The fifteenth of Sha’ban, popularly referred to as Nisfu Sha’ban is one of the special and great day in the month of Sha’ban. Meanwhile, it is pertinent to mention that both the day and its eve are considered the most favorable periods for supplications, acts of worship (Ibadah) and gaining proximity to Almighty Allah. In fact, the eve of the fifteenth of Sha’ban is considered the best night after the night of Majesty [Laylat al-Qadr] in the month of Ramadan. It is a night when the destiny is changed, supplications are accepted and the requests of supplicants therein are favorably fulfilled by Almighty Allah.
In light of this, the recommended acts of worship both on the eve and the fifteenth day of Sha’ban shall be presented.
The Fifteenth Night of Sha’ban
This night is extraordinarily honorable. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s) has narrated that when Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s) was asked about the merits of the fifteenth night of Sha’ban, he answered, “It is the most favorable night after the Qadr Night. On this night, Almighty Allah bestows upon His servants His favors and grants them His pardon. Therefore, you should exert all efforts for seeking nearness to Almighty Allah on this night, because He-Majestic and Honorable- He has decided not to reject and beggar so long as an act of disobedience is asked. Almighty Allah has chosen this night for us, the Ahl al-Bayt, in the same way as He has chosen the Qadr Night for our Prophet-peace be upon him and his Family. You should thus pray to Almighty Allah and thank Him diligently.”
One of the marvelous blessings of this night is that it is the birth night of the Patron of the Age, namely Imam al-Mahdi (a.s), may Allah accept our souls as ransoms for him. He was born in Surra-man-ra’a (currently Samarra’) at the hour before daybreak in AH 255. This incident increases the merits of this honorable night. However, narrations have carried may recommended acts to be carried out at this night:
First: To keep vigil during the night, it is reported from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) thus: “Whoever stays up on the night of the Eid and the middle night of Shaban to worship, his heart shall not perish on the day all hearts perish!”
Second:It is highly recommended to bathe oneself at this night, for this act decreases the punishment on one’s sins.
Third: It is highly recommended to imitate Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al- Abidin (a.s) who used to spend this whole night with acts of worship, prayers, supplications, invocations and prayers for forgiveness. A Hadith has confirmed that as for one who spends this whole night with acts of worship, his heart will not die when other hearts die.
Fourth: It is recommended to recite 100 times ‘Astaghfirullah’ with attention to seeking forgiveness.
Fifth: Recitation of Dua e Kumayl taught by Imam Ali (a.s) to Hazrat Kumayl on 15th Sha’ban (Check Mafatih al-Jinan for details).
Sixth: Observation of Salaat Ja’far e Tayyar as narrated by Sheikh al-Ṭūsī from Imam al-Riḍā (a.s).
NOTE: Check Mafatih al-Jinan for details.
Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (a.s): “If you have a significant request and you want it to be granted, you may offer this prayer, say this supplication, and implore Almighty Allah to respond to you. If you do, it will be granted, Allah willing.”
Seventh: It is highly recommended to visit the tomb of Imam al-Husayn (a.s). As a matter of fact, this is the most favorable act on this night. It also brings about forgiveness of one’s sins. If you desire that 124,000 Prophets shake hands with you, you may visit the holy tomb of Imam al-Husayn (a.s) on this night. The least act of Ziyarah is to go up an elevated place, to look to the right and the left, and then to raise the head towards the heavens and say these following statements:
السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْد الله، السَّلامُ عَلَيْكَ وَرَحْمَةُ الله وَبَرَكَاتُهُ
As Salāmu ‘alayka yā Abā Abdillāh, As-Salamu ‘alayka wa rahmatullah wa barakatuhu
Peace be upon you; O Abu-Abdullah! Peace and Allah’s mercy and blessings be upon you.
NOTE: One who performs this Ziyarah is expected to win the reward of one Hajj and one Umrah.
Eighth: It is recommended to recite the special Salawat reported from Imam ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad (i.e. Imam Zayn al-Abidin) each mid-day in Sha’ban and at the fifteenth night of Sha’ban:
اللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِ مُحَمَّدٍ شَجَرَةِ النُّبُوَّةِ… الأخیَار
NOTE: Check Mafatih al-Jinan for details.
Ninth: It is recommended to recite Munajat Sha’baiya, which is the confidential prayer of the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.s) and the Holy Imams (a.s).
NOTE: Check Mafatih al-Jinan for details.
Tenth: Recite other recommended supplications [Check Mafatih al-Jinan for details]
Eleventh: It is recommended to mention Almighty Allah by the following invocation one hundred times so that one’s past acts of disobedience to Almighty Allah will be forgiven and one’s worldly and religious needs will be settled:
سبحان الله وَالْحَمْدُ لله، ولا إله إلا الله وَاللهُ أَكْبَرُ
Subḥāna-llahi, wal-hamdu lillāhi, wa la ilaha illā-llāhu, wallāhu akbaru,
All glory be to Allah; all praise be to Allah; there is no god save Allah; Allah is the Greatest
Twelfth: Sheikh al-Ṭūsī, in ‘Misbah al-Mutahajjid’, has narrated a Hadith about the merits of the fifteenth night of Sha’ban entailing that Abu-Yahya asked Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s) about the best of supplications at this night. The Imam (a.s) instructed him saying, “After you accomplish the obligatory `Isha’ Prayer, you may offer a two Rak’ah prayers in the first of which you should recite Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Kafirun and in the second you should recite Surah al-Fatihah and Surah al-Tawhid [Qulhuwallah]. When you accomplish the prayer, you may repeat (the phrase of) Subhanallah’ thirty-three times, (the phrase of) Alhamdulillah’ thirty-three times, and (the phrase of) ‘Allahu-akbar’ thirty-four times. You may then recite the following supplication:
یا من إلیه ملجأُ العِباد فی المهمات …لا قوة إلا بالله
NOTE: Check Mafatih al-Jinan for details.
Thirteenth: It is recommended to say the supplication narrated by Sheikh al-Ṭūsī and Sayyid Ibn Ṭāwüs after each of two Rak’ahs of the Night Prayer (Salat al-Layl), the Shaf Prayer, and the Witr Prayer.
Fourteenth: It is recommended to do the prostrations and say the supplications that are reported from the Holy Prophet (PBUHH). One of these is that Sheikh al-Ṭūsī has narrated on the authority of Hammād ibn ‘Isä on the authority of Abān ibn Taghlib that Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s) recounted the following: It was the fifteenth night of Sha’ban when the Holy Prophet (PBUHH) was with ‘A’ishah, his wife. At midnight, the Holy Prophet (PBUHH) left the bed. When ‘A’ishah woke up and could not find the Holy Prophet (PBUHH), she felt jealous and Thought that he joined one of his other wives. She therefore left her bed and put on her cloak, which was made of neither silk, not linen, nor cotton; rather it was made of camel hair. In any event, ‘A’ishah searched for the Holy Prophet (PBUHH) in all the rooms of his other wives but she found him prostrating himself on the ground like a thrown dress. As she approached, she heard him saying:
سَجَدَ لَكَ سَوَادِي وَ خَيَالِي وَ آمَنَ بِكَ فُؤَادِي هَذِهِ يَدَايَ وَ مَا جَنَيْتُهُ عَلَى نَفْسِي، يَا عَظِيمُ [عَظِيما] تُرْجَى [يُرْجَی] لِكُلِّ عَظِيمٍ اغْفِرْ لِيَ الْعَظِيمَ فَإِنَّهُ لا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ الْعَظِيمَ إِلّا الرَّبُّ الْعَظِيمُ
Prostrating before You are my body and my shadow and my heart is in full faith of You. These are my two hands and this is what I have committed against myself, O the All-great: You are hoped for all enormous things. Please, forgive me my serious offences because none can forgive the serious sin except the All-great Lord.
The Holy Prophet (PBUHH) then raised his head and then prostrated himself again, saying:
أَعُوذُ بِنُورِ وَجْهِكَ الَّذِي أَضَاءَتْ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَ الْأَرَضُونَ وَ انْكَشَفَتْ لَهُ الظُّلُمَاتُ، وَ صَلَحَ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرُ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَ الْآخِرِينَ مِنْ فُجْأَةِ نَقِمَتِكَ وَ مِنْ تَحْوِيلِ عَافِيَتِكَ وَ مِنْ زَوَالِ نِعْمَتِكَ. اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي قَلْباً تَقِيّاً نَقِيّاً وَ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ بَرِيئا لا كَافِراً وَ لا شَقِيّاً
I seek the protection of the light of Your Face that has lit the heavens and the earth and has removed all darkness and has made active all the affairs of the past and the coming generations against Your sudden chastisement and against withdrawing the good health that You have granted me and against the vanishing of Your bounties. O Allah: (please) grant me a heart that is pious and pure, and is released from polytheism, and is neither atheist nor unhappy.
The Holy Prophet (PBUHH) then attached his face to the ground and said:
عَفْرْتُ وَجْهِي فِي التَّرَابِ وَحُقِّ لِي أَنْ أَسْجُدَ لَكَ
I am putting my face on the ground and it is my duty to prostrate myself before You
When the Holy Prophet (PBUHH) accomplished these acts of worship and directed towards his bed, ‘A’ishah ran before him until she reached the bed before he did. When he heard her speedy breathes, the Holy Prophet (PBUHH) asked her about it. He then said, “Do you know what this night is? This is the night of the half of Sha’ban. On this night, shares of provisions are distributed, ages are decided, and the pilgrims are appointed. Verily, Almighty Allah, at this night, forgives as many of His creatures as the hairs of the goats of the Kalb Tribe. Almighty Allah also orders angels to descend to the earth, to Makkah, at this night.”
Fifteenth: It is recommended to offer four Raka’ah prayer with Surah al-Fatihah once and Surah al-Tawhid [Qulhuwallah] one hundred times in each Raka’ah. After the last Salaam, you may recite the following supplication:
اللهم إنّی إلیک فقیر… الْقَائِلُونَ
NOTE: Check Mafatih al-Jinan for details.
Sixteenth: It is recommended to offer a prayer composed of six Rak’ahs in each of which the Surahs al-Fatihah, Yasin, al-Mulk, and al-Tawhid are recited.
The Fifteenth of Sha’ban
On the fifteenth of Sha’ban, the twelfth Imam al-Mahdi, the Patron of the Age (Ṣāḥib al-Zaman), was born (may Almighty Allah’s blessings be upon him and his immaculate ancestors). It is recommended to visit him at each time and place and to pray to Almighty Allah for hastening his advent. His Ziyarah at the Vault (sirdab) in Samarra’ is more favorable. Beyond any dispute, Imam al-Mahdi (a.s) shall appear, overcome, and fill the earth with justice and equality in the same way as it would be filled up with injustice and bias.
Curled from the books titled “Mafatih al-Jinan” by Sheikh Abbas Qummi and “The Rites of Rajab, Sha’ban, Ramadan” by Badr Shahin
