DDHK. ORG – Ramadhan is less than a month away. Missing month. The month is full of forgiveness and ends with a victory day.
As reported Republika, in his prayers, para Imam already chanted with longing.
“Allahumma baariklana fii rajaba wa sya'bana wa balighna Ramadhan,” which means, “O Allah, bless our age in the months of Rajab and Sha'ban and bring us to the month of Ramadan.”
Efficacious sentence this is getting closer when we arrive at the month of Sha'ban. The eighth month of Hijriyah which is in the middle, between Rajab and Ramadhan.
Sheikh Muhammad Shalih al-Munajid in his “Faiths Regarding the Month of Sha'ban” explained that this month is called Sha'ban because the Arabs previously scattered and separated this month in search of water. The term is yatasya'abuna. Some are of the opinion that Sha'ban comes from the word sha'bu, which occurs between the months of Rajab and Ramadan.
Although different levels with Ramadan, Sha'ban is a month full of blessings. This month is often neglected by people in accordance with what the Prophet SAW said when answering friends who asked why he liked to fast in that month.
“Because this is a month that many people neglect between Rajab and Ramadhan. In fact, in this month my deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the worlds and I am happy when my deeds are lifted I am fasting." (HR an-Nasa'i).
Many people neglect Sha'ban because this month is preceded by the month al-Haram (the holy month) Rajab. This is because fasting during the forbidden months is generally recommended, but without believing in the special virtue of Rajab.
The presence of the blessed Ramadan has distracted many people from Sha'ban. In fact, the Prophet often revived this month by fasting.
Sheikh Muhammad Salih al-Munajid also compared Ramadan and Sha'ban to the fardhu prayers and sunnah prayers. Sunnah prayers which are known to have the virtue of being united with fardhu worship.
Thus, according to the Sheikh, fasting that accompanies Ramadan, both before and after it, is more important than fasting that is far from Ramadan.
The sheikh explained that there is a subtle hint behind the hadith of Rasulullah SAW: "Because this is a month that many people neglect between Rajab and Ramadhan."
According to him, it can be interpreted that the Prophet hinted that humans take advantage of their negligent times with good deeds. This includes things that are loved and pleased by Allah SWT, such as the primacy of the night prayer in the last third of the night.
The benefit of doing good deeds when he is negligent is that a Muslim is better able to hide his deeds from human eyes. According to the Shaykh, concealing nafilah acts of obedience (sunnah) is closer to sincerity. A Muslim will find it difficult to survive joy if he still shows his good deeds.
The month of Sha'ban is the month when deeds are lifted up to Allah yearly, as in the hadith: "In this month deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I am happy when my deeds are lifted up, I am fasting."
The sheikh also explained, there were three moments when the practice was lifted to the sky. First, daily practice. "The night's practice is raised to Allah before the day's practice and the afternoon's practice before the night's practice." (Muslim HR).
In this case, the angel ascends with the last morning's practice at the beginning of the afternoon and ascends with the afternoon's practice after completing it in the early evening.
Next is the lifting of weekly practices. The practice is lifted twice a week, namely every Monday and Thursday, as in the hadith:
“Human practice is lifted twice a week, namely on Monday and Thursday. Every believing servant will be forgiven for his sins except for a servant who he has enmity with his brother. It was said to him: 'Leave these two people until they both reconcile'.” (Muslim HR).
Third, the lifting of annual practice. All practices in a year are fully lifted in a year in the month of Sha'ban, as shown by the words of the Prophet: "In this month the practices are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds" (Latha'iful Ma'arif).
Then, only then will all the practices for a lifetime be lifted after death. When death comes to pick up, then all his life's deeds are lifted up before Allah and the sheets of his deeds are spread out.
The Prophet SAW was happy when his practice was lifted together when he was fasting. At that moment, the practice is more accepted and the degree is raised. Aisyah RA even testified that she had never seen Rasulullah SAW completing fasting in a month like Ramadan and fasting more like Sha'ban.
Aisyah also testified that the Prophet had fasted for two consecutive months during these two months. For this reason, the Sheikh also advised that Muslims should follow the example of the Prophet and increase fasting in the month of Sha'ban. [DDHK News]
