Spiritual Corner

Month of Sha'bān

This holy month is ascribed to the Holy Prophet (s) who used to observe fasting in it and connect it to the obligatory fasting of Ramadan. He (s) used to say, "Sha'bān is my month; hence, Paradise will be incumbently decided for one who observes fasting on one day of my month."

Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) is reported to have said: Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-Abidin (a) used to gather all his companions at the beginning of Sha'bān and say to them, "O my companions, do you known what this month is? It is Sha'bān. The Holy Prophet (s) used to say, 'Sha'bān is my month.' You should thus fast in this month as a sign of your love for your Prophet and as a sign of seeking nearness to your Lord. I swear by Him Who grasps my soul in His Hand, I heard my father, al-Husayn (a) saying that he heard Imam Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, saying, 'As for any one who observes fasting in Sha'bān for the love of the Messenger of Allāh (s) and for seeking nearness to Almighty Allāh, Almighty Allāh will love him, draw him near to His honor on the Resurrection Day, and decide Paradise for him incumbently.'

Shaykh al-Tūsi has narrated on the authority of Safwan al-Jammal that Imam al-Sadiq (a) instructed him to urge all people he knew to observe fasting in Sha'bān. "May Allāh accept me as ransom for you! There is a reason for this instruction. Is there not?" asked Safwan al-Jammal. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) answered, "Yes, there is. When his eyes fell on the new moon of Sha' ban, the Messenger of Allāh (a) ordered a spokesman to declare the following to the people of al-Madinah: O people of Yathrib! I am the messenger of Allāh's Messenger to you all (carrying this message). Verily, Sha'bān is my month; therefore, may Allāh have mercy upon him who helps me undertake my month," Imam al-Sadiq (a) then added, "Amir al-Mu'minin (Imam 'Ali) used to say, 'I have never missed the fasting in Sha'bān since I heard the call of the Messenger of Allāh in Sha'bān. Furthermore, I shall never miss it so long as I am alive, God willing.'"

Imam al-Sadiq (a) further said, "To fast in two consecutive months is repentance before Almighty Allāh."

Isma'il ibn 'Abd al-Khaliq narrated that when the subject of observing fasting in Sha'bān was once discussed in the presence of him, Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) said "The merits of observing fasting in Sha'bān are so great that even one who sheds inviolable blood is expected to be forgiven."

The recommended rites of Sha'bān are divided into two parts: general and particular. The general rites are those which are advisedly practiced each day in the month without distinction, while the particular rites are dedicated to certain days and nights in this month. The general rites are as follows:

General rites in Sha'bān
First: It is recommended to say the following imploration for forgiveness seventy times each day in Sha'bān:


astaghfiru allāha wa as'aluhū alttawbata
I implore for the forgiveness of Allāh and I pray to Him for approval of my repentance.

Second: It is recommended to recite the following imploration for forgiveness seventy times each day in Sha'bān:


astaghfiru allāha alladhī lā ilāha illā huwa
I implore for the forgiveness of Allāh. There is no god save Whom,


alrrahmāmu alrrahīmu alhayyu alqayyūmu wa atūbu ilayhi
the All-beneficent, the All-merciful, the Ever-living, the Everlasting, and to Him I turn repentant.

However, some narrations have mentioned this imploration with sc difference in the order of the statements, by preceding the phrase, "alhayyu alqayyūmu" to "arrahmānu arrahīmū". At any rate, any form of supplication is acceptable.

According to narrations, the best words that are advisably said in Sha'bān are the implorations for the forgiveness of Almighty Allāh (i.e. Istighfār) Hence, to implore for Almighty Allāh's forgiveness seventy times a day in Sha'bān is equal to imploring for His forgiveness seventy thousand times a day in the other months.

Third: It is recommended to give alms in this month even if it is as small as half a date. Alms giving in this month brings about rescue from Hellfire. In respect, it has been narrated that when Imam al-Sadiq (a) was asked at the merits of observing fasting in Rajab, he answered, "Why do you not ask about the merits of observing fasting in Sha'bān?" "What is then the reward of one who observes fasting on one day in Sha'bān?" asked the narrator. Imam (a) answered, "The reward will be Paradise. I swear it by Allāh." narrator then asked again, "What are the best deeds that should be done in Sha'bān." The Imam (a) answered, "Alms giving and imploring for forgiveness are the best deeds in Sha'bān. Verily, if anyone of you gives alms in Sha'bān, Almighty Allāh will breed that alms in the very same way as you breed your small camels. Hence, this alms will be as huge as Mount Uhud on the Resurrection Day."

Fourth: It is recommended to repeat the following litany one thousand times in Sha'bān:


lā ilāha illā allāhu, wa lā na'budu illā iyyāhu
There is no god save Allāh, and we serve none save Him,


mukhlisīna lahū alddīna, wa law kariha almushrikūna
being sincere to Him in obedience, though the unbelievers are averse.

This devout rite brings about a great reward. The reward of one who repeats this litany in Sha'bān is that, one is awarded the reward of serving (Almighty Allāh) for one thousand years.

Fifth: It is recommended to offer a two unit prayer each Thursday in Sha'bān. In each unit, it is recommended to recite Surah al-Fatihah once and repeat Surah al-Tawhid one hundred times. After accomplishment, one should invoke God's blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household one hundred times. This rite achieves the granting of all worldly and religious needs. It is also recommended to observe fasting on Thursdays in Sha'bān. In this respect, a Hadith reads that the skies decorate themselves each Thursday in Sha'bān and the angels pray to Almighty Allāh, saying, "O our God, (please do) forgive those who observe fasting on this day and respond to their prayers."

The Holy Prophet (s) is also reported as saying, "If one observes fasting each Monday and Thursday in Sha'bān, Almighty Allāh will grant forty of his needs-twenty appertained to the worldly life and twenty to the Hereafter."

Sixth: It is recommended to repeat very much the invocation of blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household.

Seventh: It is recommended to say the following form of invocation of blessings upon the Holy Prophet and his Household that is reported from Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn al-Sajjad (i.e. Imam Zayn al-'Abidin) each midday in Sha'bān and at the fifteenth night of it:


In the name of Allāh the Beneficent, the Merciful.


Allāhumma salli'alā muhammadin wa āli muhammadin
Allāh, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.


shajarati alnnubuwwati wa mawdi'i alrrisālati
the tree of Prophethood, the place of Messages,


wa mukhtalafi almalālikati
the visiting place of angels,


ma' dini al'ilmi wa ahli bayti alwahyi
the depository of knowledge, the people of the house of revelation.


Allāhumma salli 'alā muhammadin wa āli muhammadin
O Allāh, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.


alfulki aljāriyati fī allujaji alghāmirati
the sailing ship over fathomless deep waters,


ya'manu man rakibahā wa yaghraqu man tarakahā
saved is he who rides it, drowned is he who abandons it,


almutaqaddimu lahum māriqun walmuta'akhkhiru 'anhum zāhiqun
whoever goes ahead of them is a heretic, whoever lags behind them is destroyed,


wallāzimu lahum lāhiqun
whoever holds on to them, reaches the destination.


Allāhumma salli 'alā muhammadin wa āli muhammadin
O Allāh, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.


alkahfi alhasīni wa ghiyāthi almudtarri almustakīni
the strong sanctuary, the relief of the distressed, the destitute,


wa malja'i alhāribīna wa 'ismati almu'tasimīna
the refuge of the fugitives, the protection of the seekers of protection.


Allāhumma salli 'alā muhammadin wa āli muhammadin
O Allāh, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.


salātan kathīratan takūnu lahum ridan wa lihaqqi muhammadin wa āli muhammadin
blessings which are abundant, a cause of pleasure for them, and for Muhammad and his family


adā'an wa qadā'an bihawlin minka
a fulfillment of obligation, and its conclusion,


wa quwwatin yā rabba al'ālamīna
by Your strength and power, O Lord of the worlds.


Allāhumma salli 'alā muhammadin wa āli muhammadin
O Allāh, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.


alttayyibīna al-abrāri al-akhyāri
the pure, the virtuous, the good, whose rights


alladhīna awjabta huqūqahum
YOU have made obligatory, and made incumbent their obedience,


wa faradta tā 'atahum wa wilāyatahum
and acknowledging their mastership.


Allāhumma salli 'alā muhammadin wa āli muhammadin
O Allāh, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.


wa 'mur qalbī bitā' atika
and fill my heart with Your obedience,


wa lā tukhzinī bima' siyatika
do not humiliate me with Your disobedience,


warzuqnī muwāsata man qattarta 'alayhi min rizqika
and grant me compassion for the one whom YOU have given less of Your sustenance


bimā wassa'ta 'alayya min fadlika
through what YOU have granted me of Your grace,


wa nasharta 'alayya min adlika
and spread for me of Your justice,


wa ahyaytanī tahta zillika
and have kept me alive under Your protection.


wa hādhā shahru nabiyyika sayyidi rusulika
this is the month of Your Prophet, the Chief of Your Messengers,


sha'bānu alladhī hafaftahū minka bilrrahmati walrridwāni
Sha'bān, which YOU have lightened (the burden) by Your mercy and pleasure,


alladhī kāna rasulu allāhi
in which the Messenger of Allāh,


sallā allāhu 'alayhi wa ālihī wa sallama
blessings of Allāh be on him and his family,


yad'abu fī siyāmihī wa qiyāmihī
persevered in fasting and standing up (in worship)


fi layālīhi wa ayyāmihī
during its nights and days,


bukhū 'an laka fī ikrāmihī wa i'zāmihī
favourable with YOU in giving it (Sha'bān) its (due) respect and honour,


ilā mahalli himāmihī
till his last breath.


allāhumma fa-a' innā 'alā alistināni bisunnatihī fīhi
O Allāh, so help us follow his ways in it,


wa nayli alshshafā' ati ladayhi
and achieve his intercession.


allāhumma waj' ahhu lī shafī'an mushaffa 'an
O Allāh, make him for me, an intercessor, a medium (one whose intercession is accepted)


wa tarīqan ilayka mahya'an
a smooth path towards YOU,


waj' alnī lahū muttabi 'an
make me from his followers,


hattā alqāka yawma alqiyāmati
until I meet YOU on the day of Judgement,


'annī rādiyan wa 'an dhunūbi ghādiyan
and YOU are pleased with me, overlooking my sins,


qad awjabta lī minka alrrahmata walrridwāna
awarding me from YOU, mercy and pleasure,


wa anzaltanī dāra alqarāri wa mahalla al-akhyāri
and sending me to the eternal home, and the place of the best.

Al-Munājāt Al-Sha'bāniyyah
Eighth: It is recommended to say the following confidential prayer (munajat) that has been narrated by Ibn Khalawayh who commented on it, saying, "This is the confidential prayer of Imam 'Ali Amir al-Mu'minin and the Holy Imams (a) who used to say it in the month of Sha'bān."


In the name of Allāh the Beneficent, the Merciful.



Allāhumma salli ala muhammadin wa ali muhammadin
O Allāh, bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad.


wasma' du' ā'ī idhā da' awtuka
respond to my prayer when I pray to YOU;


wasma' nid ā'ī idhā nadaytuka
listen to my call when I call YOU;


wa aqbil alayya idhā nājaytuka
and turn to me when I make my submission to YOU in confidence.


faqad harabtu ilayka
I have come running to YOU


wa waqaftu bayna yadayka
and am standing before YOU


mustakīnan laka mutadarri 'an ilayka
imploring YOU in humility


rājiyan limā ladayka thawābī
and hoping to get the reward YOU have for me.


wa ta' lamu mā fī nafsī
YOU know what is in my heart,


wa takhburu hājati
and YOU are aware of what I need.


wa ta' rifu damīrī
YOU know my mind


wa lā yākhfa 'alayka amru munqalabī wa mathwāya
and (YOU) are not unaware of my future and of my present,


wa mā urīdu an ubdi'a bihī min mantiqī
of what I want to begin my speech with;


wa atafawwaha bihī min talibatī
of the request I would utter,


wa arjuhū āqibatī
and of the hopes I have in regard to my end.


wa qad jarat maqādīruka ' alayya yā sayyidī
whatever YOU have destined for me up to the end of my life, O My Master


fīmā yakūnu minnī ilā ākhiri 'umrī
whether concerning the open aspect of my life


min sarīratī wa 'alāniyatī
or the hidden aspect of it, is bound to come.


wa biyadika lā biyadi ghayrika ziyādatī wa naqsī
In you hands and not in anybody else are my losses and gains -


wa naf'ī wa darrī
As well my benefits and disadvantage.


ilāh;ī in haramtanī faman dhā alladhī yarzuqunī
My Lord, if YOU deprive me, who else will provide me;


wa in khadhaltanī faman dhā alladhī yansurunī
and if YOU let me down, who else will help me?


ilāhi a'udhū bika min ghadabika
My Lord, I seek Your protection from Your anger


wa hulūli sakhatika
and from earning Your displeasure.


ilāhi in kuntu ghayra musta'hilin lirahmatika
My Lord, If I am not fit for gaining Your Mercy,


fa-anta ahlun an tajūda 'alayya bifadli sa atika
YOU are certainly fit to be generous to me by virtue of Your Magnanimity.


ilāhī ka-annī binafsī waqīfatun bayna yadayka
My Lord, I see my soul as if I am standing before you,


wa qad azAllāhā husnu tawakkulī 'alayka
and have been protected by my trust in YOU.


faqulta mā anta ahluhū wa taghammadtanī bi'afwika
YOU said what befitted YOU and covered me with Your forgiveness.


ilāhi in ' afawta faman awlā minka bidhālika
My Lord, if YOU forgive, there is no one who has such power except YOU.


wa in kanā qad danā ajalī wa lam yudninī minka 'amalī
Therefore do not cut off Your favour from me at the time of my death


faqad ja 'altu al-iqrāra bildhdhanbī ilayka wasīlatī
It is my custom to admit my mistake as my only approach to YOU


ilāhī qad jurtu ' alā nafsī fī alnnazari lahā
My Lord, I have been unjust to my soul for I have not looked after it.


falahā alwaylu in lam taghfir lahā
It will certainly be doomed if YOU do not forgive it.


ilāhī lam yazal birruka 'alayya ayyāma hayāti
My Lord, YOU have always been kind to me during my life time,


falā taqta 'birraka 'annī fī mamāti
So don't cut your blessing in me after my death.


ilāhī kayfa āyasu min husni nazarika lī ba.'da mamāti
My Lord, how can I lose the hope of Your looking kindly to me after my death,


wa anta lam tuwallinī illā aljamila fi hayāti
as YOU are giving the most valuable things in my life


ilāhī tawalla min amrī 'mā anta ahluhū
My Lord, in my case do what befits YOU


wa 'ud 'alayya bifadlika'alā mudhnibin qad ghamarahū jahluhū
and bestow Your favour on me - a sinner enwrapped in his ignorance.


ilāhī qad satarta alayya dhunūban fi alddunyā
My Lord, YOU have concealed many of my sins in this world.


wa anā ahwaju ilā satrihā alayya minka fi al-ukhrā
I am in a greater need of their being conceded in the next.


idh lam tuzhirhā li--ahadin min'ibādika alssālihūna
As YOU have not revealed my sins even to any of Your pious bondmen,


falā tafdahni yawma alqiyāmati'alā ru'ūsi al-ashhādi
So do not expose me on the Day of Resurrection before everybody.


ilāhī jūduka basata amalī
My Lord, Your generosity has expanded my aspiration


wa'afwuka afdalu min 'amalī
and Your forgiveness is superior to my deeds.


ilāhī fasurranī biliqā'ika
Therefore gladden my heart by allowing me to meet YOU


yawma taqdī fīhi bayna ibādika
on the day YOU administer justice to Your bondmen.


ilāhī i'tidhārī ilayka
My Lord, my apology to YOU is


l'tidhāru man lam yastaghni 'an qabūli 'udhrihi
the apology of him who cannot afford his apology being not accepted.


faqbal udhri
Therefore accept my apology,


yā akrama man i'tadhara ilayhi almusi'ūna
YOU the Most Magnanimous of those to whom the evildoers tender their apology.


ilāhī lā tarudda hājatī
My Lord, do not turn down my request;


wa lā tukhayyib tama'ī
do not foil my desire;


wa lā taqta'minka rajā'ī wa amalī
and do not cut off my hope and expectation of YOU.


ilāhī law aradta hāwani lam tahdinī
My Lord, if YOU had wanted to disgrace me, YOU would not have guided me; and


wa law aradta fadīhatī lam tu'āfinī
if YOU wanted to expose my faults and vices, YOU have not kept me safe and sound.


ilāhī mā azunnuka taruddunī fī hājatin
My Lord, I do not think that YOU will turn down my request


qad afnaytu 'umrī fi talabihā minka
for that in asking YOU for which I have spent my whole life.


ilāhī falaka alhamdu abadan abadan dā'iman sarmadan
My Lord, all praise is due to YOU, always and forever,


yazīdu wa lā yabīdu kama tuhibbu wa tardā
growing not diminishing, as YOU like and please.


ilāhī in akhadhtanī bijurmī akhadhtuka bi' afwika
My Lord, if YOU condemn me for my crimes, I will cling to Your forgiveness,


wa in akhadhtanī bidhunūbi akhadhtuka bimaghfiratika
and if YOU hold me for my sins, I will cling to Your granting pardon


wa in adkhaltanī alnnāra a'lamtu ahlahā annī uhibbuka
If YOU haul me into the hell, I will tell its inmates that I love YOU.


ilāhī in kāna saghura fī janbi tā' atika'amalī
My Lord, if my deeds are too small in relation to how I should obey YOU,


faqad kabura fi janbi rajā'ika amalī
my aspirations are high enough as compared to what I should expect of YOU.


ilāhī kayfa anqalibu min'indika bilkhaybati mahrūman
My Lord, how can I go away from YOU unsuccessful and disappointed,


wa qad kāna husnu zannī bijūdika
as I had strong trust in your kindness


an taqlibanī bilnnajati marhūman
to send me away enjoying safety and deliverance.


ilāhī wa qad afnaytu'umrī fī shirrati alssahwi'anka
My Lord, I have wasted my life committing the crime of forgetting YOU,


wa ablaytu shabābi fī sakrati alttabā udi minka
and played havoc with my youth, intoxicated with keeping myself away from YOU.


ilāhī falam astayqiz ayyāama ightirāri bika
My Lord, I did not wake up when I was under a delusion about YOU


wa rukūni ilā sabīli sakhatika
and was inclined to earn Your displeasure.


ilāhī wa anā 'abduka wabnu 'abdika qā'imun bayna yadayka
My Lord, I am Your bondman, son of Your bondman. I am standing before YOU,


mutawassilun bikaramika ilayka
trying to use Your own magnanimity as a means of approaching YOU.


ilāhī ana 'abdun atanassalu ilayka
My Lord, I am a bondman of Yours, I want to rid myself of the sins I used to commit in Your presence


mimmā kuntu uwājihuka bihi min qillati istihyā 'i min nazarika
because I lacked the sense of feeling ashamed that YOU were looking at me.


wa atlubu al' afwa minka idh al'afwu na'tun likaramika
I request YOU to forgive me, because forgiveness is a characteristic of Your Kindness.


ilahi lam yakun lī hawlun fa-antaqila bihi an ma 'siyatika
My Lord, I was not strong enough to move away from Your disobedience,


illa fī waqtin ayqaztanī limahabbatika
except when YOU awakened me to Your love.


wa kamā aradta an akūna kuntu
I was exactly as YOU wanted me to be.


fashakartuka bi-idkhālī fi karamika
I am thankful to YOU for introducing me to Your Kindness


wa litathīri qalbī min awsākhi alghaflati 'anka
and purging my heart of the impurities of being inattentive to YOU.


ilahi unzur ilayya nazara man nādaytahū fa-ajābaka
My Lord, look upon me as the person whom YOU called and he responded to YOU,


wasta' maltahū bima'ūnatika fa--atā'aka
whom YOU helped by using his ser-vices, and he obeyed YOU.


yā qariban lā yab' udu'an almughtarri bihī
YOU Near One, Who is not far from one who is away from YOU.


wa yā jawādan lā yabkhalu'amman rajā thawābahū
YOU Munificent, Who does not withhold His reward from one who hopes for it.


ilahi hab lī qalban yudnīhi minka shawquhū
My Lord, provide me with a heart, the passion of which may bring it near YOU,


wa lisānan yurfa'u ilayka sidquhū
with a tongue the truth of which may be submitted to YOU,


wa nazaran yugarribuhū minka haqquhū
and with a vision the nature of which may bring it close to YOU.


ilahi inna man ta'arrafa bika ghayru majhūlin
My Lord, whoever gets acquainted with YOU, is not un-known;


wa man lādha bika ghayru makhdhūlin
whoever takes shelter under YOU, is not disappointed;


wa man aqbalta 'alayhi ghayru mamlūlin
and one to whom YOU turn, is not a slave.


ilahi inna man intahaja bika lamustanīrun
One who follows Your path is enlightened;


wa inna man i'tasama bika lamustajīrun
and one who takes refuge in YOU, is saved.


wa qad ludhtu bika ya ilāhī
My Lord, I have taken refuge in YOU.


falā tukhayyib zannī min rahmatika
Therefore do not disappoint me of Your Mercy


wa lā tahjubnī 'an ra'fatika
and do not keep me secluded from Your Kindness.


ilahi aqimnī fi ahlī wilāyatika muqāma
My Lord, place me among Your friends in the position


man rajā alzziyādata min mahabbatika
of one who hopes for an increase in Your love.


ilahi wa alhimnī walahan bidhikrika ilā dhikrika
My Lord, inspire me with a passionate love of remembering YOU so that I may keep on remembering YOU,


wa himmatī fī rawhi najāhi asmā'ika wa mahalli qudsika
and by Your Holy Name and Pure Position cherish my cheerful determination into a success.


ilāhī bika'alayka iliā alhaqtanī bimahalli ahli tā'atika
My Lord, I invoke YOU to admit me to the place reserved for those who obey YOU,


walmathwā alssālihi min mardātika
and to attach me to the nice abode of those who enjoy Your good pleasure.


fa'inni lā aqdiru linafsī daf'an
I can neither defend myself a trouble


wa lā amliku lahā naf'an
nor do I control what is advantageous for me.


ilāhī anā'abduka aldda'ifu almudhnibu
My Lord, I am Your powerless sinning slave


wa mamlūkuka almunību
and Your repentant bondman.


falā taj' alnī mimman sarafta'anhu wajhaka
So do not make me one of those from whom YOU turn away Your face,


wa hajabahūu sahwuhu 'an'afwika
and whom his negligence has secluded from Your forgiveness.


ilāhī hab lī kamāla alinqitā'i ilayka
My Lord, grant me complete severance of my relations with everything else and total submission to YOU.


wa anir absāra qulūbinā bidiyā'i nazarihā ilayka
Enlighten the eyes of our hearts with the light of their looking at YOU


hattā takhriqa absāru alqulūbi hujuba alnnūri fatasila ilā ma'dini al' azamati
to the extent that they penetrate the veils of light and reach the Source of Grandeur,


wa tasīra arwāhunā mu'allaqatan bi'izzi qudsika
and let our souls get suspended by the glory of Your sanctity.


ilāhī waj'alnī mimman nādaytahū fa-ajābaka
My Lord, make me one of those whom YOU call and they respond;


wa lāhaztahū fasa' iqa lijalālika
when YOU look at and they are thunderstruck by Your majesty.


fanājaytahū sirran wa'amila laka jahran
YOU whisper to them secretly and they work for YOU openly.


ilāhī lam usallit alā husni
My Lord, I have not allowed my pessimistic


zannī qunūta al--ayāsi
despair to overcome my good opinion about YOU,


wa lā inqata'a rajā'i min jamīli karamika
nor did I ever lose my hope of Your benevolence.


ilāhī in kānat alkhatāyā qad asqatatnī ladayka
My Lord, if my errors have degraded me with YOU,


fasfah'anni bihusni tawakkulī alayka
YOU may forgive me in view of my unqualified reliance on YOU.


ilāhī in hattatni aldhdhunūbu min makārimi lutfika
My Lord, if my sins have made me unfit to receive Your tender affection,


faqad nabbahanī alyaqīnu ilā karami'atfika
my firm belief has reminded me of Your Compassion.


ilāhī in anāmatnī alghaflatu 'an alisti' dādi liliqā'ika
My Lord, if my disregard for preparations to meet YOU has put me to sleep,


faqad nabbahatnī alma' rifatu bikarami ālā'ika
my knowledge of Your kind bounties has awakened me


ilāhī in da'ānī ilā alnnāri'azīmu'iqābika
My Lord, if Your severe punishment calls me to Hell,


faqad da'ānī ilā aljannati jazīlu thawābika
the abundance of Your reward invites me to Paradise.


ilāhī falaka as'alu
My Lord, I ask YOU


wa ilayka abtahilu wa arghabu
and pray to YOU earnestly, I desire


wa as'aluka an tusalliya'alā muhammadin wa āli muhammadin
and request YOU to show Your favour to Muhammad and his descendants,


wa an taj' alanī mimman yudīmu dhikraka
make me one of those who always remember YOU


wa lā yaqudu 'ahdaka
who never violate the pledge they make to You,


wa lā yaghfulu 'an shukrika
who do not fail to show YOU their gratitude


wa lā yastakhiffu bi--amrika
and do not take Your orders lightly.


ilāhī wa alhiqni binūri'izzika al-abhaji
My Lord, let me be attached to the Light of Your Majestic Glory,


fa-akūna laka'ārifan
so that I may know YOU alone,


wa'an siwāka munharifan
be away from others,


wa minka khā'ifan murāqiban
and have a heart fearful of YOU and an eye watchful of YOU


yā dhā aljalāli wal--ikrāmi
O Owner of might and majesty.


wa sallā allāhu'alā muhammadin
May Allāh's blessing and peace be on Muhammad


rasūlihī wa ālihī alttāhirīna wa sallama taslīman kathīran
and those of his descendants who are pure.

The fifteenth night of Sha'bān
This night is extraordinarily honorable. Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) has narrated that when Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a) was asked about the merits of the fifteenth night of Sha'bān, he answered, "It is the most favorable night after the Qadr Night. At this night, Almighty Allāh bestows upon His servants with His favors and grants them His pardon out of His conferral of benefits to them. Therefore, you should exert all efforts to seek nearness to Him at this night, because He-the Majestic and Honorable-has decided not to reject any asker as long as he does not ask for an act of disobedience to Him. Almighty Allāh has chosen this night for us, the Ahl al-Bayt, just as He has chosen the Qadr Night for our Prophet-peace be upon him and his Household. You should thus pray and thank Him diligently."

One of the marvelous blessings of this night is that it is the birth night of the Patron of the Age, Imam al-Mahdi (a)-may Allāh accept our souls as ransoms for him. He was born in Surra-man-ra'a (currently Samarra') at the hour before daybreak in AH 255. This incident increases the merits of this honorable night.

However, narrations have carried may recommended rites to be carried out at this night:

First: It is highly recommended to bathe oneself at this night, for this act decreases the punishment for one's sins.

Second: It is highly recommended to imitate Imam 'Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-'Abidin (a) who used to spend this whole night with acts of worship, prayers, supplications, invocations, and implorations for forgiveness. A tradition confirm that as for one who spends this whole night with acts of worship, his heart will not die when other hearts die'

Third: It is highly recommended to visit the tomb of Imam al-Husayn (a). In fact, this is the most favorable act at this night. It also brings about forgiveness of one's sins. If you desire that 124,000 Prophets shake hands with you, you may visit the holy tomb of Imam al-Husayn (a) at this night. The least act of Ziyarah is to go up an elevated place, look to the right and the left, raise the head towards the heavens, and say these statements:


alssalāmu 'alayka yā abā 'abdillāh
Peace be upon you, O Abu-'Abdullah!


alssalāmu alayka wa rahmatu allāh wa barakātuhū
Peace and Allāh's mercy and blessings be upon you.

One who performs this form of Ziyarah is expected to win the reward of one Hajj and one Umrah. In the section of Ziyarat, we will mention further details about the peculiar merits of Ziyarah at this night.

Fourth: It is recommended to say the following supplicatory prayer, which stands for a form of Ziyarah for Imam al-Mahdi (a). This supplicatory prayer has been mentioned by both Sayyid Ibn Tawus and Shaykh al-Tusi:




Fifth: Shaykh Ismā'īl ibn Fadl al-Hāshimī has narrated that Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) instructed him to say the following supplicatory prayer on the fifteenth night of Sha'bān:




Sixth: It is recommended to say this supplicatory Prophet (s) used to say at this night:




Seventh: It is recommended to say the prayers that are preferably said at middays. These prayers, previously mentioned, begin with the following statement:




Eighth: It is recommended to say the famous supplicatory prayer known as Du'ā Kumayl, which has been cited in the previous section of this book. Narrations have mentioned that it is highly advisable to say this famous supplicatory prayer at this night.


Ninth: It is recommended to mention Almighty Allāh by the following Tasbih one hundred (100 ) times so that one's past acts of disobedience to Him will be forgiven and one's worldly and religious needs will be granted:


subhāna allāhi walhamdu lillāhi wa lā ilāha illā allāhu wallāhu akbaru
Glory be to Allāh, all praise is for Allāh There is no god but Allāh, and Allāh is the greatest.

Tenth: Shaykh al-Tūsi, in Misbah al-Mutahajjid, has narrated a tradition about the merits of the night of mid-Sha'bān entailing that Abu-Yahya asked Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) about the best of supplicatory prayers to be said at this night. The Imam (a) instructed him, saying: After you accomplish the obligatory 'Isha Prayer, you may offer a two unit prayer in the first unit of which you should recite Surah al-Fātihah and Surah al-Kāfirun and in the second Surah al-Fātihah and Surah al-Tawhid. When you accomplish the prayer, you may repeat (the phrase of) subhanAllāh thirty-three times, (the phrase of) alhamdulillah thirty-three times, and (the phrase of) Allāhu-akbar thirty-four times. You may then say the following supplicatory prayer:




You may prostrate yourself and repeat the following twenty times:


yā rabb(i)
O my Lord!

And then repeat the following phrase seven times:


yā allāh(u)
O Allāh!

And then repeat the following phrase seven times:


lā hawla walā quwwata illā billāhi
There is neither might nor power save with Allāh

And then repeat the following phrase ten times:


mā shā'a Allāhu lā quwwata illā billāhi
Only that which Allāh wants (will come to pass). There is no power save with Allāh.

You may then invoke Almighty Allāh's blessings upon the Holy Prophet and beseech Him to grant your requests

Eleventh: Shaykh al-Tusi and Shaykh al-Kaf' ami say: It is suitable to say the following supplicatory prayer at this night:




Twelfth: It is recommended to say the supplicatory prayer narrated by Shaykh al-Tūsī and Sayyid Ibn Tāwūs after each two units of the Night Prayer (Salat al-Layl), the Shaf' Prayer, and the Witr Prayer.

Thirteenth: It is recommended to do the prostrations and say the supplicatory prayers that are reported from the Holy Prophet (s). One of these is that Shaykh al-Tūsī has narrated on the authority of Hammad ibn Isa on the authority of Abān ibn Taghlib on the authority of Imam Ja'far al-Sādiq (a) recounted the following:

It was the fifteenth night of Sha'bān when the Holy Prophet (s) was with A'ishah, his wife. At midnight, the Holy Prophet (s) left the bed. When A'ishah woke up and could not find him, she felt jealous and thought that he had joined one of his other wives. She therefore left her bed and put on her cloak, which was made of neither silk, nor linen, nor cotton; rather, it was made of camel hair. In any event, A'ishah searched for the Holy Prophet (s) in all of the rooms of his other wives but she found him prostrating himself on the ground like a thrown dress. As she approached, she heard him saying:




When the Holy Prophet (s) accomplished these acts of worship and directed towards his bed, A'ishah ran before him until she reached the bed before he did. When he heard her speedy breathes, the Holy Prophet (s) wondered. He then said, "Do you know what this night is? This is the mid-Sha'bān night. At this night, shares of provisions are distributed, lifetimes are decided, and the pilgrims are appointed. Verily, Almighty Allāh, at this night, forgives as many of His creatures as the hairs of the horses of Kalb Tribe. Almighty Allāh also orders angels to descend to the earth, to Makkah, at this night.

Fourteenth: It is recommended to offer the famous Ja'far al-Tayyār's Prayer (Salāt Ja'far) as is narrated by Shaykh al-Tūsī from Imam al-Ridā (a).

Fifteenth: It is recommended to offer the prayers that are dedicated to this night. In fact, these prayers are many. One of them is what is reported by Abu-Yahya al-San'āni, as well as other thirty trustworthy reporters, from Imam Muhammad al-Bāqir (a) and Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (a) as follows:

At the mid-Sha'bān night, you may offer a four unit prayer in each unit of which you may recite Surah al-Fātihah once and Surah al-Tawhīd one hundred times. After accomplishment, you may say the following supplicatory prayer:




It is worth mentioning that traditions have decided a great reward for one who offers a one hundred unit prayer at this night; in each unit, Surah al-Fātihah is recited once and Surah al-Tawhīd ten times.

The fifteenth of Sha'bān
On the fifteenth of Sha'bān, the twelfth Imam al-Mahdi, the Patron of the Age (Sāhib al-Zamān), was born. May Almighty Allāh's blessings be upon him and his immaculate ancestors. It is recommended to visit him at each time and place and to pray Almighty Allāh for hastening in his advent. His Ziyarah at the Vault (sirdāb) in Samarrā' is more favorable. Beyond any dispute, Imam al-Mahdi (a) shall appear, overcome, and fill the earth with justice and equality just as it would be filled with injustice and bias'

One must, as a final act on this night, take account for his own soul and the actions he has performed during the year. A person should sincerely and properly ponder and reflect upon his actions during this year and ask repentance for his previous acts of transgression since it is only those people whom Allāh (Glorified and Exalted is He) has protected from committing sin and error who are free of this pollution. If a person sees that he has little to no sins on his record then he should compare this to one of the most insignificant blessings that Allāh (Glorified and Exalted is He) has given him and weigh the two on the scales of justice that with his trivial acts of good, has he been able to repay Allāh (Glorified and Exalted is He) back for all the goodness He has provided?

If he realizes that he has sins and transgressions on his record, then he must resort to Tawassul to the Ma'sumin (blessings be upon all of them) to make up for his shortcomings.

He should address the infallible ones by saying, O you who Allāh has placed between Himself and His servants! O you who are the protectors of His revelation. I ask you by the position that you have that you look towards me, a sinful servant, with your eyes of mercy the one who has been lax in his worship, who possesses nothing and is nothing. Have mercy upon me and request Allāh to accept me and to be pleased with me on this night and to permit me to be benefit from your prayers and supplications and to permit me to take advantage of your intercession and to be classified as your Shi'a. In addition, ask Allāh to grant me with the reward of goodness and guidance from you. Pray that He makes me of strong will and that I am successful in performing good deeds for my religion, my life here and my next life. In closing, please accept this from myself and ask Allāh that to grant me the ability to know Him, be close to Him and permit me to earn His pleasure and that He join me both in this world and the next with all of you and that I am classified as one of your followers and close friends and companions. All of this is only in His hands. May the blessings of Allāh be upon all of you and whatever Allāh wills will only happen and there is no power or strength save with Him.

The rites in the last of Sha'bān
Imam al-Ridā (a) is reported as saying: If one observes fasting on the last three days of Sha'bān and attaches it to the obligatory fasting of Ramadān, Almighty Allāh will decide him as having observed fasting for two consecutive months.

Abu'l-Salt al-Harawī has narrated that when he visited Imam al-Ridā (a) on the last Friday of Sha'bān, the Imam said to him: Abu'l-Salt, the days of Sha'bān have almost passed. This is the last Friday. You should thus settle what you have missed in this month by working harder in the rest of it' You may supplicate God, implore for His forgiveness, recite the Holy Qur'an, and repent to Him from your sins so that you receive the month of Ramadān with pure sincerity to Him. You must fulfill all the trusts that you are liable to settle, do not bear malice against any of your brethren in-faith, you must give up any sin that you commit. Fear Almighty Allāh and trust in Him in secret and openly, for If any one puts his trust in Allāh, sufficient is (Allāh) for him. For Allāh will surely accomplish his purpose. Verily, for all things has Allāh appointed a due proportion Holy Quran 65:3.

In the rest days of Sha'bān, you may repeat the following supplicatory prayer very much for Almighty Allāh saves many people from Hellfire on account of the sanctity of this month:


allāhumma in lam takun ghafarta lanā fīmā madā min sha'bāna faghfir lanā fīmābaqiya minhu
O Allāh, if You have not forgiven us in the past days of Sha'ban, (please do) forgive us in the rest of it.

The last night of Sha'bān
Shaykh al-Tusi has narrated on the authority of Harith ibn Mughirah al-Nadri on the authority of Imam al-Sadiq (a) who used to say the following supplicatory prayer at the last night of Sha'bān and the first night of Ramadān: