very practical tip going into the month of Shaban is to take the goal that you have for recitation during Ramadan and do half of it in the month of Shaban. So, if you are planning to recite the whole Qur'an at least once in Ramadan, then do half of a complete reading (khatm) in Shaban. This will make achieving your Ramadan goal easier because you will have prepared yourself in a way that makes the task ahead familiar and thus you're able to push yourself further.
15th of Shaban: A Night of Forgiveness
In an authentic narration, the Prophet ﷺ said "Allah looks on the night of the half of Shaban (i.e., the 15), so He forgives the entirety of His creation except for a polytheist or a person with enmity." A narration from ʿIkrima al-Barbarī (d. 105/723), the bondsman (mawlā) of ʿAbd Allāh Ibn ʿAbbās (d. 68/687), is frequently quoted in which he calls the 15 of Shaban the 'Night of Exemption' (laylat al-barāʾa), the day that we are freed from the Hellfire.
The Prophet ﷺ said that Shaban is the month in which deeds are presented to Allah and the 15 is the particular night that Allah looks at those deeds and forgives all of them. Taking advantage of this night will allow us to enter Ramadan with amnesty, free from the burden of our sins with only the longing for our Creator remaining.
Many great scholars have written about observing the 15 of Shaban and whilst we should fill the night with worship, there are no specific acts that have been mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ to be singled out on this night.
Shaban Tip:
The 15 of Shaban is a call to action. This is the time to really reflect deeply. Is that grudge worth missing out on this incredible reward? Do I really want my deeds to not be presented to Allah and to be amongst those people who are not forgiven by Allah on that night? Is my hatred of that person worth me sacrificing the love of Allah?
In a beautiful statement, Ibn Rajab said that fasting in Shaban "takes away the hardship of fasting and leaves only the sweetness of it for the time of Ramadan." For most of us, the first few days of Ramadan are sluggish as we get used to kicking our old habits and changing our schedule. However, by practicing our acts of worship in Shaban we can enter Ramadan with such energy and strength that we only taste the sweetness of our worship. By optimizing our time in Shaban we can begin Ramadan reaping the fruits of our preparation.
Shaban Daily Challenge: Conquer Nafs For Allah
Radio·Videos • napio posted the article • 0 comments • 280 views • 2026-01-29 22:35
every single day your assignment for the month of Shaban is what am I doing today that is against my nafs How am I making myself uncomfortable for the sake of Allah subhanaw ta'ala today view all
every single day your assignment for the month of Shaban is what am I doing today that is against my nafs How am I making myself uncomfortable for the sake of Allah subhanaw ta'ala today