Importance Of The Month Of Sha'ban — Rites, Supplications & Translation

هَذَا الشَّهْرُ الْمُبَارَكُ مَنْسُوبٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ الأَعْظَمِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ، فَكَانَ يُكْثِرُ فِيهِ مِنَ الصِّيَامِ وَيَصِلُهُ بِرَمَضَانَ. وَقَدْ كَانَ يَقُولُ: «شَعْبَانُ شَهْرِي، فَمَنْ صَامَ يَوْمًا مِنْ شَهْرِي وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ.» وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ الإِمَامِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّادِقِ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: «كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ زَيْنُ الْعَابِدِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ إِذَا دَخَلَ شَعْبَانُ جَمَعَ أَصْحَابَهُ وَقَالَ: يَا أَصْحَابِي، تَدْرُونَ مَا هَذَا الشَّهْرُ؟ هُوَ شَعْبَانُ، وَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يَقُولُ: شَعْبَانُ شَهْرِي. فَصُومُوا فِيهِ تَحَبُّبًا إِلَى نَبِيِّكُمْ وَتَقَرُّبًا إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ...» وَعَنْ شَيْخِ الطَّائِفَةِ الطُّوسِيِّ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ الْجَمَّالِ، قَالَ: «أَمَرَنِي الإِمَامُ الصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ أَنْ أَحُثَّ النَّاسَ عَلَى الصِّيَامِ فِي شَعْبَانَ، وَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ يُنَادِي فِي أَهْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ: يَا أَهْلَ يَثْرِبَ! إِنِّي رَسُولُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ شَعْبَانَ شَهْرِي، فَرَحِمَ اللَّهُ مَنْ أَعَانَنِي عَلَى شَهْرِي.» وَقَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: «مَا فَاتَنِي صِيَامُ شَعْبَانَ مُنْذُ سَمِعْتُ مُنَادِيَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ، وَلاَ يَفُوتُنِي مَا عِشْتُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ.» وَقَالَ الإِمَامُ الصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ: «صِيَامُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةٌ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.» وَقَدْ رُوِيَ أَنَّ الإِمَامَ الصَّادِقَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «فَضْلُ الصِّيَامِ فِي شَعْبَانَ عَظِيمٌ، حَتَّى إِنَّ مَنْ أَسْرَفَ فِي دَمٍ حَرَامٍ يُرْجَى لَهُ الْغُفْرَانُ.» وَأَعْمَالُ شَعْبَانَ قِسْمَانِ: عَامَّةٌ يُسْتَحَبُّ فِعْلُهَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ، وَخَاصَّةٌ تَكُونُ فِي أَيَّامٍ أَوْ لَيَالٍ مَعَيَّنَةٍ.

This holy month is ascribed to the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) who used to fast in it frequently and connect it with Ramadan. He (s.a.w.a.) used to say: 'Sha’ban is my month; hence, Paradise will certainly be decided for one who fasts a single day of my month.' Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (a.s.) reported: Imam Ali ibn al-Husayn Zayn al-’Abidin (a.s.) used to gather his companions at the beginning of Sha’ban and say: 'O my companions! Do you know what this month is? It is Sha’ban. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) used to say: Sha’ban is my month. You should therefore fast in this month out of love for your Prophet and seeking closeness to your Lord. By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, I heard my father al-Husayn (a.s.) say that he heard Imam Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, say: Whoever fasts in Sha’ban for the love of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.a.) and seeking nearness to Allah, Allah will love him, bring him near to His dignity on the Day of Judgment, and guarantee Paradise for him.' Shaykh al-Tusi narrated from Safwan al-Jammal that Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) instructed him to urge people to fast in Sha’ban. When Safwan asked if there was a reason, the Imam replied: 'Yes. When the Prophet (s.a.w.a.) sighted the new moon of Sha’ban, he appointed a caller to announce: O people of Yathrib! I am the messenger of the Messenger of Allah to you. Verily, Sha’ban is my month. May Allah have mercy on the one who helps me in my month.' Imam Ali (a.s.) used to say: 'I never missed fasting in Sha’ban since I heard this call, and I shall never miss it so long as I live, InshaAllah.' Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.) also said: 'To fast two consecutive months is repentance before Allah.' Isma’il ibn Abd al-Khaliq narrated: When the matter of fasting in Sha’ban was discussed before Imam al-Sadiq (a.s.), he said: 'The reward of fasting in Sha’ban is so great that even one who shed forbidden blood may be forgiven.' The recommended rites of Sha’ban are divided into two types: general (recommended daily throughout the month) and particular (dedicated to specific days and nights).