The Wisdom Behind the Sha'ban Fasting • Warta Indonesia En. Ver

Shaban fasting is a sunnah fasting which is carried out in the month of Shaban. Fasting of Shaban is also carried out starting on the 1st or at most the 15th of the month of Shaban. Nisfu Shaban fasting is usually carried out before the 15th of the Hijri calendar.

The month of Sha’ban is a month in which humans are negligent. Because they have been swept away by the special month of Rajab (which includes the month of Haram) and are also waiting for the month after that, namely the month of Ramadan. When people are negligent, this is the virtue of fasting at that time. Just as someone who dhikr in the place of people who are so negligent of the remembrance of Allah -as when in the market-, so dhikr at that time is a very special practice. Abu Sholeh said, “Indeed Allah laughs at people who still have time to make dhikr in the market. Why is that? Because the market is a place where people neglect the remembrance of Allah.”

The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to fast every month for three days. Sometimes he delays the fast until he collects it in the month of Sha’ban. So he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam when entering the month of Sha’ban while in the previous months he did not do several sunnah fasts, then he made up for it at that time. So that his sunnah fasting is complete before entering the next month of Ramadan.

Fasting in the month of Sha’ban is an exercise or warm-up before entering the month of Ramadan. If a person is used to fasting before the fast of Ramadan, of course he will be stronger and more eager to perform the obligatory fast in the month of Ramadan. (See Lathoif Al Ma’arif, pp. 234-243)

May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala make it easy for us to follow our role models to increase fasting in the month of Sha’ban. Hopefully by doing this we are among those who get the virtues mentioned in the following hadith qudsi.

وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِى يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَىَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ ، فَإِذَا أَحْبَبْتُهُ كُنْتُ سَمْعَهُ الَّذِى يَسْمَعُ بِهِ ، وَبَصَرَهُ الَّذِى يُبْصِرُ بِهِ ، وَيَدَهُ الَّتِى يَبْطُشُ بِهَا وَرِجْلَهُ الَّتِى يَمْشِى بِهَا ، وَإِنْ سَأَلَنِى لأُعْطِيَنَّهُ ، وَلَئِنِ اسْتَعَاذَنِى لأُعِيذَنَّهُ

“And always My servant draws near to Me with sunnah practices so that I love him. If I loved him, I would guide his hearing which he uses to hear, guide his sight which he uses to see, guide his hands with which he holds, and guide his feet which he uses to walk. If he asks Me for something, I will surely grant it and if he asks for protection, I will surely protect him.” (Narrated by Bukhari no. 2506).

People who always practice the Sunnah (mustahab) will get the love of Allah, then Allah will guide their hearing, sight, hands and feet. Allah will also give people like this priority with their efficacious (acceptable) prayer. (The benefits of Fathul Qowil Matin, Shaykh Abdul Muhsin bin Hamd Al Abad).