Tonight (Monday, February 2), with the Maghrib adhan, begins the blessed night of Laylat al-Barā’ah — the Night of Forgiveness, Destiny, and Wishes.
The 15th night of the month of Sha‘ban is Laylat al-Barā’ah. This blessed night has several names: the Night of Forgiveness, the Night of Liberation, the Night of the Presentation of Deeds, the Night of Allocation and Decision. According to an honorable hadith, the name of this night is “Nisf al-Sha‘ban,” which means the middle of the month of Sha‘ban.
In one hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“When the middle of Sha‘ban comes (the Night of Barā’ah), spend the night in prayer and the day in fasting. On that night, Exalted Allah proclaims: ‘Is there anyone who seeks forgiveness from Me so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone who asks Me to increase his provision so that I may increase it? Is there anyone who asks Me for anything so that I may grant it? Is there anyone, is there anyone?’ Exalted Allah grants what is asked of Him by those who seek until dawn breaks.”
Imam Subki (rahimahullah) said:
“The Night of Barā’ah is an expiation for the sins committed during the year. Friday night is an expiation for the sins committed during the week. And the Night of Qadr is an expiation for the sins committed throughout one’s lifetime. Thus, these nights spent in worship erase the sins committed during the mentioned periods.”
It is narrated that on the Night of Qadr or on the Night of Barā’ah it is written in the Book who will live and who will die. Some scholars interpreted this by saying that on the Night of Barā’ah the Book is written, and on the Night of Qadr it is presented to the angels.
There is also a narration stating that on the Night of Barā’ah, Exalted Allah presents to the angels the condition of His servants for the coming year: how much provision each person will have, who will be rich and who poor, who will be elevated and who humiliated; who will die, who will be born, and who will go for Hajj.
(Büyük İslam İlmihali, Omer Nasuhi Bilmen)
It is narrated from Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه) that the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Allah the Exalted descends (with His mercy) on the fifteenth night of Sha‘ban to the nearest heaven and forgives everyone, except the polytheists and those who harbor hatred in their hearts.”
The Night of Intercession (Laylat al-Shafā‘ah)
One of the names of this night is also “The Night of Intercession.”
The reason for this is the following narration:
On the 13th night of Sha‘ban, Jibril (عليه السلام) came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “O Muhammad, it is time for tahajjud; it is time to supplicate to your Lord for your ummah.” The Prophet ﷺ stood up and spent that night in worship. When dawn came, Jibril (عليه السلام) came again and said: “O Muhammad, Exalted Allah has granted (forgiven) one third of your ummah.” Upon hearing this, the Prophet ﷺ began to weep and asked: “O Jibril, what will happen to the remaining two thirds?”
“I do not know,” replied Jibril.
The following night (the 14th night of Sha‘ban), Jibril came again and said the same words to the Prophet ﷺ as the previous night. The Prophet ﷺ stood up and spent the night in worship. When dawn began to break, Jibril (عليه السلام) came again and said: “O Muhammad, Allah has granted you two thirds of your ummah.” The Prophet of Mercy ﷺ wept again and asked: “What will happen to the remaining third?” Jibril again replied that he did not know.
The next night, the 15th night of Sha‘ban, the Prophet ﷺ again prayed and supplicated to his Lord until dawn. When dawn arrived, Jibril (عليه السلام) came again and said: “Rejoice, O Muhammad! Allah has forgiven your entire ummah, except those who commit shirk.”
(Ismail Hakki Bursevi, Rūḥ al-Bayān)
The Night of Mercy (Rahmah) and Forgiveness (Maghfirah)
Ibn ‘Adil (rahimahullah), in his tafsir Lubāb, states that this night is the Night of Mercy (Laylat al-Rahmah), and explains:
Exalted Allah says regarding this night: “A night in which every wise matter is determined…” (Ad-Dukhān, 44:4)
The blessings that servants receive on this night are immense.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“Whoever revives this night with prayer, Exalted Allah sends to him one hundred angels: thirty bring glad tidings of Paradise, thirty supplicate for his salvation from Hellfire, thirty protect him from worldly calamities and misfortunes, and ten protect him from the plots of Shaytan.”
On this night, great mercy descends upon the servants.
Allah forgives all believers except those who practice sorcery, harbor hatred toward Muslims, habitual drunkards, those disobedient to their parents, and those who commit adultery.
On this night, Exalted Allah completed intercession for His Beloved (Habib).
In a hadith narrated by Daylami, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
“There are four nights in which supplication is not rejected:
The first night of the month of Rajab
The fifteenth night of Sha‘ban
The night before Friday
And the nights before both ‘Eids”
Supplication and Worship on the Night of Barā’ah
Supplication (du‘ā’) is the acknowledgment of one’s weakness and seeking help from the Lord. In one hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Exalted Allah has said: ‘O son of Adam, as long as you call upon Me and seek forgiveness from Me, I will forgive you, no matter how many sins you have. O son of Adam, if your sins were to reach the clouds of the sky, and then you sought forgiveness from Me, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins filling the entire earth, but without associating anything with Me, I would come to you with forgiveness just as great.’”
(Tirmidhi)
“A person commits sins, but the best of those who commit sins are those who repent.”
(Tirmidhi)
In another hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“When the fifteenth night of Sha‘ban comes, spend it in worship. When the following day comes, spend it in fasting.”
“Allāhumma bārik lanā fī rajaba wa sha‘bāna wa ballighnā ramaḍāna.”
O Allah, bless us in the months of Rajab and Sha‘ban and allow us to reach Ramadan.
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