Sha'baan - Important Fataawaa & Articles

[dkSadiq.ibn.Owodunni]

Please see the first post above for some Articles & Fataawaa on Sha'ban.

According to the Official Saudi Umm-ul-Quraa Calendar, Monday, June 10th 2013, was the 1st of Sha'ban in Saudi Arabia. May Allaah grant us success in fasting much of it as the Prophet - may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace - used to.

As a benefit, the following is a fatwa from Great Scholar, Shaykh ibn Baaz - may Allaah have mercy upon him about reconciling between the two hadeeths: "When Sha`ban is halfway through, do not fast until the advent of Ramadan" and "The most preferred month for him (the Prophet) to fast was Sha`ban and he joined it with Ramadan"

س: لقد قرأت في صحيح الجامع الحديث رقم (397) تحقيق الألباني وتخريج السيوطي (398) صحيح عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: إذا انتصف شعبان فلا تصوموا حتى يكون رمضان . ويوجد حديث آخر خرجه السيوطي برقم (8757) صحيح، وحققه الألباني في صحيح الجامع برقم (4638) عن عائشة رضي الله عنها قالت: كانت أحب الشهور إليه - صلى الله عليه وسلم - أن يصومه، شعبان ثم يصله برمضان فكيف نوفق بين الحديثين؟

ج: بسم الله والحمد لله، وبعد: فقد كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يصوم شعبان كله وربما صامه إلا قليلاً كما ثبت ذلك من حديث عائشة وأم سلمة ، أما الحديث الذي فيه النهي عن الصوم بعد انتصاف شعبان فهو صحيح، كما قال الأخ العلامة الشيخ ناصر الدين الألباني ، والمراد به النهي عن ابتداء الصوم بعد النصف، أما من صام أكثر الشهر أو الشهر كله فقد أصاب السنة، والله ولي التوفيق.

Question: I read in "Sahih Al-Jami`" Hadith no. (397) which was verified by Al-Albany and related by Al-Suyuty (398) Sahih, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that he said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam) stated: "When Sha`ban is halfway through, do not fast until the advent of Ramadan" There is also another Hadith related by Al-Suyuty numbered (8757) Sahih, verified by Al-Albany in "Sahih Al-Jami`" numbered (4638) on the authority of `Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "The most preferred month for him (the Prophet, may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace) to fast was Sha`ban and he joined it with Ramadan". How can we reconcile between both Hadith?


Answer: In the Name of Allah, and all praise be to Allah!

To proceed: the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alaihi wasalaam) used to fast the whole of Sha'baan and at times, he fasted all of it except for few days, as authentically reported from the Hadith of 'Aishah and Umm Salamah. As for the Hadith mentioning the prohibition of observing Sawm (Fast) after the middle of Sha'baan, it is Sahih as mentioned by the brother, al-'Allaamah ash-Shaykh Nasir Al-Din Al-Albany. What is meant by it is that it is prohibited to start fasting after halfway through the month, but if a person fasts most or all of the month, they will be following the Sunnah (supererogatory act of worship following the example of the Prophet). May Allah grant us success.

Note: The original translation on www.alIfta.com had some mistakes; so it was corrected.

Also see:

جواب الشيخ ابن باز - رحمه الله - على السؤال: هل الصيام بعد خمسة عشر من شعبان حرام أو مكروه؟ نرجو منكم الإفادة؟

أحكام الصيام قبل رمضان بيوم أو يومين وجمع بين أحاديث ظاهرها التعارض للعلامة الراجحي حفظه الله