In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Welcome to the month of Sha'ban, the 8th month of the Islamic lunar calendar.
Two momentous events occurred in Sha`ban. It was the month in which the moon was split in half for the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace, and the Qiblah was changed from Bayt al-Maqdis in Jerusalem to the Ka`bah in Makkah.
Sha'ban is immediately preceding the month of Ramadhan. Therefore, some preparatory measures are suggested by the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
The Prophet ﷺ used to fast most of the month in Sha'ban.
Ummul Mu'mineen Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to fast the whole of Sha'ban. I said to him, 'Messenger of Allah, is Sha'ban your most favorite month for fasting?' He said, 'In this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting."
Ummul-Mu'mineen Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: "I have never seen the Messenger of Allah fasting for two months continuously except in the months of Sha'ban and Ramadan."
These reports indicate that fasting in the month of Sha'ban, though not obligatory, is so meritorious that Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not like to miss it.
It is related that Abu Hurayra, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
"Allah said, 'Every action of the son of Adam is for himself except for fasting. It is Mine and I repay it.' Fasting is a shield. When someone is fasting, he should not have sexual relations nor quarrel. If someone fights him or insults him, he should say, 'I am fasting'. By the One in whose hand the self of Muhammad is, the changed breath in the mouth of the faster is more fragrant to Allah Almighty than the scent of musk. The faster experiences two joys: when he breaks his fast he rejoices and when he meets his Lord he rejoices in his fasting."[Bukhari]
When the Generous One says "It [Fasting] is Mine and I repay it," it is a tremendous reward indeed, something weu cannot imagine. Only Allah knows the extent of his reward and how much his good deeds will be multiplied.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Every deed of the son of Adam will be rewarded between ten and seven hundred fold. Allah said: ‘Except fasting, for it is for Me and I shall reward for it’”
This is like the verse in which Allah says,
[Qur'an Al-Zumar 39:10]
إِنَّمَا يُوَفَّى الصَّابِرُونَ أَجْرَهُم بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ ﴿١٠ ...
...Indeed, the patient will be given their reward without account." (10)
The words '[Fasting] is Mine' are sufficient to indicate the superiority of fasting over all other acts of worship. [Al-Nasaa’i]
Other than fasting, it is recommended to send abundant peace and blessings upon the Beloved of Allah, Allah bless him and grant him peace (salawat). It was in this month that Allah revealed:
إِنَّ اللَّـهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ﴿٥٦[Qur'an Al-Ahzab 33:56]
Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace. (56)
The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, called Sha`ban 'my month,' when he said in the hadith: 'Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha'bān is my month, and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah.'
Sending blessings upon the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, is one of the greatest means of strengthening our connection to him in this life and also the next. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, informed us that “The closest people to me on the Day of Rising will be those who send the most blessings upon me.”[Tirmidhi]
There are numerous benefits and rewards of sending peace and blessings on the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
It was also the habit of some of the early Muslims to recite the Qur’an in abundance during Sha`ban. This along with fasting gives us the best preparation for Ramadan, as it takes time for the nafs to become accustomed to doing these things in abundance.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا في رَجَبٍ وَ شَعْبَانَ وَ بَلِّغْنا رَمَضَانَ
O Allah bless us in Rajab and Sha`bān and enable us to reach Ramadhan. [Ahmad]
Please don't forget us in your du'as. Ameen.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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