15 Shabaan 1435 Hijri: Shaab-e-Baraat

Today, June 13, 2014 is 14 Shabaan 1435 Hijri. In the Islamic faith tradition, 15^th Shaaban is generally observed with devotional recitations, special invocations and solemn prayers  as Shaabe Baraat. In the course of his Friday Sermon today, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib (atba) of Mauritius made certain remarks on the subject, especially in the context of the ways in which many in the Ummah have deviated from the original spirit of these solemn occassions by transforming them into something else. 

Read the extracts from the Friday Sermon:

Before ending, I wish to address you some words on the Shaabe Baraat which is a night in the middle of Shabaan, and therefore tonight is the 15 Shabaan 1435 Hijri, when Nabi Kareem Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) used to spend his night in worship of Allah. The reason for this is that he was informed by Hazrat Jibreel (as) that when mid-Shabaan comes, the deeds of man goes up to Allah, and Allah through His Rahimiyyat forgives generously His servants who repent and pray a lot during this interval. According to a Hadith, Nabi Kareem Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) says that he prefers to be in fasting state when his deeds are presented before Allah.

In Islam, each moment of our life is blessed, especially with the coming of a Messenger of Allah. And moreover Allah, from those days of the life of man chose certain days which are better than others, like the 15^th Shabaan, the month of Ramadan wherein are the last 10 days which we shall live again soon, wherein is found the Laila-tul-Qadr (Night of Decree), and also the blessed days of Hajj.

Unfortunately, nowadays Muslims do not practice the Farz and Sunnah (like Shaabe Baraat) like they should be done. They have turned upside down the true spirit of the Shaabe Baraat and introduced lots of innovations. (Inset: Shaabe Baraat revellers in New Delhi zooming around on motorcycles flouting traffic rules, an image from last year. Ahead of the occassion this year, the Delhi government had thought it prudent to issue a public appeal yesterday to religious leaders and community elders to restrain the youth from creating public nuisance of traffic obstructions in the name of the 'festival' revelry).  

On the contrary, the aim of Nabi Kareem Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was to seek the proximity and mercy of Allah during that night, and not to make a festivity out of it and to attaching many other un-Islamic practices with it. Today’s Muslims have broken the spirit of that good Sunnah of Nabi Kareem (pbuh), because in good practices there is always good, especially when someone, especially our master, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) did it. 

Therefore, I advise our Muslim brothers and sisters, despite this not being Farz (obligatory), but if you want to observe a fast and spend the night of 15^th Shaaban inIbaadat (worship of Allah), therefore you should do it with lots of sincerity and fear of Allah (Taqwa) in your heart. Insha-Allah, Allah shall listen to your supplications and make you successful in your good intentions.

May Allah bless you and rid you from all satanic trap (and filth) as Satan is truly an enemy for man. May Allah reinforce your faith and help you to remain firm on the right path till your last breath in this world, Insha-Allah, Ameen.