Sunan at-Tirmidhee, Chapter 39: What has Come in Relation to the Virtues of the Fifteenth of Sha’baan

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Imaam Aboo ‘Eesaa at-Tirmidhi said in his Sunnan (3/116):

Chapter 39: What has Come in Relation to the Virtues of the Fifteenth of Sha’baan

Hadeeth 739:

It is narrated that A’aishah [May Allaah be Pleased with her and her father] that she said, “The Messenger of Allaah [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] left me one night and he headed towards to the graveyard of Baqee’ and I followed him.” The Prophet [Peace and Blessings of Allaah be Upon him] turned and asked me, “Do you fear that Allaah and His Messenger will betray you?” I said, “No, Oh Messenger of Allaah! I thought you were going to another one of your wives.” So he said, “Verily, Allaah, the Exalted and the Glorified, comes down on the night of fifteenth Sha’baan to the first heavens and He Forgives as much as the hair found on cattle.”

It says in Tuhfah al-Awadee, which is a famous explanation of Sunnan at-Tirmidhee, by Shaykh Muhammad bin ‘Abdur-Rahmaan al-Mubaarakfooree [May Allaah have Mercy on him] (3/366-369):

The Hadeeth mentioned here is weak as it is discontinued in its chain of narration, so we cannot depend on this Hadeeth as proof for the virtues of this night…In fact, if we look at the Ahaadeeth used by those who condone taking this night as a virtuous night then we will see that none of the Ahadeeth are affirmed in the slightest, and Allaah, the Most High, Knows Best.

Note:

Know! That the meaning of the Ayaah in which Allaah, the Most High, says:

“We sent it (this Qur'an) down on a blessed night [(i.e. night of Qadr, Surah No: 97) in the month of Ramadan,, the 9th month of the Islamic calendar]. Verily, We are ever warning [mankind that Our Torment will reach those who disbelieve in Our Oneness of Lordship and in Our Oneness of worship]. Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments.”

[Dukhaan 44:3-4]

This night refers to Layla al-Qadr or the Night of Power in Ramadhaan. Some said it refers to the fifteenth of Sha’baan however the majority say this Ayaah applies to the Night of Power in Ramadhaan and this is the truth.

Haafidh Ibn Katheer said, “Saying that this night in the Aayah refers to the fifteenth of Sha’baan is far from the truth. Rather, the textual proofs from the Quraan prove that it refers to the night in Ramadhaan.” End Quote

In the Sharh of Mishkaat, it is stated that a number of the Salaf held that the opinion that the Ayaat above refer to the fifteenth of Sha’baan however what it is apparent is that the Quraan itself refutes this view. The Quraan clearly states that it was revealed in the month of Ramadhaan, in further detailed, it also states that the Quraan was revealed on the Night of Power and no scholars differed on this fact. Once this is established it becomes apparent that the Night of Decrees cannot be in the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan.

Another Note:

Mulla ‘Alee Qaaree al-Hanafee in his Sharh of Mishkaat writes:

Know! It is mentioned that on the night of fifteenth Sha’baan that it is recommended to pray one hundred Rak’aat of prayer, reciting Surah Ikhlaas ten times in each Rak’ah thus making each Rak’ah long. The virtues of this night and this prayer are fabricated and cannot be relied upon as was stated by ad-Daylamee and others.

In other treatise it states that ‘Alee bin Ibraaheem [d.329] said, “Another newly invented matter is holding the night of fifteenth Sha’baan with virtue, praying one thousand Rak’aat and reciting Surah Ikhlaas tens and tens of times in congregation. I am worried because the number of people congregating on this night is increasing, although they are unable to bring any proof or narration to support what they are doing, except by the way of presenting weak or fabricated ones, and do not be deceived by the authors of certain books who present them.”

The first ones to perform these acts of worship occurred 448AH in al-Quds. Their ignorance led them to performing prayers in congregation on this night and the likes. With Praise to Allaah, the guided scholars stood up against this all and they refuted these invented practices and its refutation spread to the lands of Egypt and Shaam. 

From those who refuted and rejected these practices that began to occur on this night was Tartoosee. He talked about those who gathered on the fifteenth of Sha’baan, gathering to pray Taraaweeh and hold talks from the Mimbar, he explained that all these acts are all innovated.

Another point to note:

There is nothing narrated in the Ahadeeth that state that one should fast on the day of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (or the day after). There are narrations that state that one should pray during the night and fast on the fifteenth of Sha’baan as was narrated by Ibn Maajah, but these narrations are extremely weak.