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Standing the night of the 15th of Sha'baan in prayer and fasting during it's day



Question: Is standing the night of the 15th of Sha'baan in prayer and fasting during it's day legislated?



Response: Nothing firm and reliable has been established on the authority of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) that he stood in prayer in the night and fasted during the day of the 15th of Sha'baan. So the night of the 15th of Sha'baan is like any other night, and if someone is a regular worshipper during other nights, then he may stand the night in prayer on this night without assuming anything special (because of it being the night of the 15th of Sha'baan). This is because specifying a time for any act of worship requires a authentic proof, so if there is no authentic proof then the act is regarded as an innovation and all innovations are misguidance. Likewsie, regarding specifically fasting during the 15th day of Sha'baan, then no (authentic) proof has been established on the authority of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) to indicate the legislation of fasting on that particular day.



As for that which is mentioned from the ahaadeeth regarding this subject, then all of it is weak as the people of knowledge have indicated. However, whoever has the habit of fasting the 13th, 14th and 15th (of every month), then he can continue and fast during Sha'baan as he fasts during the other months, without assuming anything special about the 15th of Sha'baan. Also, the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) used to increase in fasting during this month (Sha'baan), however, he did not particularise the 15th day, rather proceeded as per norm.



Shaykh Ibn Fowzaan

al-Bid'u wal-Muhdathaat wa maa laa asla lahu - Page 614

Noorun alad-Darb Fataawa Shaykh Saalih Ibn Fowzaan - Volume 1, Page 87

Different levels of Innovation

Question:
Is there a difference between the innovation that is considered a sin and the innovation that takes a person outside the fold of Islam?

Answer:
Yes; there is innovation that takes a person outside the fold of Islam such as denying that ALLAH will be seen in the afterlife, denying that ALLAH is above His creation, making supplication to other than ALLAH, sacrificing to other than ALLAH, these are all types of innovation that take a person outside the fold of Islam, but we don’t declare a person to be outside the fold of Islam until we have established the proof against him. This is because some of the people have had the doubts heaped upon them and they are far removed from the era of the Prophet Hood and far removed from the light of Prophet Hood. As a result they fall into innovations such as these; and these innovations take the person outside the fold of Islam. We say, denying that ALLAH will be seen in the afterlife is disbelief, as is denying that ALLAH is above His creation, and claiming that the Koran is created is also disbelief, major disbelief. But as for the one who says, I bear witness that no one has the right to be worshipped except and ALLAH and Muhammad is the Messenger of ALLAH and he prays and he fasts and he desires paradise and he believes in it etc, etc; then perhaps some of the doubts of the people of falsehood came to him and piled up upon him until he fell into the aforementioned innovations. Then we say to him, you fell into disbelief and the proof is this and that and we make it clear to him. So if ALLAH gives him the success to return to the truth then all praises belong to ALLAH, if not then we will say he is a disbeliever only after the proof has been established against him. As for the innovation that is sin then it is different than this. For example I see him with rosary beads (dhikir beads) these rosary beads, oh my brothers, there origin is taken from the Christians and the Hindus! These beads are something which is foreign to the Muslims. Who were they taken from? (They were) taken from the Hindus and the Christians, the Christians took them from the Hindus. And I have seen for myself a Christian monk wearing these beads and a Hindu monk wearing these beads and they were using these beads and now the innovators from the Muslims have taken these beads from them. And other than this from the different types of innovations such as the different types of remembrance that have in them deviation from what is correct as for these types of innovations we don’t say they remove someone from the fold of Islam. We don’t say that a person has left Islam except with proof, and we don’t say that a person is a sinner (fasiq) except with proof. So although it is bida you don’t automatically make him a sinner because of it, but he becomes a sinner after it has been made clear to him after it has been made clear and he stays upon this bida then he becomes a sinner (fasiq).

Fatwa by Sheik Rabee' ibn Haadee Al-Madhkalee
Translated by Abu Qayla Rasheed Barbee

INNOVATION ALERT - 15th Sha'baan 1431 / Tuesday 27th July 2010

http://www.fatwa-online.com/innovations/celebrations/cel005/index.htm

Specifying the day of the 15th of Sha'baan by fasting or reciting the Qur.aan or performing naafilah prayers

ref: http://www.fatwa-online.com/fataawa/innovations/celebrations/cel005/0001102_2.htm

Question: We see some people specifying the 15th of Sha'baan with particular supplications and reciting the Qur.aan and performing naafilah prayers. So what is the correct position concerning this, and may Allaah reward you with good?

Response: That which is correct is that fasting the 15th of Sha'baan or specifying it with reciting (the Qur.aan) or making (particular) supplications has no basis. So the day of the 15th of Sha'baan is like any other 15th day of other months. So from that which is known is that it has been legislated for a person to fast the 13th, 14th and 15th of every month, however, Sha'baan is characterised unlike the other months in that (except for Ramadhaan) the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) used to fast more in Sha'baan than any other month . So he used to either fast all of Sha'baan or just a little. Therefore, as long as it does not cause difficulty for a person, it is befitting to increase in fasting during Sha'baan in adherence to the example of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam).

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen

al-Bid'u wal-Muhdathaat wa maa laa Asla lahu - Page 612

Fataawa Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen - Volume 1, Page 190

Standing the night of the 15th of Sha'baan in prayer and fasting during it's day

ref: http://www.fatwa-online.com/fataawa/innovations/celebrations/cel005/0001102_3.htm

Question: Is standing the night of the 15th of Sha'baan in prayer and fasting during it's day legislated?

Response: Nothing firm and reliable has been established on the authority of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) that he stood in prayer in the night and fasted during the day of the 15th of Sha'baan. So the night of the 15th of Sha'baan is like any other night, and if someone is a regular worshipper during other nights, then he may stand the night in prayer on this night without assuming anything special (because of it being the night of the 15th of Sha'baan). This is because specifying a time for any act of worship requires a authentic proof, so if there is no authentic proof then the act is regarded as an innovation and all innovations are misguidance. Likewsie, regarding specifically fasting during the 15th day of Sha'baan, then no (authentic) proof has been established on the authority of the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) to indicate the legislation of fasting on that particular day.

As for that which is mentioned from the ahaadeeth regarding this subject, then all of it is weak as the people of knowledge have indicated. However, whoever has the habit of fasting the 13th, 14th and 15th (of every month), then he can continue and fast during Sha'baan as he fasts during the other months, without assuming anything special about the 15th of Sha'baan. Also, the Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) used to increase in fasting during this month (Sha'baan), however, he did not particularise the 15th day, rather proceeded as per norm.

Shaykh Ibn Fowzaan

al-Bid'u wal-Muhdathaat wa maa laa asla lahu - Page 614

Noorun alad-Darb Fataawa Shaykh Saalih Ibn Fowzaan - Volume 1, Page 87

...

Giving sadaqah specifically on the night of 15th of Sha'baan

ref: http://www.fatwa-online.com/fataawa/innovations/celebrations/cel005/0001102_1.htm

Question: When my father was alive, he entrusted me to give sadaqah (charity) according to my means on the 15th of Sha'baan every year, and likewise I have been doing this ever since. However, some people have admonished me for doing so saying it is not permissible. So is giving sadaqah on the night of the 15th of Sha'baan permissible according to the willment of my father or not? Kindly advise us and may Allaah reward you with good.

Response: To specify the giving of sadaqah on the night of the 15th of Sha'baan every year is an innovation, and despite your father having entrusted you with that, it is not permissible. It is befitting you give this sadaqah without specifying the night of the 15th of Sha'baan, rather do so every year and in whichever month, but without particularising any one month (on a consistent basis). However, it is permissible to do so in the month of Ramadhaan (for the evidence which indicates so).

And with Allaah lies all success and may Allaah send prayers and salutations upon our Prophet (sal-Allaahu `alayhe wa sallam) and his family and his companions.

The Permanent Committee for Islaamic Research and Fataawa

al-Bid'u wal-Muhdathaat wa maa laa Asla lahu - Page 611

Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa.imah lil-Buhooth al-'Ilmiyyah wal-Iftaa. - Fatwa No. 9760

A Brief Summary of the Issue of Raising the hands for the Qunoot in the Witr

Taken from the 'Original Sifat as-Salah'

By Shaykh Muhadith Muhammad Nasir- Deen Al-Albaani

Translated by Abbas Abu Yahya

And ‘the Messenger - sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – used to raise his hands.’

_________________________________

A Summary: Shaykh al-Albaani mentions the Narration of Anas bin Malik when the Qur’aanic recitors were killed:

‘Anas said: I never ever saw the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- painfully agitated about anything as I saw him agitated over them. Indeed I saw the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- in the early morning prayer raising his hands and he supplicated against those who killed them. [And in another narration: supplicating against them.]

Narrated by Ahmad (3/137)

This Isnaad is authentic. At-Tabraani narrated in ‘Sagheer’ also from Anas with the wording:

‘Indeed I saw the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- whenever he would pray the early morning prayer, he would raise his hands supplicating against them.’

This portion was narrated by al-Bayhaqi (2/211) and Nawawi (3/500) said: ‘Its Isnaad is Saheeh or hasan’

There is a recommendation in this hadeeth of raising the hands while supplicating the Qunoot.

Farj the freed slave of Abu Yusuf said: ‘I saw my master Abu Yusuf, if he would enter into the Qunoot for the Witr he would raise his hands in the Dua.’ From ‘Sharh al-Hidayah’ (1/306)

Likewise Ahmad holds this opinion and so does Ishaaq.

The raising of the hands is established from the Ameer-ul-Mumineen Umar bin al-Khattab -Radi Allaahu anhu- as is narrated by Bukhari in ‘Rafa’ al-Yadain’ (23), Ibn Nasr (134) and al-Bayhaqi (2/212) on the authority of Abu Uthmaan an-Nahdi:

‘Umar would perform the Qunoot with us in the early morning prayer, and would raise his hands, so much that the side of his body under his arms would be seen.

As for wiping the hands on the face after ending the Dua’ in the prayer, then this is not established with an authentic narration, nor an authentic statement, nor by analogy.

This is a Bida’, as for outside the prayer, then it is not authentic, and everything that is narrated regarding this is weak, some of it is more severe in its weakness than other narrations; I have researched it in ‘Da’eef Abi Dawood’ (262) and ‘al-Hadeeth as-Saheehah’ (597), this is why al-Izz bin Abdus-Salaam said in some of his Fatawa: ‘None does this except an ignorant person.’

So it is foremost that it should not be done, and restricting to what the Salaf -Radi Allaahu anhum- did, of raising the hands in the Dua’ without wiping the face in the prayer. And success lies with Allaah.’

[Taken from ‘the Original Sifat as-Salah’ vol 3 p.957-959]

Shaykh al-Albaani also said: ‘Raising of the hands in the Qunoot for a problem afflicting the Muslims is established from the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- when he made Dua’ against the Mushrikeen, those who killed seventy of the recitors of the Qur’aan.

This was narrated by Imam Ahmad (3/137) and by Tabraani in ‘as-Sagheer’ (p.111) from the hadeeth of Anas with an authentic chain, and it is also established from Umar and others in the Qunoot of al-Witr.’

[Taken from ‘Irwaa al-Ghaleel’ (2/181)]

41- The Ruling of Raising the Hands in the Dua’ of al-Witr

By Shaykh, Allaama Mufti of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Abdul Azeez bin Abdullaah Bin Baz

Question:What is the ruling of raising the hands in al-Witr?

Answer: Raising the hands in the Qunoot of al-Witr is legislated; because the Qunoot is from the same type as the Qunoot when new hardships occur for the Muslims, and this is indeed established by the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, that he -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- raised his hands when he made Dua’ in the Qunoot when new hardships occur for the Muslims.

This was collected by al-Bayhaqi –Raheem’ullaah- with a authentic chain.

[Taken from ‘Majmoo Fatawa wa Maqalaat Mutafariqa’ vol.30 p.51 ]

Some Athaar of the Companions regarding raising the hands in al-Qunoot

a) From Abu Uthmaan who said: ‘Umar used to read the Qunoot with us after Rukoo’ and he would raise his hands so much so that the side of his body would be seen, and his voice could be heard from the back of the Masjid.’

[Collected by Ibn Abee Shaybah (3/316), Bayhaqi (2/212) & Ibn al-Mundhir (5/213)]

b) From Ibn Abbas that he prayed the Qunoot with the people at Fajr in Basrah, and he raised his hands so much so that the side of his body was raised up.’

[Saheeh – Collected by Ibn Abee Shaybah (2/316)]

c) From Ibn Mas’ood that he used to raise his hands in the Witr then after that he would lower them.’

[Hasan – Collected by Abdur Razzaq (4/325)]