Laylat al Bara'at
Encyclopedia
Laylat al Baraat(Kurdish
:شه وى به رات) is a Muslim holiday celebrated on the 15th night of the month of Sha'aban
, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar
.
In his Majmu`, Imam Nawawi quoted Imam al-Shafi`i's Kitab al-Umm that there are 5 nights when dua (prayer) is answered, one of them being the night of the 15th of Sha`ban.[4]
The hadith by Imam Ibn Hajr Haythmi, states:Narrated by Muadh bin Jabal (RA) from Prophet (salallaho alaihi wasalam) who said: Allah turns towards his creation in the Night of "MID-SHABAN" and He forgives all of them except for a Mushrik and one who hates other people [Az Zawaid #12860]. Classed sahih by salafi scholar Nasiruddin Albani in his silsilah Al-Sahihah.
Another hadith in Musnad Ahmed hanbal "Allah looks at His creation during the night of the 15th of Sha'ban and He forgives His servants except two- one intent on hatred (mushanin) and a murderer (qatilu nafs). Classed Hassan by Albani in his silsilah Al-Sahihah.
Hadith classed sahih by Ibn Hibban "Allah looks at His creation in the night of mid-Sha`ban and He forgives all His creation except for a mushrik (idolater) or a mushahin (one bent on hatred)." [sahih Ibn Hibban 7/470]. Also reported by Tabrani [Al muajamul Kabir 20/108-9] and Al Bayhaqi [Shubul Iman 2/288]
‘Aisha is reported to have said that Muhammad said,“This is the middle night of Sha’ban. Allah frees in it a large number of the people from the Hellfire, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb. But He(swt) does not even look at a person who associates partners with Allah, or at a person who nourishes malice in his heart (against another muslim), or at a person who cuts off the ties of womb-relations, or at a man who leaves his clothes extending beyond his ankles (as a sign of pride), or at a person who disobeys his parents, or at a person who has a habit of drinking wine.” [Baihaqi, At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb]
, Afghanistan
, Bangladesh
, Sri Lanka
and Central Asia including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kirghistan.
In Iran and Azerbaijan
the festival is celebrated differently. In Shia Islam the day is celebrated as the birth date of Imam Al Mahdi, the twelfth Imam.
In the Arab world the festival is celebrated with enthusiasm by Shias and Arabs with Sufi heritage. The Salafi
Arabs do not celebrate this holiday.
Sunni Muslims in Iraqi Kurdistan
celebrate this holiday 15 days before Ramadan
, and during which people give children candies as they walk around their neighborhoods.
(the Muslim notion of Hell
). A person's life in the coming year, his sustenance, and whether or not they will have the opportunity to perform Hajj
(pilgrimage) shall be decided on this night. The names of the souls of all those who are born and of all those who are to depart from this world are determined. One's actions are raised and sustenance sent down.
The following sins are so severe that they deprive worshipers of the blessings of this great night:
Kurdish language
Kurdish is a dialect continuum spoken by the Kurds in western Asia. It is part of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian group of Indo-European languages....
:شه وى به رات) is a Muslim holiday celebrated on the 15th night of the month of Sha'aban
Sha'aban
Sha'aban is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar.This is the month of ‘separation’, so called because the pagan Arabs used to disperse in search of water...
, the eighth month of the Islamic calendar
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
.
Description
The night of mid shaban is known as Laylatul Bara’ah or Laylatun Nisfe min Sha’ban in the Arab world, and as Shab-e-barat (شب برات) in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran and Afghanistan. These names are translated to the night of records, the night of assignment and the night of deliverance, and the observance involves a festive nightlong vigil with prayers. In some regions, this is also a night when one's deceased ancestors are commemorated.Origins
Sunnis observe Mid-Sha'ban as a night of worship and salvation. Various hadiths have been transmitted in this regard, some weak and others graded hassan or sahih. Scholars including Imam Shafii, Imam Nawawi, Imam Ghazzali and Imam Suyuti have declared praying on the night of mid shaban as acceptable.In his Majmu`, Imam Nawawi quoted Imam al-Shafi`i's Kitab al-Umm that there are 5 nights when dua (prayer) is answered, one of them being the night of the 15th of Sha`ban.[4]
The hadith by Imam Ibn Hajr Haythmi, states:Narrated by Muadh bin Jabal (RA) from Prophet (salallaho alaihi wasalam) who said: Allah turns towards his creation in the Night of "MID-SHABAN" and He forgives all of them except for a Mushrik and one who hates other people [Az Zawaid #12860]. Classed sahih by salafi scholar Nasiruddin Albani in his silsilah Al-Sahihah.
Another hadith in Musnad Ahmed hanbal "Allah looks at His creation during the night of the 15th of Sha'ban and He forgives His servants except two- one intent on hatred (mushanin) and a murderer (qatilu nafs). Classed Hassan by Albani in his silsilah Al-Sahihah.
Hadith classed sahih by Ibn Hibban "Allah looks at His creation in the night of mid-Sha`ban and He forgives all His creation except for a mushrik (idolater) or a mushahin (one bent on hatred)." [sahih Ibn Hibban 7/470]. Also reported by Tabrani [Al muajamul Kabir 20/108-9] and Al Bayhaqi [Shubul Iman 2/288]
‘Aisha is reported to have said that Muhammad said,“This is the middle night of Sha’ban. Allah frees in it a large number of the people from the Hellfire, more than the number of the hair growing on the sheep of the tribe, Kalb. But He(swt) does not even look at a person who associates partners with Allah, or at a person who nourishes malice in his heart (against another muslim), or at a person who cuts off the ties of womb-relations, or at a man who leaves his clothes extending beyond his ankles (as a sign of pride), or at a person who disobeys his parents, or at a person who has a habit of drinking wine.” [Baihaqi, At-Targheeb wat-Tarheeb]
Customs in different countries
This occasion is celebrated with great reverence, pomp and gaiety all over South Asia, including India, PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and Central Asia including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kirghistan.
In Iran and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
the festival is celebrated differently. In Shia Islam the day is celebrated as the birth date of Imam Al Mahdi, the twelfth Imam.
In the Arab world the festival is celebrated with enthusiasm by Shias and Arabs with Sufi heritage. The Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
Arabs do not celebrate this holiday.
Sunni Muslims in Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan
Iraqi Kurdistan or Kurdistan Region is an autonomous region of Iraq. It borders Iran to the east, Turkey to the north, Syria to the west and the rest of Iraq to the south. The regional capital is Arbil, known in Kurdish as Hewlêr...
celebrate this holiday 15 days before Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, and during which people give children candies as they walk around their neighborhoods.
Significance and traditions
According to Muslim tradition, this night is called Shab-e-Baraat ("the night of freedom") because Allah frees all His sinful servants who were destined for JahannamJahannam
Jahannam is the Arabic language equivalent to Hell. The term comes from the Greek Gehenna, itself derived from the Hebrew geographical name for the Valley of Hinnom.-Jahannam in the Qur'an:...
(the Muslim notion of Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
). A person's life in the coming year, his sustenance, and whether or not they will have the opportunity to perform Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
(pilgrimage) shall be decided on this night. The names of the souls of all those who are born and of all those who are to depart from this world are determined. One's actions are raised and sustenance sent down.
The following sins are so severe that they deprive worshipers of the blessings of this great night:
- To associate any partners to Allah, regarding His Being and Qualities
- To have enmity for one's fellow man
- Not fulfilling the rights of our close relatives and treating them unkindly
- To allow the trousers and pants to hang below the ankles (In Arabia, people used to display their wealth and boasted in this manner)
- To be disobedient to one's parents
- To drink wine
- To oppress and take bribes
- To be involved in witchcraft
- To inform people of the unseen, or to cast spells, or be involved in fortune telling
- To read palms in order to tell the future
- To play any musical instrument
- To play any game that requires the use of dice