Tonight is the night of nisfu syaaban or mid-shaaban when records of your deeds for the year would be closed and a new book will be opened to record your deeds for the upcoming year. i grow up hearing people talk about this night but never actually understood what it is all about. i know the elders tend to fast on 15 syaaban but again, I never knew the significance behind this night and the day itself. i have scoured over a number of materials on the internet looking for the "story" behind it and out of many, this one from nurscaredsciences.com touched the core of my heart with the beautiful sayings from the Prophet (PBUH) and it makes me see this night of mid-shaaban in a different light, this time from my heart, with actual understanding...
The night of mid-Shaaban is a night of immense spiritual benefit and there are many hadiths that have been transmitted regarding this night. Ibn Maja relates on the authority of Aisha saying, "I did not find the Prophet (pbuh) one night, so I went out looking for him and he was in al-Baqi with his head raised to the sky. He said, 'O' Aisha, do you fear that God would be unjust with you or his Prophet?'" She said, "I said: 'No but I thought you may have gone to another one of your wives.' He said: 'On the Night of Mid-Shaban, God the Exalted descends to the heavens of the earth and forgives a number [of people] greater than the hairs of the sheep of the [tribe] of Kalb (known for their many sheep).
Al-Bayhaqi also relates on her authority saying, "The messenger of God stood [in prayer] and lengthened his prostration until I thought that he died. When I saw this, I got up to move his finger and it moved. And so iI went back. When he rose his head in prostration towards me and completed his prayers he said, ' O Aisha or O Humayra, did you believe that the Prophet was deceiving you? I said: 'By God, no. But I thought you died because of the length of your prostration. He said: 'Do you know what night this is?' I said: 'God and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'This is the night of Mid-Shaaban. God looks at His servants the noght of Mid-Shaaban, and He forgives those seeking forgiveness, has mercy on those seeking mercy, and leaves the bearers of grudges as they are.'"
She also related: "God the Exalted showers goodness in abundance during four nights: the nights of Adha and Fitr (i.e. the nights of the two Ids), the night of Mid-Shaʿbān in which deaths and provisions are determined as are the pilgrimages written, and the evening of Arafa until the call to prayer."
On the authority of Abi Thalaba al-Khushani (RA), the Prophet (pbuh) said: 'When it becomes the Night of Mid-Shaaban, God looks at His creation and forgives the believers, maintains the disbelievers (in their disbelief), and leaves the bearer of grudges in their enmity until they abandon their [resentment].'
In another hadith, the Prophet (pbuh) made the following supplication during his prostration in Mid-Shaaban. "Aisha (RA) said: 'The night of Mid-Shaaban was my night. And the Messenger of God was at my place...He then went into prostration and said. 'I seek refuge in Your good-pleasure from Your anger. And I seek refuge in Your forgiveness from Your punishment. And I seek refuge in You from You. I am incapable of Your praise. You are as You have praised Yourself.
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