Fasting most of the month of Sha'ban (the month preceding Ramadan)

The Prophet would fast most of the month of Sha'ban. 'Aishah said: "I never saw the Messenger of Allah fast a complete month save for amadan! and I have never seen him fast more in a month than he did in Sha'ban." This is related b" al#$u%hari and Muslim. &samah ibn 'aid in(uired: ") Messenger of Allah! I never find "ou fasting in an" month li%e "ou do during the month of Sha'ban." The Prophet responded: "That is a month the people neglect. It comes between a*ab and amadan. It is a month in which the deeds are raised to the +ord of the ,orlds. I love that m" deeds be raised while I am fasting." This is related b" Abu -awud! an#.asa'i! and b" Ibn /hu0aimah in his Sahih. Some people fast on the 12th of Sha'ban in particular! thin%ing that that da" contains more virtues than the other da"s. This is an unsubstantiated claim.

Fasting most of the month of Sha'ban (the month preceding Ramadan)

The Prophet would fast most of the month of Sha'ban. 'Aishah said: "I never saw the Messenger of Allah fast a complete month save for amadan! and I have never seen him fast more in a month than he did in Sha'ban." This is related b" al#$u%hari and Muslim. &samah ibn 'aid in(uired: ") Messenger of Allah! I never find "ou fasting in an" month li%e "ou do during the month of Sha'ban." The Prophet responded: "That is a month the people neglect. It comes between a*ab and amadan. It is a month in which the deeds are raised to the +ord of the ,orlds. I love that m" deeds be raised while I am fasting." This is related b" Abu -awud! an#.asa'i! and b" Ibn /hu0aimah in his Sahih. Some people fast on the 12th of Sha'ban in particular! thin%ing that that da" contains more virtues than the other da"s. This is an unsubstantiated claim.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith

Hadith 130

!arrated b"

Ali ibn Ab#Talib ( R$A ) Allah's %essenger (peace be #pon him) said& 'hen it is the night of Sha'ban obser(e the pra"er d#ring the night and obser(e the fast d#ring the da" for Allah) the *+alted and ,lorio#s) descends to the hea(en of the -orld as the s#n sets and sa"s& .s there an"one -ho see/s forgi(eness so that . ma" forgi(e him0 .s there an"one -ho see/s s#stenance so that . ma" pro(ide for him0 .s there an"one in tro#ble so that . ma" relie(e him) and so on and so forth till the da-n brea/s$ Transmitted b" .bn %a1ah$

Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 1307 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him said! Allah! the "#alted and $lorious loo%s do&n on the middle night o' (ha'ban and 'orgi)es all His creation e#cept t&o people! the mushahin and the murderer* Transmitted by Ahmad*

Allah's Messenger 3peace be upon him4 said! Allah! the 56alted and 7lorious loo%s down on the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives all 8is creation e6cept a pol"theist or one who is mushahin 3innovator in religion and out of the main stream of the communit". Transmitted b" Ibn Ma*ah.

I missed Allah's Messenger 3peace be upon him4 during the night and found him in al#$a(i'. 8e said: ,ere "ou afraid that Allah and 8is Messenger would deal un*ustl" with "ou9 I said: Allah's Messenger! I thought that "ou had gone to some of "our other wives. 8e 3the Prophet4 said: :eril" Allah! the 56alted and 7lorious! comes down to the heaven of the world in the middle night of Sha'ban and forgives sins even more abundant than the hair of the goats of /alb. eported b" Tirmidhi! Ibn Ma*ah! and a0in who added for those who deserve 8ell and Tirmidhi said: I heard it from Muhammad 3$u%hari4 that he deemed it to be a wea% hadith.

Allah's Messenger 3peace be upon him4 said! "I am the first from whom the 5arth will burst open! then Abu$a%r and then &mar. I shall then come to those who are buried in al#$a(i' and the" will be gathered along with me. After that I shall wait for the people of Mecca so as to be gathered among the inhabitants of the two sacred cities." Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith

Hadith 1233

!arrated b"

Aisha ( R$A)

. missed Allah's %essenger (peace be #pon him) d#ring the night and fo#nd him in al4a5i'$ He said& 'ere "o# afraid that Allah and His %essenger -o#ld deal #n1#stl" -ith "o#0 . said& Allah's %essenger) . tho#ght that "o# had gone to some of "o#r other -i(es$ He (the 6rophet) said& 7eril" Allah) the *+alted and ,lorio#s) comes do-n to the hea(en of the -orld in the middle night of Sha'ban and forgi(es sins e(en more ab#ndant than the hair of the goats of 8alb$ Reported b" Tirmidhi) .bn %a1ah

hoever pa"s a visit to a grave should face the deceased! greet him! and supplicate for him. )n this sub*ect we find the following: $uraidah reported: "The Prophet! peace be upon him! taught us that when we visited graves we should sa"! 'Peace be upon "ou! ) believing men and women! ) dwellers of this place. ;ertainl"! Allah willing! we will *oin "ou. <ou have preceded us and we are to follow "ou.,e supplicate to Allah to grant us and "ou securit"'.'' 3 eported b" Muslim! Ahmad! and others4 Ibn 'Abbas reported: ")nce the Prophet! peace be upon him! passed b" graves in Madinah. 8e tumed his face toward them sa"ing: 'Peace be upon "ou! ) dwellers of these graves. Ma" Allah forgive us and "ou. <ou have preceded us! and we are following "our trail'." 3Tirmidhi4 'Aishah said: "5ver" time it was m" turn to be with the Prophet! peace be upon him! toward the end of the night! he would go out to the cemeter" of al#$a(i' and would sa"!

'Peace be upon "ou! ) abode of believers. ,hat "ou were promised will come to pass tomorrow at a fi6ed time. ,e shall! Allah willing! soon *oin "ou. ) Allah= 7rant forgiveness to the people who are buried in al#$a(i' al#7har(ad'!' 3Muslim4 'Aishah also reported: "I as%ed: ',hat should I sa" when I pass b" a grave"ard! ) Messenger of Allah9' 8e replied! 'Sa"! "Peace be upon the believing men and women dwelling here. Ma" Allah grant merc" to those who have preceded us and those who are to follow them. ;ertainl"! Allah willing! we will *oin "ou"'." ,hat some people do! li%e wiping hands over the graves and tombs! %issing them! and circumambulating around them are abominable innovations. Such things should not be done! for the" are unlawful. These things are permissible! however! if performed in relation with the 8ouse of Allah! the /a'abah! for Allah has so honored it. The grave of the Prophet! peace be upon him! cannot be considered a similar case! nor the tomb of a saint. All good comes from adherence to his e6ample whereas all evil flows from innovating new things in religion. Ibn al#>a""im said: "The Prophet! peace be upon him! visited the graves to supplicate for their inhabitants! and to see% merc" and forgiveness of Allah for them. ;ontrar" to this! the pagans supplicated to the dead! swearing b" them! as%ing them for their needs! and see%ing their support and help. Such pagan practices are in conflict with the guidance of the Prophet! peace be upon him! and his teachings about the )neness of Allah and about the manner of supplicating for Allah's merc" for the dead. The people who do such things are guilt" of pol"theism? the" are indulging in sin! and bringing evil to the deceased.The" ma" be divided into three categories: those who supplicate for the deceased! those who supplicate through the deceased! and the third who supplicate to the deceased. The" thin% that ma%ing supplications b" a grave is better than in a mos(ue. @or an"one who loo%s to the guidance of the Messenger of Allah! peace be upon him! and his ;ompanions! the distinction between the two cited positions is fairl" obvious."

F#neral 6ra"er on a ,ra(e

It is permissible to offer funeral pra"er for a deceased an"time after his burial! even if a pra"er was offered prior to his burial. As mentioned above! the Prophet! peace be upon him! offered funeral pra"er for the mart"rs of &hud after eight "ears. 'aid ibn Thabit reported: ")nce we went out with the Prophet! peace be upon him . ,hen we reached al#$a(i ' 3@amous cemeter" in Madinah! where a large number of the Prophet's companions are buried4 we noticed a newl" dug grave. The Prophet! peace be upon him! as%ed about it and was told that was the grave of such and such a woman. At this he said: ',h" did "ou not inform me of her death9' The" replied! ') Prophet of Allah= <ou were fasting and were resting at the time and we did not want

to bother "ou. ' 8e said: '-o not do that again. So long as I am with "ou! ma%e sure "ou inform me when an" one among "ou dies! for m" pra"ers for the deceased is a merc" for them.' Then the Prophet! peace be upon him! went to the grave. ,e stood in rows behind him and he offered a funeral pra"er for her with four ta%birs." This hadith has been reported b" Ahmad! .asa'i! Al#$aiha(i! Al#8a%im and Ibn 8ibban. The last two reporters regard it as a sound hadith. Tirmidhi said: This has been the practice of most of the scholars! the ;ompanions of the Prophet 3ma" Allah be pleased with them4! as well as others. Ash#Shafi'i! Ahmad! and Isha( hold the same view. This hadith also shows that the Prophet! peace be upon him! offered funeral pra"er at a grave when a funeral pra"er had alread" been offered b" his ;ompanions for the deceased before her burial! for the" could not bur" her without a funeral pra"er. @rom this hadith it is also obvious that pra"ing for the dead 3before the burial4 was a common practice of the ;ompanions! and was not limited onl" to the Prophet! peace be upon him. Ibn Al#>a""im said: "These proven traditions of the Prophet! peace be upon him! do not contradict the sound hadith that reports the statement of the Prophet! peace be upon him: '-o not sit b" the graves! or offer pra"er facing them.' This is a sound hadith that bids us not to sit or pra" at the graves. ,hat is forbidden is to offer formal pra"er 3salah4 facing a grave. )ffering a funeral pra"er at the grave is not forbidden! for funeral pra"er does not have to be offered at an" specific place. It is rather better offered outside a mos(ue than inside it. The funeral pra"er at the grave is similar to offering it beside the coffin. In either case the pra"er is offered for the deceased! and his bod"! whether it is in the coffin or in the grave! remains in the same position. )ffering pra"ers other than funeral pra"ers are forbidden at graves! for there is a ris% that this ma" tum these grave"ards into mos(ues! against which the Prophet! peace be upon him! wamed us. 8e cursed those who tum graves into places of worship! sa"ing: 'Some evil people will be overta%en b" the -a" of Audgement! including those 3evil people4 who tum graves into mos(ues.' This warning has no bearing on an act that the Prophet! peace be upon him! repeatedl" perfommed. "