Have you ever had that feeling where Ramadan went by in a blink of an eye just as you were getting into the zone? You think to yourself, “I’ll do better next year.”. No wonder! Well, that year is now here and you don’t have to wait until Ramadan to start your engines. Now is the time to zone in: the month of Shabaan a.k.a. the neglected month.
Up, Up and Away!
The clock strikes: END TIME. Your final exam papers are lifted. You know exam season is when you studied the hardest, right? This will make up for the results of what you’ve learnt all year round. What makes Shabaan and exam season so similar? Just like your annual exam papers are lifted, so are your deeds lifted annually by angels and it all happens in Shabaan. So, you should be giving your very best and pushing to the max.
The Prophet (SAW) said about Shabaan that,
“It is a month people neglect between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are raised to the Lord of the worlds, and I like for my deeds to be raised while I am fasting.”
[Sunan al-Nasā’ī 2357]
Hit the Reset
It’s also a golden opportunity to really repent from the core of your heart before your annual report goes up. So make istighfaar (seeking forgiveness) as much as you can, not only by saying it on loop but by deeply meaning it. Think about all your mess ups of the year; sins big and small as well as not doing what you should’ve done. Then resolve to never go back to them again with the great hope that Allah (SWT) will convert them into good deeds, as He is Al-Ghafoor and Al-Raheem.
Here is a beautiful dua to help you with it:
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي ظُلْمًا كَثِيرًا، وَلاَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، فَاغْفِرْ لِي مَغْفِرَةً مِنْ عِنْدِكَ، وَارْحَمْنِي، إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
[Sahih al-Bukhari 6326]
Signing off: “Just For You, with Love…”
Your younger brother knocks on your door and hands you a letter. It reads:
Could you please let me use your PS5 for the “Ultra Gaming Night” with my friends this weekend? I swear I’ll be more careful this time and NOT smash the controller if I lose. And that was like 3 years ago, sheesh! Pretty please? P.S. I’m not a loser!
Wait, what’s that smelling like? Gahhh.. Iced cinnamon rolls! Your brother hands up a box of your favourite winter treat and the box even says your name on it. Especially for you. Aw well, you melt of course.
What are we trying to get at? Fasting is a deed done especially for the sake of Allah. Handing over your deeds with a special touch is like the icing on a cake. Well, even if the cake got a little burnt at the edges, your sincere efforts with the icing do make for a good impression. So let’s follow the sunnah (way of Prophet Muhammad (SAW)) and fast as much as we can in the remaining days of Shabaan.
Our mother Aisha (RA) tells us about Prophet (SAW)’s fervour of fasting in Shaban saying:
“Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to fast till one would say that he would never stop fasting, and he would abandon fasting till one would say that he would never fast. I never saw Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) fasting for a whole month except the month of Ramadan, and did not see him fasting in any month more than in the month of Sha’ban.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari 1969]
Hit or Miss?
Had no clue how important Shabaan was? No, it’s not just you. In fact, you’re one of a lucky few to have this sign now. Better late than never right? Shabaan is neglected by a whole lot of people and the hadith does back that up. Don’t sweat about never paying mind to this month in all the years that have gone by.
What this also means is that really making the most out of this month makes you one of the special few who do so. Being of the chosen ones who honour Shabaan, gives you an edge just like waking up for tahajjud while everyone else is sleeping gives you such a good chance at earning Allah’s Special Love.
Read our latest posts: From Dua to I Do, – How to Convince Your Parents for Marriage, Valentine’s Day – A Lookback and One Critical Question, Allah SWT Does Not Answer My Prayers.
