Today,
June 13, 2014 is 14 Shabaan 1435 Hijri. In the Islamic faith tradition, 15th 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 15th 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.