Commemorating the 27th Of Rajab Or 15th Of ShÂ’aban
http://www.ourdialogue.com/answers/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=1122
This has been my experience that the question of two nights, which are
commemorated in certain parts of the Muslim world, namely, 27th Rajab & 15th
ShÂ’aban. One reader has sent me newspaper cuttings from his home country with
comments on importance of commemorating these nights which is at variance with
the views expressed by me on earlier occasions. The present article seeks to
answer all these queries and similar ones in the hope that this may serve as a
final word on this subject.
We in Arab News certainly welcome the view of our readers. In matters of
religion, however, personal opinion counts for little unless it is supported by
the Qur'an, or the Sunnah.
It is important to understand that religious rulings may be divided into two
groups; those relating to dealings among people and those relevant to worship.
Of the first type are matters such as commercial transactions, service
contracts, agreements, promises, selling goods or property, marriage and
inheritance, employment of people for specific jobs, personal and financial
commitments, etc. In most of these matters, Islam allows a wide area for the
discretion of people, so that they may determine how to conduct their business.
Islam provides certain guidelines within a framework of its concept of fair
dealing. As long as people adhere to these guidelines and remain within the
Islamic framework, whatever they do is acceptable. To give an example: Islam
forbid exploitation by one person of the need of another in order to make a
financial or commercial gain.
Over the centuries, people have invented all sorts of transactions, which
geared to exploit the need of others in order to make excessive profit. All
such transactions are, therefore, forbidden in Islam. What happens sometimes is
that a certain society invents a totally new arrangement arguing that it solves
the problem of a certain section of society and benefits another. Our attitude
to this arrangement is that we look into it in the light of Islamic principles.
If we find it based on exploitation of the need of a certain group of people,
then we give our ruling that it is forbidden. People cannot argue with us
saying that this arrangement is totally new and that it was unknown to the
Prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions, and therefore, it should be
permissible. Our judgement is based on the fact that exploitation is forbidden.
In a small area of peopleÂ’s financial relations, Islam gives detailed
guidance, as in the case of inheritance. The reasons are obvious. God has
willed that all Muslim societies should be rid of the problems that are created
by peopleÂ’s favoritism to one or more of their heirs over others. Hence, the
legislation of inheritance must be observed at all times, in all societies.
When people establish a different system as in the areas that do not allow
women to inherit, their action is forbidden. Within these guidelines, people
may determine their financial and commercial systems, and they can be certain
that whatever they determine is acceptable to Islam.
Matters of worship fall under a different category. They relate to that area
which is sometime defined as the relationship between man and God. According to
Islam, every human being must submit himself to the will of God. In relation to
this basic principle, all people are the same. Their susceptibility to
accepting the faith based on the Oneness of God is not influenced in any way by
the degree of civilization achieved by their society, or by living in an
industrial or agricultural community. Hence, we find Islamic legislation, which
relates to worship highly detailed. Moreover, it does not change from one
generation to another or from one community to another.
Ever since Islam was revealed, Muslims fast during the month of Ramadhan,
pray five times a day and go to pilgrimage at a specific time every year. The
ProphetÂ’s example gives us the perfect guidance in matters of worship. We know
that he was the man who has worshipped most perfectly in all situations.
Moreover, we have a very detailed record of what he did and what he omitted
throughout the 23 years beginning with the first revelations he received from
God to the end of his noble life. In addition, we have the divine commandment
stated clearly in the Qur’an: “Whatever the Messenger bids you, you must do,
and whatever he forbids you, you must abandon.”
In view of all this, we cannot add anything to what the Prophet, peace be
upon him, has taught us by way of worship. When we realize that he has given us
the most complete and most perfect example of worshipping God, then we cannot
add to what he has taught us or ‘improve’ on it. If we try to do something of
worship, which the Prophet, peace be upon him, has not done, we are in effect
claiming that we know better than what the Prophet, peace be upon him, knew or
that we can provide a better standard of worship. Far it may be from us to make
any such claim.
If we bear all this in mind, we need now to ask whether the Prophet, peace be
upon him, has commemorated, or bid anyone to commemorate either of the two
nights in question and what form did that commemoration take. If we find in the
Sunnah or in the practice of the Prophet, peace be upon him, or his companions
any indication of that, we act on it. If we do not find any, then no such
commemoration is required. The fact is that there is no single authentic
Hadith, which recommends the observation of either of these two nights in any
particular way.
The night of the 27th of Rajab is supposed to be the anniversary of the
ProphetÂ’s miraculous night journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and his ascension
to Heaven. This event took place three years before the ProphetÂ’s emigration to
Madinah. When we make a thorough study of the ProphetÂ’s life, we find that at
no time during the intervening period of thirteen years between this event and
his passing away did he commemorate that event or encouraged or recommended any
of his companions to commemorate it in any way. He did not single out that
anniversary for night worship or the following day for fasting. Hence, neither
action is required or recommended.
Having said that, I should add that the event itself, i.e. ProphetÂ’s night
journey, was of high significance in the history of Islam. If we try to
emphasize its significance and to study it in detail, our action is
commendable. It should not be attached, however, to a specific date and made in
a specific fashion, which may lead to its being institutionalized. We can, for
example, organize a lecture or a seminar to discuss this event. This, however,
need not be a regular feature of our activity. Even if we make it a regular
feature, it should not be done in a specific pattern. We can make our choice of
how to study it, which may differ from one year to another. [We could include
this in the curriculum of our educational institutions.] That is different from
what people do of making a special effort to spend that night in worship and to
fast the following day. These practices give that night a special significance
as a night of worship, which indeed it was not.
As for the middle night of the month of ShÂ’aban, people have come to hold
certain beliefs about it. Some people say that it is the night in which God
determines the fortunes of people for the following year. They claim that the
opening verses of Surah 44 entitled “Ad-Dukhan” or “Smoke,” refers to this
particular night. These beliefs cannot be supported by any evidence from the
Qur'an, or authentic Hadiths. Those particular QurÂ’anic verses refer to the
Night of Power, which occurs in the last third of the month of Ramadhan. Again,
when we study the authentic Sunnah, we find that there is nothing to support
the view that this night has any particular significance. The Prophet, peace be
upon him, has not ordered or encouraged any of his companions to commemorate it
in any way.
All that we find in the Sunnah is that one night, Ayesha, the ProphetÂ’s wife,
discovered that the Prophet, peace be upon him, had gone out. When he came back
before dawn, she asked him wherever he was. He told her that he went to
Al-BakeeÂ’ graveyard to pray for the dead. Now this report remains lacking in
authenticity. It is classified as “weak”. Moreover, the Prophet, peace be upon
him, did not encourage Ayesha to do anything on that night. Nor did he speak to
any of his companions about it. Nor do we find that any of the ProphetÂ’s
companions made a special effort to either spend that night in worship or to
fast the following day as a result of any words spoken to him by the Prophet,
peace be upon him. Hence, we cannot attach any significance to that night.
It is true that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to fast more frequently
in ShÂ’aban than in any other month. He, however, did not make any particular
effort to fast on the 14th of ShÂ’aban or do any particular thing on the middle
night of that month. If we happen to fast that day, our fasting should come
naturally without making a deliberate attempt to fast particularly on that day.
We should follow the ProphetÂ’s guidance in our voluntary fasting and fast any
number of days in the month of ShÂ’aban. If we do not fast, we contravene no
Islamic rulings and we miss out on no particular occasion.
Some of the readers have asked whether there are any differences among
schools of thought on this particular subject. My answer is that there is none,
since there is no specific guidance by the Prophet, peace be upon him, relevant
to either of these two nights. What we have to remember is that all schools of
thought seek to follow the ProphetÂ’s example. If he has given us no guidance on
something, then there is nothing to be done about it. What we have to
understand is that when we undertake to do any voluntary worship on either of
these two nights, we should remember that they have no special significance. We
could do our voluntary worship on any other night and earn the same reward. If
we attach any specific significance to either night or day, then our action
constitutes an invention. No invention is admissible in matters of Islamic
worship.
AB – [EMAIL PROTECTED]
“United We Stand Free With DIGINITY. Divided We get ENSLAVED By The Zionist
NEW WORLD ORDER.”
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