Laila-tul-Barah

[muslima]

As for Shiias, they too have their own stories about Shaban.  They probably don't fast during Shaban but they spend the night of 15th Shaban in prayers because according to them 15 Shaban marks the birthday of Imam Mahdi.  The so-called birthday of Imam Mahdi is connected with a long story of how his mother had a dream on the night of his birth or something like that.  I don't know the details of the story .... and these Shiia / Sunni stories are really not worth exploring.  However, the crux of the matter is that both Sunnis and Shiias observe 15th Shaban but both have concocted their own different tales, nothing of which is confirmed, not even hinted upon in the Noble Quran. 
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the birthday of Imam Mahdi.? realy ?
muslims are too busy in bidahs @sister what about the Isra and Mi'raj ? also bidah ?

[muslima]

Lailatul Bara'ah and Shab-e-Barat are the same occasion with different labels.  In the Middle-East they call it Lailatul Bara'ah and in Pakistan it's known as Shab-e-Barat.  It takes place on the 15th of Shaban and the night of observance is between 14th and 15th of Shaban.  

It's not mentioned in the Glorious Quran.  It's entirely from the Hadith with numerous stories attached to it.  Even according to Hadith followers there are two opinions regarding this occasion.

One group of Hadithists say that the Hadith narrations which mention about Lailatul Baraah or Shab-e-Barat are unauthentic or Daeef Ahadith and must all be discarded.  They also acknowledge that a lot of bid'ah or improper practices have ensued from the false Hadiths regarding Lailatul Baraah.

Another group of Hadith followers accept this occasion by upholding those Hadith narrations that mention it.  They guess and claim that the Prophet (SAAW) said it's the night for seeking forgivness.  Lailatul Baraah means the 'night of freedom from Hellfire.'  In this link you'll find the entire Hadith story adhered by those who observe Lailatul Baraah. These people have also tried to link this event with the Quran by claiming that Verses 2 to 6 of Surah Ad-Dukhan refer to Lailatul Baraah, but that's not true at all.  Verses 2 to 6 of Surah Ad-Dukhan refer to Laialtul Qadr as also mentioned in Surah Al-Qadr, 97th Chapter of the Glorious Quran.  Here, the Night of Qadr or the Night of Power means the Night when the Quran began being revealed which is on one of the blessed nights of the month of Ramadan.

Here are the Verses of Surah Ad-Dukhan.  They do not refer to any other night except the night when the Quran was revealed.

By the Scripture that maketh plain
Lo! We revealed it on a blessed night - Lo! We are ever warning -
Whereon every wise command is made clear
As a command from Our presence - Lo! We are ever sending -
A mercy from thy Lord. Lo! He, even He is the Hearer, the Knower,
(44:2-6)

Tales about Leilat-ul Baraah have been circulating since years.  This itself is sufficient proof of its being unauthentic.  Some claim that the souls of the dead visit earth on this night.  Then again, some guess that their fate for the following year is given to the angels while others think it's the night to seek the forgivness of Allah.   However, Allah has not specified any particular days or nights for asking forgiveness of Him.  Repentance is permitted at all times of the year provided one is sincere.

Those who accept the Hadith stories also fast during 14th, 15th and 16th of Shaban.  Some fast the entire month of Rajab which precedes  Shaban as a gesture to prepare and train oneself for Ramadan."  However, these practices are not warranted by the Quran.  Many of these folks exhaust all their energy by fasting on other months prior to the month of Ramadan, and by the time Ramadan arrives, they get so tired that they hardly enjoy their Ramadan fasts.  Allah has said that He has NOT placed any hardships in religion and  Allah has ordered to fast only in the month of Ramadan .. the blessed month when the Glorious Quran began being revealed.

Indeed preparing for Ramadan is a very good idea.  Also, many of us need to  save your energy so we can complete all 30 obligatory fasts during the month of Ramadan.  Preparation for Ramadan is done best with some additional worship in the month of Shaban, preferably in the form of nafl prayers, zikr, giving something on charity and beginning regular reading of the Quran (at least 2 or 3 rukus a day which can be increased during Ramadan).  Of course, extra worship of Allah is permissible and useful at all times.  Extra fasting is also allowed whenever one wishes.   But many of our jurists have made a rigid rule to fast for the whole of Rajab and also certain days of Shaban which is not commanded in the Quran as obligatory.  The Divine Rule to fast is only in Ramadan.  

 

jazak Allah very informative post sister zeynab

[Zainab_M]

the birthday of Imam Mahdi.? realy ?
muslims are too busy in bidahs @sister what about the Isra and Mi'raj ? also bidah ?

Salaam sister Muslima.  Yes, Shiias believe 15 Shaban to be the birthday of Imam Mahdi.  And Sunnis (Sunni Salafs in particular) observe 15 Shaban as a night of worship in remembrance of Prophet Noah and his followers being save from the deluge.  However, there is no reliable historical information on Imam Mahdi's birth date.  And, although the Quran surely mentions that Allah saved Prophet Noah and his followers from the flood,  there is no mention of its date and month.  Therefore the presumption of the date and month of 15th Shaban for the occurrence of both these events are pure guessworks and not Quranic information.  

The Sunni Salafs further believe that Allah prepares the destiny for all people on earth for the coming year on 15th Shaban.  This information completely contradicts the Quranic contents which state that the angels descend with all decrees of Allah on the Night of Qadr or on Leilatul Qadar which is one of the nights of Ramadan, NOT Shaban.   Refer to Surah 97 / Al-Qadr.  This night of Ramadan is the one when the Noble Quran began being revealed to our beloved Prophet (s), which Muslims today observe as Leilatul Qadr on 27th Ramadan.  But Allah Almighty has only confirmed that the Quran began being revealed in one of the nights of Ramadan, He has not mentioned the date. So, my question to my Muslim brethren is, how do they know it's on the 27th?  The answer is, the idea of 27th Ramadan being Leialtul Qadr again comes from Hadith.  Hadith says that Leilatul Qadr was on one of last 10 odd nights of Ramadan, i.e. either 21st or 23rd or 25th or 27th.  So the jurists selected 27th.  Therefore, all this information about one of the last 10 odd nights is un-Quranic.  Only Allah knows which date of Ramadan the Quran began being revealed.

Regarding the Prophet's journey of Isra and Meraj, it is VERY TRUE and definitely contained in the Noble Quran.  The Quran mentions the incident of Isra and Meraj quite briefly and it does not mention which date or month it happened.  But the unauthentic Hadith narrations have added many guessworks and stories.  One of the stories from these man-written sources is that the incident of Isra and Meraj took place on 27th of Rajab commonly known as the night of Shab-e-Meraj.   But there is absolutely no Quranic evidence to suggest that it happened on 27th Rajab.   For authentic information on Isra and Meraj taken directly from the Noble Quran, please read our very interesting post/thread titled  No hardship in Religion / Description of Mairaj.

[muslima]

  sister zeynab hmmm i got you sister:) no Quranic evidence of date.no logic of celebration without confirm date ?
 honestly speaking concept of imam mahdi is beyond my understanding.correct me if i am wrong imam mahdi is not mention in Quran ?

[Zainab_M]

sister zeynab hmmm i got you sister:) no Quranic evidence of date.no logic of celebration without confirm date ?
 honestly speaking concept of imam mahdi is beyond my understanding.correct me if i am wrong imam mahdi is not mention in Quran ?

Walaikum Salaam.  That's right sister Muslima.  Our so-called ulemas and scholars force a concocted date on every Quranic event which Allah, by His will, has not disclosed to us.   I consider such guessworks to be gross disobedience to the will of Allah.  They will have to answer for it.

Imam Mahdi is certainly not mentioned in the Quran.  Imam Mahdi is the 12th generation descendent of Imam Ali.  No doubt, the descendents of Imam Ali (consisting of the 12 imams respected by the Shiias) were very pious and reputable people.  But unfortunately Muslims of later times have constructed various tales about them as a means to glorify them.  The story of the return of Mahdi is one of those tales.  Surely the family of the 12 imams never entertained such gossips.  It's the people who love to weave stories .. and their stories keep getting embellished with the passage of time. 

Here is our post on the return of Mahdi which you might like to check.
That talk about the return of Mahdi.

[Heba E. Husseyn]

Return of Mahdi is basically a copy-cat theory of return of Jesus, son of Virgin Mary.  Both are un-Quranic.

As we know, plenty of stories and traditions contained in the Sunni Hadiths have been borrowed from the altered Christian Bibles.  The return of Jesus is one of them.  When the Sunnis began talking of the return of Jesus as one of their "biblical" teachings, the Shiias felt they too must have something similar.  Thus, came the constructed story of return of Mahdi.

However, return of Mahdi is believed by both Shiias and Sunnis, though it's hotter in the circle of the Shiias.  Sunnis are a bit more into the tale of return of Jesus, son of Virgin Mary.  That's because Abu Huraira had gossiped quite a lot about it in his unauthentic narrations.