Fasting Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “I have never seen the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) completing the fast of a month as he did for Ramadan, and I have never seen him fasting so much as he would in Sha'aban.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Deeds presented to Allah Usamah Bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), ‘Why do you fast in Sha'aban more than any other month?' He (peace be upon him) replied, ‘People are negligent between Rajab and Ramadan. During Sha'aban the deeds are presented to the Lord of all the worlds. Therefore I desire to be fasting when my deeds are lifted.” (Ahmed, 5/200, An-Nasa'i, 2357, authenticated by Al-Albani) 15th night There are some ahadith that mention the virtue of the 15th of Sha'aban. Scholars have differed on their authenticity. Abu Musa Al-Ash'ari narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Allah looks down on the night of the 15th of Sha'aban and forgives all his creation except a mushrik or one who harbors hatred against the Muslims.” (Ibn Majah, 1390) In al-Zawa'id it says: Its isnad (chain) is da'eef (weak), because ‘Abdullah Bin Lahee'ah is da'eef and Al-Waleed Bin Muslim is mudallis. There is also some idtirab (weakness) in the hadith, as stated by Al-Daaraqutni in Al-‘Ilal, 6/50-51. He said: This hadith is not proven. Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali said: “Concerning the virtue of the night of the 15th of Sha'aban there are numerous ahadith, concerning which the scholars differed, but most of them classed them as da'eef, and Ibn Hibbaan classed some of them as sahih.” (Lata'if Al-Ma'aazif, 261) When Abdullah Bin Al-Mubarak was asked about it, he said: “The night of the 15th?! He descends every night!” (I'tiqad Ahl-us-Sunnah, no. 92) Al-‘Aqeeli said: With regard to Allah's descending on the night of the 15th of Sha'aban there are ahadith which are weak, but the reports that He descends every night are proven and sahih, so the night of the 15th of Sha'aban is included in that, Insha Allah. (Al-Du'afa', 3/29) Sheikh Bin Jibreen said: “There is no sahih marfoo' report that speaks of the virtue of the middle of Sha'aban that may be followed, not even in the chapters on Al-Fada'il (chapters on virtues in books of hadith). Some maqtoo' reports (reports whose isnaads do not go back further than the Tabi'een) have been narrated from some of the Tabi'een, and there are some ahadith, the best of which are mawdoo' (fabricated) or da'eef jiddan (very weak). These reports became very well-known in some countries which were overwhelmed by ignorance. It is not prescribed to spend this night in prayer or to fast on this day, or to single it out for certain acts of worship. One should not be deceived by the large numbers of ignorant people who do these things. And Allah knows best.
