4 Recommended & Rewarding Deeds in the Month of Sha'ban

Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim. As-salamu 'alaykum wa rahmatu Allahi wa barakatuh.

Imagine if you had the opportunity to meet the Holy Prophet Muhammad, salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam. We all love and admire Rasul Allah, don't we? And it would be amazing to be with him. But let's just imagine that we do get a chance to meet him and he asks us to help him. Would we? Well, the answer is a categorical yes for the majority of us.

Well, a well-known narration from Imam Sadiq 'alayhi as-salam, states that when the moon of Sha'ban was seen by the Holy Prophet, he asked the caller to gather the people of Medina, and then the caller himself would say 'O people of Yathrib, I am the messenger sent by the Messenger of Allah.' Rasul Allah states 'The month of Sha'ban is my month. May Allah's mercy be upon anyone who helps me in this month.'

So, Sha'ban is a great station of the year and it's specifically known as the month of Prophet Muhammad salla Allahu alayhi wa alihi wa sallam. It is therefore a prelude to the Month of Ramadhan and there are several recommendations for us to perform to honour this month and too of course, answer the call of our beloved Prophet, may the peace and blessings be upon him and his Holy Progeny.

Number one: fasting. The moment the month of Sha'ban would indeed enter, Imam As-Sajjad 'alayhi as-salam, used to gather his family and companions and used to say 'I swear by Allah, I heard from my father, Imam Al Husayn, from his father, Imam Ali, peace be upon them, who said 'Whoever fasts in Sha'ban due to the love of Rasul Allah and to gain proximity to Allah, in return, Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala would love them and will bring them closer to His generosity on the Day of Judgment, as well as Paradise will be made obligatory for them.'

You see, Sha'ban in Arabic comes from something which springs forth goodness. Fasting in this month is very valuable indeed and brings forth abundant mercy of the Almighty Subhana wa Ta'ala. Now, some of you may have obligatory wajib fasts to make up before the Month of Ramadan and wonder if you can fast the recommended ones in Sha'ban? Well, even though you must make up the missed fasts as Qadha first, do ask the Almighty Subhana wa Ta'ala to give you the reward of doing the mustahab observance as well.

The best days to fast in Sha'ban are Mondays and Thursdays, as well as the 13th, 14th, and of course, the 15th of Sha'ban, and indeed, the last three days of this Holy Month as well.

Two, the month of Sha'ban is also one for returning to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala in Istighfar and seeking genuine forgiveness. It seems that Allah Jalla wa 'Ala wants us to enter the Month of Ramadhan in the most noble and pure form as possible. That is why it is narrated that every day we should recite 70 times 'Astaghfiru Allah alladh’ee la ilaha illa Huwa, ar-Rahmanu ar-Raheem. Al-H’ayyu, al-Qayyoom wa atoobu ilayhi.' Also, it is highly recommended to recite 70 times every day 'Astagfiru Allaha wa as'aluhu at-tawbah.' Note here, that there is no Rabbi in that sentence.

Remember, when uttering the Istighfar on a daily basis, let it come from the heart, whereby we feel genuine remorse for what we have done wrongly as well as the sins committed. And remember sometimes we do acts that we don't actually know are forbidden, hence we need to return back in genuine repentance to the Almighty Subhana wa Ta'ala.

Number three, giving charity is always recommended every day of every month. Yet in some months, Sadaqa brings more reward and blessings from Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, and Sha'ban is certainly one of them. Perhaps make it a daily habit, something we do first thing in the morning so we don't forget.

Number four, two special Dua's must not be forgotten in Sha'ban. The first is called 'As Salawat ush-Sha'baniyah,' which is narrated from Imam Al Sajjad 'alayhi as-salam, and starts with 'Allahuma salli 'ala Muhammad wa ali Muhammad, Shajarati al-nubuwwah wa mawdi`i al-risalah wa mukhtalafi al-malaa'ika.'

And the second is a beautiful supplication narrated from the Commander of the Faithful, Imam Ali 'alayhi as-salam, referred to as Al-Munajat ash-Sha'baniyah. It's full of deep and rich words to unlock the potential of the heart and hopefully remove the veils that stop the illumination of the soul. Make sure to reflect on its meanings in your own language.

So, my dear sisters and brothers, this could be our last Sha'ban. Let us invest in both this world and the Akhirah by doing these recommended acts and more. May Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala bless you and accept your deeds and worship.