Arbitrary Thoughts

Fasting on the 15th of Sha’ban

“In order to observe the Night of Bara’ah, one should remain awakened in this night as much as one can. If someone has better opportunities, he should spend the whole night in worship and prayer. However, if one cannot do so for whatever reason or another, he can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably of the second half of it for this purpose, and should perform the following acts of worship:

• Salah (prayer)
• Recitation of the Holy Qur’an
• Dhikr (remembrance of Allah, by reciting the Names of Allah or other tasbeehaat)
• Durood (salutations) upon the Holy Prophet(saw)
• Engaging in much supplication (dua) and invoking Allah(swt).

One should avoid acts that are not a part of the Shariah and have never been mentioned in the ahadeeth and nor were practiced upon by the Sahaabah (ra) or the Pious predecessors (ra), but are rather customary practices that have been introduced into the religion such as cooking specials meals on this night, or gathering together in a location to celebrate this night etc..

Fast of the 15^th Sha’ban

On the day immediately following the Night of Bara’ah, i.e. the 15^th of Sha’ban, it is mustahabb (advisable) to keep a fast. The Holy Prophet(saw) is reported to have recommended this fast emphatically (mentioned in At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb with the narration of Ibn Majah). Although the scholars of hadith have some doubts in the authenticity of this report, yet as is known from other ahadeeth that the fasts of the first half of Sha’ban have special merits and the Holy Prophet(saw) used to fast most of the days in Sha’ban. Moreover, a large number of the elders (salaf) of the Ummah have been observing the fast of the 15^th of Sha’ban. This constant practice indicates that they accepted the relevant hadith as authentic. Therefore it is advisable to fast the 15^th of Sha’ban as an optional (nafl) fast. “

ANOTHER SOURCE GIVES ME THIS INFORMATION:

Apart from fasting in the month of sha’ban that has been proved authentic by above narrations, there is a concept of Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan (the 15th of Sha’baan). Which infact is like any other night, and there is no sound report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to indicate that on this night the fate or destiny of people is decided.

It was narrated from Abu Moosa al-Ash’ari that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah looks down on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan and forgives all his creation except a mushrik or one who harbours hatred against the Muslims.” Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 1390.

The “one who harbours hatred against the Muslims” means one who has enmity towards a Muslim brother.

In al-Zawaa’id it says: Its isnaad is da’eef, because ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Lahee’ah is da’eef (weak) and al-Waleed ibn Muslim is mudallis.

There is also some idtiraab (weakness) in the hadeeth, as stated by al-Daaraqutni in al-‘Ilal, 6/50, 51. He said: This hadeeth is not proven.

It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn Jabal, ‘Aa’ishah, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani and others, but the isnaads are not free of some weakness, and some of them are very weak.

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali said:

Concerning the virtue of the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan there are numerous ahaadeeth, concerning which the scholars differed, but most of them classed them as da’eef, and Ibn Hibbaan classed some of them as saheeh.

Lataa’if al-Ma’aazif, 261.

Allaah’s descending to the first heaven does not only happen on the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan, rather it is proven in al-Saheehayn and elsewhere that Allaah descends to the first heaven every night, in the last third of the night. The night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan is included in this general meaning.

Virtue of praying, fasting and worshipping on the fifteenth of Sha’baan (al-nusf min Sha’baan) does not come under the heading of da’eef (weak), rather it comes under the heading of mawdoo’ (fabricated) and baatil (false). So it is not permissible to follow it or to act upon it, whether that is in doing righteous deeds or otherwise.

END. 

In my opinion, if you are fasting this day, fast because the Prophet (peace be upon him) talked about fasting the 13th, 14th, and 15th of every month so one can observe fast on this day to honour that hadith.

Here is the hadith that talks about this:

It was narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to me: “If you fast any part of the month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 761; al-Nasaa’i, 2424; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Targheeb, 1038. 

Also, since the 15th lies on a Thursday that is even more beneficial for you:

Abu Hurayrah  narrated that the Prophet  used to fast on Mondays and Thursdays and he was asked: ”O Prophet of Allaah, why do you fast on Mondays and Thursdays?, and he replied: ”On Mondays and Thursdays, Allaah forgives to every Muslim except for two persons who are deserting each other, and Allaah would say to the angels, “leave them until they reconcile.” [Ibn Maajah]

This Hadeeth was narrated with a different wording by Imaam Muslim :“The doors of Paradise open on Mondays and Thursdays; and every servant who does not associate anything with Allaah will be forgiven, except a man who has enmity and disputes with his Muslim brother, in which case, Allaah would say: “Put both of them off until they are reconciled.” [Muslim]

So when you fast this thursday inshAllah, fast because it is a Thursday and because it is the month of Shaban. To be on the safer side, do not introduce bidah into this equation and only give it importance because it is the fifteenth of this month (and we are encouraged to fast more in this month since the Prophet did so) and because is it a Thursday.