What is shab e barat
Shab-e-Barat is a Persian term, whereas Laylat-ul-Bara’ah is an Arabic word, which means the Night of Salvation, i.e., the night of freedom from sins.
When is Shab-e-Barat(mid shaban)?
Shab-e-Barat occurs on the 15th night of Shaban, meaning in the middle of the month of Shaban. In 2025, Shab-e-Barat will occur on February 13 thursday, and February 14 Friday will be the 15th day, on which many people observe fasting.
The Role of Angels and Presentation of Deeds on Shab-e-Barat(15 shaban)
فَالْمُدَبِّرَاتِ أَمْرًا
Translation:
“And those [angels] who arrange [each] matter.”
In this verse, Allah has sworn by the angels. Allah has assigned many tasks to the angels—from breathing the soul into a human to taking it away, from bringing down rain to distributing sustenance. They record human deeds, some are appointed for protection, and when a person dies, there are angels assigned for that as well. Even in Paradise, angels are appointed to welcome and serve its inhabitants. Though Allah is All-Powerful over everything, He has still entrusted these responsibilities to the angels. Humans have a deep connection with angels. On the 15th of Sha’ban, shab e barat the deeds for the coming year are presented to the angels, detailing their assigned duties, while the deeds of the past year are presented before Allah, even though Allah is fully aware of all actions.
There is a well-known hadith about the 15th of Sha’ban (Shab-e-Barat) that on this night, the angels descend to the earth and pass by those engaged in the remembrance of Allah. Then, when they return, Allah asks them, “From where have you come?”—even though Allah already knows where they are coming from. The angels then narrate everything.
On the 15th of Sha’ban (Shab-e-Barat), deeds are presented before Allah, as mentioned in the hadith where our beloved Prophet ﷺ said: “This is the night in which deeds are presented before Allah, and I love that my deeds are presented while I am in a state of fasting.”
Hadith on Shab-e-Barat and Forgiveness
Hazrat Abu Musa Ash’ari (رضی اللہ عنہ) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“On the night of mid-Sha’ban, Allah turns His attention towards His creation and forgives all of them, except for a polytheist and one who harbors hatred in his heart.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah: 1390, classified as Hasan by Al-Albani)
This hadith emphasizes the vastness of Allah’s mercy. However, two categories of people—those who associate partners with Allah (shirk) and those who hold grudges—are deprived of this forgiveness unless they repent.
Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) and the Prophet’s (ﷺ) Visit to Jannat-ul-Baqi
Another narration mentions an incident where Hazrat Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) could not find the Prophet (ﷺ) at night and went searching for him. She found him in Jannat-ul-Baqi, the graveyard of Madinah, raising his head toward the sky.
The Prophet (ﷺ) reassured her and then said:
“Indeed, on the night of mid-Sha’ban, Allah descends to the lowest heaven and forgives more people than the number of hairs on the sheep of the Banu Kalb tribe.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah: 1389, classified as weak by scholars)
If you reflect on this hadith, you will see that on this night, Allah’s special mercy descends upon His servants. If you think about it, counting a single person’s hair is impossible, so how many hairs would a single goat have? And it is not just one goat, but rather the goats of Banu Kalb. The reason Banu Kalb was mentioned is that it was a tribe in Madinah that owned the most goats. This shows how immense Allah’s mercy is, as He forgives more of His servants than the number of hairs on all these goats.
Who are the people who do not receive forgiveness on Shab-e-Barat?
The Prophet (ﷺ) also said:
*”On the night of the 15th of Sha’ban, Allah looks at His creation and forgives all His servants, except for two types of people:
- The one who associates partners with Allah (mushrik).
- The one who harbors hatred in his heart for his fellow Muslims.”*
Shab-e-Barat and Reconciliation
On Shab-e-Barat, Muslims promote the message of reconciliation, mend broken relationships, and seek forgiveness from one another. The concept behind this is that if we forgive the servants of Allah, He will also grant us His forgiveness.
And Islam also forbids Muslims from quarreling and holding grudges against each other, as mentioned in the Hadith.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“It is not permissible for a Muslim to sever ties with his brother for more than three days. When they meet, they turn away from each other. The better of the two is the one who greets the other first.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari: 6077, Sahih Muslim: 2560)
Allah’s Forgiveness Is Available Every Night
The mercy of Allah is not limited to Shab-e-Barat. Every night, in the last third of the night, Allah descends to the lowest heaven and calls upon His servants:
“Who is calling upon Me so that I may respond to him?
Who is asking Me so that I may grant him?
Who is seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?”
This hadith reminds us that while Shab-e-Barat is a special occasion, seeking Allah’s forgiveness should be a daily practice. The doors of mercy are open every night, waiting for those who sincerely repent and turn to Him.
Is observing Shab-e-Barat on the 15th of Sha’ban a Bid’ah (innovation)?
Some people believe that considering Shab-e-Barat as an Islamic festival is Bid’ah (innovation). However, the general public and scholars hold the belief that Sha’ban and specifically the 15th of Sha’ban have been mentioned in multiple Ahadith, as we have already discussed. Even if there were no Hadith about it, dedicating Sha’ban and its 15th night for worship cannot be considered Bid’ah because there is no fixed time for worship in Islam.
On this night, people gather to worship Allah, improve their relationships with one another, and recite the Quran— all of which are encouraged in Shariah. How can something be called Bid’ah when it consists of acts that are already prescribed by Islam? Moreover, fixing a specific day for worship is also not Bid’ah, as many Companions and great scholars of Islam have set specific days for certain acts of worship.
Ways to Celebrating shab-e-barat (mid shaban)
On Shab-e-Barat, Muslims seek forgiveness and reconciliation with one another, and recite the Quran. wear new clothes, spend the night in worship at mosques, visit the graves of their loved ones, scatter flowers, pray for their forgiveness, and observe a fast the next day.
The Importance of Fasting in Sha’ban and shab e barat 15 shaban
Narrated by Hazrat Usama bin Zaid (رضی اللہ عنہ):
I once asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), “O Prophet of Allah! I do not see you fasting in any month as much as you do in Sha’ban?”
The Prophet (ﷺ) replied:
“This is a month between Rajab and Ramadan that many people are unaware of. It is a month in which deeds are presented before Allah, and I love that my deeds are presented while I am in a state of fasting.”
(Sunan An-Nasa’i: 2357, classified as Hasan)
Hazrat Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) further narrates:
“The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to fast so frequently in Sha’ban that we thought he would never stop fasting.”
On Shab-e-Barat, recite this dua frequently:
اللهم إنك عفو تحب العفو فاعف عني
Allahumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuhibbul ‘afwa fa’fu ‘anni
(O Allah, You are Most Forgiving, and You love forgiveness, so forgive me.)
(Tirmidhi: 3513)
اللهم إني أسألك العفو والعافية في الدنيا والآخرة
Allahumma inni as’aluka al-‘afwa wal-‘afiyah fid-dunya wal-akhirah
(O Allah, I ask You for pardon and well-being in this world and the Hereafter.)
These duas should be recited abundantly on Shab-e-Barat, seeking Allah’s mercy, forgiveness, and blessings.
Dua for the Night of Mid-Sha’ban (Shab-e-Barat)
The special dua for 15th Sha’ban is this.
اللهم يا ذا المنّ ولا يمنّ عليه، يا ذا الجلال والإكرام، يا ذا الطّول والإنعام، لا إله إلّا أنت، ظهر اللاجئين، وجار المستجيرين، وأمان الخائفين، اللهم إن كنت كتبتني عندك في أمّ الكتاب شقيّا أو محروما أو مطرودا أو مقتّرا عليّ في الرّزق، فامح اللهم بفضلك شقاوتي وحرماني وطردي واقتار رزقي، وأثبتني عندك في أمّ الكتاب سعيدا مرزوقا موفّقا للخيرات، فإنّك قلت وقولك الحقّ في كتابك المنزل على لسان نبيّك المرسل: “يَمْحُوا اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ وَعِندَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ”
Nawafil and dua of mid shaban pdf
The special six nawafil of Maghrib on the 15th of Sha’ban are mentioned in the link below. You can download the PDF if you wish.
First, pray 2 rakats with the intention of a blessed long life. After that, recite Surah Yaseen once, followed by Dua Nisf Sha’ban.
Then, pray 2 rakats with the intention that its blessings remove calamities and troubles. After that, recite Surah Yaseen and then Dua Nisf Sha’ban.
After that, pray 2 rakats with the intention that its blessings bring abundance in sustenance. Then again, recite Surah Yaseen and Dua Nisf Sha’ban.
Surah Yaseen and Dua Nisf Sha’ban are written in the link below for your convenience.
