Sha’ban Newsletter

Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh

Welcome to our sixth newsletter as we enter into the month of Sha’ban.  This month acts as a “bridge” between Rajab and Ramadan and is an opportunity for us to increase in additional worship such as fasting, praying, reciting Qur’an and sending salutations upon the best of creation ﷺ. With the arrival of Sha’ban, may we start to “water the seeds” that we planted in Rajab and continue to prepare our minds, bodies and souls to welcome and embrace the month of Ramadan in sha Allah. 

FASTING IN SHA’BAN
The Prophet ﷺ would continue to recite this dua throughout Sha’ban until he reached Ramadan: 

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ لَنَا في رَجَبٍ وَ شَعْبَانَ وَ بَلِّغْنا رَمَضَانَ

“O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha`ban and enable us to reach Ramadan!”

He ﷺ would also fast a lot in this month and one of his companions, Sayyidina Usamah bin Zaid radiAllahu anhu once asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I do not see you fasting in any other month as you fast in Sha’ban.’ He ﷺ said, ‘That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.’” (Sunan an-Nasa’i)

THE MONTH OF THE PROPHET ﷺ
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha’ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah’. (Suyuti). During this month, the direction of prayer (qibla) changed from Jerusalem to Makkah whilst the Prophet ﷺ was leading the prayer.  On another occasion the Prophet ﷺ miraculously caused the moon to split in half with the permission of Allah ﷻ.  It was also the month in which the incredible ayah of sending blessings and salutations upon the Prophet ﷺ was revealed:

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا

Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.  Surah al-Ahzab 33:56

‎اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنا مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَلَى آلِهِ وصَحبِهِ و سَلَّم

SELECTED PRAYERS UPON THE PROPHET ﷺ
“Selected Prayers Upon the Prophet ﷺ,” is a concise work that presents a selection of salutations upon Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ collated by one of the great scholars of Tarim, Habib Muhammad Sa’d bin ‘Alawi al Aydarus, rahimahu Allah. May this book become a beautiful companion and aid to those who recite from it in sha Allah.

www.ivpublishing.org/book/selected-prayers/

MID SHA’BAN
The Night of Mid-Sha’ban, known as Laylat al-Nisf min Sha’ban in Arabic, is one of the greatest nights of the year. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Indeed, Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) descends, on the middle night of Sha’ban, to the lowest heaven. He forgives more people than there are hairs on the livestock of Banu Kalb.” (Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi)  He ﷺ also said: ‘When it is the night of the middle of Sha’ban, spend its night in prayer and observe a fast on that day. For Allah descends at sunset on that night to the lowest heaven and says: ‘Is there no one who will ask Me for forgiveness, that I may forgive him? Is there no one who will ask Me for provision so that I may provide for him? Is there no one who is afflicted by trouble, that I may relieve him?’ And so on, until dawn comes.’” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

UPDATES / NEWS
We are working on completing several projects at present including “Man of Many Splendours” as well as the android app for the Dala’il al-Khayrat in sha Allah. We are also in the process of reprinting two of our publications “Essentials of Islam” and “Introduction to the Principles of Quranic Exegesis.” 

Here is the link for the Dala’il al-Khayrat iphone (apple) app which is already available to download and use:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/dalail-al-khayrat/id6467222357

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Credit:  The Sacred Months (Prayer & worship for the special months) Book – Rizwana Sayed 
https://www.sakinapublishing.com/product-page/the-sacred-months
https://muwasala.org/2015/05/29/the-night-of-mid-shaban/

“Selected Prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ” and all of our other books can be found here:
https://ivpublishing.org/store/

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