Revive a Sunnah

In the name of Allah

Revive a Sunnah: It is Recommended to Fast a Great Deal in the Month of Sha’baan

Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "I asked the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) a question.” I asked why do you fast in Sha’ban more than any other month? He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) replied saying; 'People are negligent between Rajab and Ramadan. During Sha’ ban the deeds are presented to the Lord of all the worlds. Therefore, I desire to be fasting when my deeds are lifted.”

(Collected by Ahmad; 5/200; An-Nisa’i, 2357; Al-Bayhaqee in Shub Al-Iman, 3820; and Ibn Abi Shaybah in his Musanaf, 9765. Al-Albani (may Allah grant him al Firdaus) and Muhammad Adam (may Allah preserve him) both graded this hadeeth as Hasan (see Saheeh al-Nasaa’i, 2221)

1. It was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast the whole of Sha’baan. 

Ahmad (26022), Abu Dawood (2336), al-Nasaa’i (2175) and Ibn Maajah (1648) narrated that Umm Salamah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “I never saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fast two consecutive months apart from the fact that he used to join Sha’baan and Ramadaan.” 

According to a version narrated by Abu Dawood: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never used to fast any complete month in the year, apart from Sha’baan, which he used to join to Ramadaan.” Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 2048. 

The apparent meaning of this hadeeth is that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast the entire month of Sha’baan. 

2. It is also narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast all of Sha’baan apart from a few days. 

Muslim (1156) narrated that Abu Salamah said: “I asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) about the fasting of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and she said: ‘He used to fast until we thought that he would always fast, then he would not fast until we thought that he would always not fast, but I never saw him fast in any month more than he fasted in Sha’baan. He used to fast all of Sha’baan, and he used to fast all of Sha’baan apart from a few days.’”

3. The scholars differed as to the way of reconciling between these hadeeths. 

Some of them said that this had to do with differences of time – in some years the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fasted all of Sha’baan, and in other years he fasted all of that month apart from a few days. This was the view favoured by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him). See Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 15/416. 

Others said that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never fasted any month in full apart from Ramadaan, and they interpreted the hadeeth of Umm Salamah as meaning that he fasted all of Sha’baan apart from a few days. They said that this is possible from a linguistic point of view, that if a man fasts for most of a month it may be said that he fasted the whole month. 

And Allah knows best.