|
|
|
|
|
Al-Hamdu Lillaahi
Rabbil 'Aalameen was Salaatu was Salaamu 'alaa Ashrafil Anbiyaa'e
wal Mursaleen
Wa Ba'd:
"All
Praise and All Glory is due only to Almighty Allah Subhanahu
Wata'ala who created man, and taught him how to speak, and He
created the sun and the moon with a set purpose, that you may
know the number of years and the detail of time. And He
distinguished certain months over others; so He honoured the
months of Rajab and Sha'baan, and He caused the month of Sha'baan
to be between the two great months of Rajab and Ramadhaan"
There has been a tendency among Muslims to celebrate the 15th of
Sha'baan to commemorate the revelation of verse 142 of Surah
Al-Baqara as well as to celebrate the night of Almighty
Allah's Mercy and Muhabbat that falls on this very special night.
This is the Night of Destiny - our lives are prolonged or
shortened and rewards and sustenance from our Glorious Creator
are distributed. Verse 142 of Surah Al-Baqara speaks about
the changing of the Qiblah from Jerusalem to the Holy Ka'bah in
Makkah:
"The fools among the people will say:
What has turned them from the Qiblah to which they were used to?
Say: To Allah belongs both the East and the West. He guides
whosoever He wills to a Way that is straight."
The majority of Muslim historians are
of the opinion that this incident took place during the month of
Sha'baan. At the time in question mainly the Yahood were of the
opinion that our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam and
the Din of Al-Islam would be just another one of the schools
within Judaism, since he preached a pure monotheistic faith and
prayed facing towards Jerusalem.
But Rabbul Ala'meen willed to put an end to this speculation at
the appropriate time. Coincidentally, our Beloved Nabee
Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam had a very strong desire to pray
facing towards the Ka'bah. The desire for this change was so
intense but being a messenger he could not pray openly for the
change. Knowing what was in his heart and hoe he yearned for this
change, Almighty Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala revealed verse 144
of Surah Al-Baqara to His Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi
Wasallam.
"We see thee turning thy face for
guidance to the heavens. Now We shall turn thee to a Qiblah that
shall please thee. Turn then thy face in the direction of the
Sacred Mosque. Wherever you are, turn your faces in that
direction. The People of the Book know well that that is the
truth from their Lord. Nor is Allah mindful of what they do."
This most beautiful verse itself
speaks of the great desire of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo
Alayhi Wasallam for the change which he had not expressed to
anyone. Yet Almighty Allah Jallah Wa'ala answered his wishes.
When our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam was praying
towards Jerusalem it was not to please the Yahood or the Nasara;
as a matter of fact, he was only obeying the Divine Orders of his
Exalted and Glorious Creator and Sustainer.
We
know from history that Salaat was prescribed during the Makkan
period. Sayyidina Jibra'eel Amin Alayhis Salaam came to stipulate
the times for prayer and to teach our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo
Alayhi Wasallam how to pray. He had to follow the movements of
Sayyidina Jibra'eel Amin Alayhis Salaam and the direction faced
at the time was towards Bayt-al-Maqdis in Jerusalem. The claim
that our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam only wanted to
attract followers is unwarranted. If that were the intention he
should have faced the Ka'bah to meet the wishes of the Quraysh
who held the Ka'bah as the most sacred place of worship.
The great desire of our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam
to pray towards the Ka'bah was manifested in his prayer when he
positioned the Ka'bah between himself and Bayt-al-Maqdis in
Jerusalem. But to do so after his Hijrah to Madinah-al-Munawwara
was impossible and he was subconsciously probing for some
indication to pray in the direction of the Ka'bah so Almighty
Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala revealed verse 144 of Surah Al-Baqara
with the instruction to change the Qiblah. The change of
direction from Jerusalem to Makkah does not mean in any way
whatsoever that Muslims should ever forget Bayt-al-Maqdis as a
sacred place. The Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an confirms that
Bayt-al-Maqdis is not to be abandoned for Almighty Allah
Subhanahu Wata'ala declares:
"And never would
Allah make your faith of no effect."
When the Qiblah was changed the Muslims
thought that the prayers of those who died prior to the change
would not be accepted so Rabbul Ala'meen revealed the verse to
assure them that He will accept all their prayers. This serves to
illustrate the sacredness to the Muslim Ummah of Bait-al-Maqdis
which should never be abandoned especially when we remember that
the event of the Mi'raaj or Ascension had taken place from here.
The change of the Qiblah was to indicate to the Muslims that they
were considered a distinct Ummah. All the previous Ambiya Alayhim
Salaam prayed towards Bait-al-Maqdis. If our Beloved Nabee
Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam had continued to do the same, the
distinction meant by Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal for him and his
Ummah would not have appeared so clearly.
The change of direction confirmed that the Muslims would
henceforth be a distinct Ummah in the sense that they should not
lend themselves to manipulation in every aspect of life whether
religious, political, economic or social. Islam considers all
these aspects a part of worship. Over and above everything else,
it signifies that the Qiblah of the Muslim Ummah should not be
left to others to control and must forever remain in the hands of
Muslims for it was they who were chosen to establish pure
monotheism and the true concept of worship in the place which was
built for the worship and glory of none other than Almighty Allah
Subhanahu Wata'ala.
The month of Sha'baan is a blessed month wherein our good deeds
are taken up to Jannah and presented before our Glorious Creator
and Sustainer. Regarding the auspiciousness of this month, we are
reminded about its vast benefits in the following words:
"O servants of Allah! This is the
month of Sha'baan, which has been distinguished for the honour of
our Imaan. This is the month for the remembrance of Almighty
Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala. This is the month for sending Durood to
our Beloved Nabee Muhammad Ibn Abdullah Sallallahoo Alayhi
Wasallam. This is the month wherein our Duahs and all good deeds
are accepted and presented before Rabbul Ala'meen."
It has been reported by Hazrat Anas bin
Malik Radhiallahu Ta'ala Anho that when the month of Sha'baan
approached, the Muslims devoted themselves wholeheartedly to
regular recitation of the Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an and they
distributed their Zakat from their wealth to assist the needy and
destitute during the auspicious and Holy month of Ramadhaan. It
has been reported by Abu Hurairah Radhiallahu Ta'ala Anho:
"I heard the Beloved of Almighty Allah
saying: Purify your bodies with fasting and Ibadah during the
month of Sha'baan for the coming month of Ramadhaan; any servant
of Allah who fasts three days for the Pleasure of Almighty Allah
during the month of Sha'baan will be forgiven."
We are told that it will be asked of a
person whose scale of good deeds will be light on the Day of
Kiyamah:
"Where were you on the first night of
Rajab, and on the 15th night of Sha'baan? Why did you not render
it heavy by worshipping your Glorious Creator during these sacred
nights?
It is said that a Muhmin's prayer and
Duahs are accepted and granted during five sacred nights of the
year i.e. the first night of Rajab, the 15th night of Sha'baan,
the night of Laylatul Qadr, the night before Eid-ul-Fitr and the
night before Eid-ul-Adha. On the 15th night of Sha'baan Almighty
Allah Azza Wajjal sets the destiny of every human being for the
coming year and addresses all true believers by proclaiming:
"Is there anyone who will beg for
forgiveness for I will surely grant My forgiveness? Is there
anyone who will repent for I will accept his or her repentance -
and is there anyone who will ask Me for his or her needs I will
grant it to them."
It is also mentioned in a
tradition that Rabbul Ala'meen will forgive the Ummah of His
Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam except for seven types
of people who will find no reward. The people referred to in this
tradition are: a magician, a drunkard, a confirmed adulterer, one
who violates relationships, one who is disobedient towards
parents, a Fithnah monger, a miser and malicious person who does
not speak to a fellow Muslim for more than three days.
During this wonderful month of Sha'baan, let us show our
gratitude and Muhabbat for our Glorious Creator and His Beloved
Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam by distributing our Zakat and
remembering our less fortunate brothers and sisters who are
suffering oppression and repression in Palestine, Afghanistan,
Kashmir, Iraq, Chechnya, India, Bosnia and Kosova. It is reported
that our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam said that the
worst things in a man are frightened miserliness and unrestrained
cowardice because the two go side by side i.e. the miser and the
coward.
This is a month for all of us to develop a consciousness, and to
develop an awareness that when Almighty Allah Azza Wajjal blesses
us with wealth, there is a share in it for those are are less
fortunate. Why? Because that is a necessary ingredient in social
struggle: to desire for our brother and sister what we desire for
ourselves. As Muslims we must understand and assimilate that
behaviour. Our Beloved Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam is
reported to have said "that a generous man is nearer to Almighty
Allah, nearer to Jannah, nearer to his fellow men and far from
Jahannum. A miser on the other hand is far from Almighty Allah,
far from Jannah far from his fellow man and near to Jahannum.
Indeed, an ignorant man who is generous is dearer to Almighty
Allah than a worshipper who is a miser."
So, to understand the reasons for the celebration of the middle
of Sha'baan (nisfu ash-Sha'baan or the Night of Shabe Baraat) we
must acknowledge that it is not a festival for indulgence of the
appetites. It is not a purely religious occasion which requires
fasting and prayer. It is most important and imperative that we
remember the essential reasons and their great significance -
that the Muslims were made a distinct Ummah and that our Beloved
Nabee Sallallahoo Alayhi Wasallam and his Ummah were made an
independent entity to lead mankind out of darkness and into the
light of the Most Holy and Glorious Qur'an and onto the Path of
Seerathal Mustaqeem.
"O Ya Rabbal Ala'meen! Accept our
Ibadah, our Taubah and repentance. Unite the Muslim Ummah into a
single brotherhood. Bless us with understanding and Muhabbat.
Endow us with Sabir and endurance, and make us gain a strong
foothold and resoluteness in our struggles." Ameen!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|