The Month of Sha'ban

by Hasnain Asharia


Significance
Sha’ban is the month of the Holy Prophet (saw), in which believers are told to increase their remembrance of the Prophet, and send blessings on him. The Prophet has said that whoever loves him will fast in this month.

Sha’ban is the only month of the Islamic calendar which does not have a single wafat, or day of mourning. It is truly a blessed month, with auspicious occasions of the birth of many great Imams (as).

Imam Ali’s (as) advice on the first day of Sha’ban
Imam Ali (as) once saw some Muslims arguing among themselves on the topic of fate and destiny, on the first day of Sha’ban. He discouraged them from their preoccupation and instead drew their attention to the merits of this month. He said that the Lord has called it Sha’ban because His favours and bounties were scattered (sha’aba) all over during it.

Allah presents His great bounties in this month which are easy to achieve, and inexpensive, said Imam Ali (as). This could mean that performing acts of worship, performing good deeds and abstaining from evils will carry manifold benefits. Then he enumerated some of the good actions which should not be overlooked in this month. These include Salaat, Zakaat, enjoining towards good, forbidding evil, goodness to parents, relatives and neighbours, mutual reconciliation and giving charity to the poor and destitute.

There are also narrations that fasting the last three days of Sha’ban reaps the benefits of fasting the whole year.

Please brothers and sisters, let us take advantage of these three consecutive holy months (Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadhan) to urge reform within ourselves. Let us not be those that change for these three months and then go back to our bad habits. If you stop listening to music, start wearing hijaab or stop gossiping, whatever the flaw, let us keep it for the rest of our lives. Why change only for these months and Muharram, and go back again. Surely that is hypocritical. What, Allah (swt) is not aware in the other months? Surely not!