Chapter on the Reward of Fasting in Sha’ban
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 2|Book 2|Chapter 7
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh
Volume 2, Book 2, Chapter 7
Chapter on the Reward of Fasting in Sha’ban
8 hadiths · 4 commentaries
رَوَى أَبُو حَمْزَةَ اَلثُّمَالِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «مَنْ صَامَ شَعْبَانَ كَانَ لَهُ طَهُوراً مِنْ كُلِّ زَلَّةٍ وَ وَصْمَةٍ وَ بَادِرَةٍ» وَ قَالَ أَبُو حَمْزَةَ فَقُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ مَا اَلْوَصْمَةُ قَالَ «اَلْيَمِينُ فِي اَلْمَعْصِيَةِ وَ اَلنَّذْرُ وَ لاَ نَذْرَ فِي اَلْمَعْصِيَةِ» قُلْتُ فَمَا اَلْبَادِرَةُ قَالَ «اَلْيَمِينُ عِنْدَ اَلْغَضَبِ وَ اَلتَّوْبَةُ مِنْهَا اَلنَّدَمُ عَلَيْهَا ».
Abu Hamzah al-Thumali narrated from Abu Ja‘far (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام), who said: "Whoever fasts during Sha‘ban, it will purify him from every slip, stain, and impulsive act." Abu Hamzah said: "I asked Abu Ja‘far عليه السلام: 'What is the stain (al-wasmah)?' Imam عليه السلام said: 'An oath made for disobedience or a vow, for there is no vow in disobedience.' I asked: 'What is the impulsive act (al-badirah)?' Imam عليه السلام said: 'An oath made in anger, and its repentance is to feel regret for it.'"
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رَوَى اَلْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ بْنِ مَرْحُومٍ اَلْأَزْدِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ: «مَنْ صَامَ أَوَّلَ يَوْمٍ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ وَجَبَتْ لَهُ اَلْجَنَّةُ اَلْبَتَّةَ وَ مَنْ صَامَ يَوْمَيْنِ نَظَرَ اَللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ وَ لَيْلَةٍ فِي دَارِ اَلدُّنْيَا وَ دَاوَمَ نَظَرَهُ إِلَيْهِ فِي اَلْجَنَّةِ، وَ مَنْ صَامَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ زَارَهُ اَللَّهُ فِي عَرْشِهِ مِنْ جَنَّتِهِ فِي كُلِّ يَوْمٍ.
It is narrated by al-Hasan ibn Mahbub from Abdullah ibn Marhoom al-Azdi, who said: "I heard Abu Abdullah (Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام) say: 'Whoever fasts the first day of Sha‘ban, Paradise becomes absolutely obligatory for him. Whoever fasts two days, Allah سبحانه وتعالى looks at him every day and night in this world and continues His gaze upon him in Paradise. And whoever fasts three days, Allah سبحانه وتعالى visits him on His Throne in His Paradise every day.'"
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «صَوْمُ شَهْرِ شَعْبَانَ وَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةٌ وَ اَللَّهِ مِنَ اَللَّهِ ».
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "Fasting the Month of Sha‘ban and Month of Ramadan consecutively is repentance, by Allah سبحانه وتعالى, from Allah سبحانه وتعالى."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رَوَى عَمْرُو بْنُ خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «كَانَ رَسُولُ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ يَصُومُ شَعْبَانَ وَ شَهْرَ رَمَضَانَ يَصِلُهُمَا وَ يَنْهَى اَلنَّاسَ أَنْ يَصِلُوهُمَا وَ كَانَ يَقُولُ «هُمَا شَهْرُ اَللَّهِ وَ هُمَا كَفَّارَةٌ لِمَا قَبْلَهُمَا وَ مَا بَعْدَهُمَا مِنَ اَلذُّنُوبِ» ».
Amr ibn Khalid narrates from Abu Ja‘far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام, who said: "The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) would fast Sha‘ban and the Month of Ramadan together without separating them, but he would forbid people from joining them together. He used to say: ‘They are the months of Allah سبحانه وتعالى, and they are an expiation for the sins committed before and after them.’”
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
قوله عليه السلام: " وينهى الناس أن يصلوهما " هو على الانكار والحكاية لا على الاخبار، وكأنه يقول: كان يصلهما وينهى الناس أن يصلوهما فمن شاء وصل ومن شاء فصل، وتصديق ذلك:
The statement "and he forbade people from joining them" is meant as a form of criticism or instruction, not a prohibition. It is as if he is saying: "He would join them, but he would instruct people not to do so." Therefore, it is up to the individual - whoever wishes to join them may do so, and whoever wishes to separate them may do so. Confirmation of this interpretation is evident.
مَا رَوَاهُ زُرْعَةُ عَنِ اَلْمُفَضَّلِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ قَالَ: «كَانَ أَبِي عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَفْصِلُ مَا بَيْنَ شَعْبَانَ وَ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ بِيَوْمٍ وَ كَانَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ اَلْحُسَيْنِ عَلَيْهِمَا اَلسَّلاَمُ يَصِلُ مَا بَيْنَهُمَا وَ يَقُولُ «صَوْمُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ تَوْبَةٌ مِنَ اَللَّهِ» ».
It is narrated by Zur‘ah from al-Mufaddal, from Abu Abdullah (Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام), who said: "My father (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام) would separate between Sha‘ban and Month of Ramadan by a day, while Ali ibn al-Husayn عليه السلام would join them and say: ‘Fasting two consecutive months is repentance from Allah سبحانه وتعالى.’”
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وقد صامه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله ووصله بشهر رمضان وصامه وفصل بينهما ولم يصمه كله في جميع سنيه إلا أن أكثر صيامه كان فيه.
The Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) also fasted during Sha‘ban, sometimes joining it with Month of Ramadan and sometimes separating between them. He did not fast all of Sha‘ban in every year, but most of his fasting was during it.
وَ كُنَّ نِسَاءُ اَلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ إِذَا كَانَ عَلَيْهِنَّ صِيَامٌ أَخَّرْنَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى شَعْبَانَ كَرَاهِيَةَ أَنْ يَمْنَعْنَ رَسُولَ اَللَّهِ صَلَّى اَللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ آلِهِ حَاجَتَهُ وَ إِذَا كَانَ شَعْبَانُ صُمْنَ وَ صَامَ مَعَهُنَّ وَ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ « شَعْبَانُ شَهْرِي».
It is narrated that the wives of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), if they had missed obligatory fasts, would delay making them up until Sha‘ban, disliking to prevent the Messenger of Allah سبحانه وتعالى (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) from fulfilling his needs. When Sha‘ban arrived, they would fast, and he would fast with them. He صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) used to say: "Sha‘ban is my month."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ قَالَ اَلصَّادِقُ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: «مَنْ صَامَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ مِنْ آخِرِ شَعْبَانَ وَ وَصَلَهَا بِشَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ كَتَبَ اَللَّهُ لَهُ صَوْمَ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ».
Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام said: "Whoever that fasts three days at the end of Sha‘ban and joins them with the Month of Ramadan, Allah سبحانه وتعالى will record it for him as fasting two consecutive months."
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وَ رَوَى حَرِيزٌ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ قَالَ: قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ مَا تَقُولُ فِي لَيْلَةِ اَلنِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ قَالَ «يَغْفِرُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فِيهَا مِنْ خَلْقِهِ لِأَكْثَرَ مِنْ عَدَدِ شَعْرِ مِعْزَى كَلْبٍ وَ يُنْزِلُ اَللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ مَلاَئِكَتَهُ إِلَى اَلسَّمَاءِ اَلدُّنْيَا وَ إِلَى اَلْأَرْضِ بِمَكَّةَ ». وقد أخرجت ما رويته في هذا المعنى في كتاب فضائل شعبان.
It is narrated by Hariz from Zurara, who said: "I said to Abu Ja‘far (Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir عليه السلام): 'What do you say about the night of the middle of Sha‘ban?' Imam عليه السلام said: 'On that night, Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Almighty, forgives more of His creation than the number of the hairs on the goats of the tribe of Kalb. On that night, Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Almighty, sends down His angels to the lowest heaven and to the earth in Mecca.'"
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh
وقد أخرجت ما رويته في هذا المعنى في كتاب فضائل شعبان.
This narration and others of similar meaning have been compiled in the book Fada’il Sha‘ban (The Virtues of Sha‘ban).
Commentary #1