Any Virtues of Specific Days in Rajab and Shaban?

11 March, 2020

Q As-salamu `alaykum. I've been reading articles and have found out that no one knows for sure as to when the Israa' and the Mi`raj happened. My question here is: if it's not confirmed to be on Rajab 27, then what other significance does this specific date of Rajab 27 hold? And what happens on Shaban 15? And it is also clear that Laylat al-Qadr is also an unknown night that falls on Ramadan 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29 and that we have to find. Now, what does “find” mean here? How can we know if we've found the night? And why is Ramadan 27 considered the most important? Kindly help and talk about these 3 dates; Rajab 27, Shaban 15, and Ramadan 27. Thank you.

Answer

Wa `alaykum as-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

In this fatwa:

While there are no authentic Hadiths on the night of Al-Israa and Al-Miraj or the night of Shaban 15, there are some authentic Hadiths on Laylat al-Qadr.

Responding to your question, Sheikh Kifah Mustapha, the Imam and Director of The Prayer Center of Orland Park and representative for Dar El Fatwa of Lebanon in the US, states:

Rajab 27

As to the night of Al-Israa and Al-Miraj, there is no final authentic and clear Hadith that specifies it as it was related from Ibn Taymiyyah. Most of the narrations are in the level of weak.

What we know for sure is that it did happen as mentioned in Surat Al-Israa and it did happen before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) made the migration to Madinah. Some scholars even believe that it might have happened in Rabi Al-Awwal, based on some weak narrations.

Shaban 15

As to the night of Shaban 15, there are few Hadiths about its virtues, but there are no authentic narrations of initiating special acts of worship during that night.

As for its virtues, the Prophet said, “Allah looks at His servants at the night of mid-Shaban and He forgives the believers and prolongs (matters) for non-believers and leaves those with grudges until they get rid of it.” (Ibn Hibban and Ahmad)

Laylat al-Qadr

Regarding Laylat al-Qadr, we do have authentic Hadiths that it falls In the odd nights of the last ten nights of Ramadan like the Hadith of Abu Salamah reported in Al-Bukhari.

Also the Hadith of Ibn Umar (reported in Al-Bukhari too) which says that it falls in the last seven nights of Ramadan.

There are also Hadiths that mention specific nights, especially Ramadan 27, during which Muslims should observe Laylat al-Qadr. The Hadiths about Ramadan 27 were narrated by Muawiyah in At-Tabarani and declared authentic by Al-Albani and another Hadith by Ibn Abbas in Musnad Ahmad and declared authentic with a sound isnad (chain of transmission) by Al-Arna`ut on the conditions of Al-Bukhari. What is meant by “find” is to seek it in order to do extra acts of worship such as Prayer, dhikr (remembrance of Allah), du`aa’(supplication), reading the Quran, giving in charity, etc.

Allah Almighty knows best.

Editor’s note: This fatwa is from Ask the Scholar’s archive and was originally published at an earlier date.