Is there a specific sunnah for the middle night of Sha'ban?
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The questioner : His EminenceThe Shaykh : Is there a prescribed sunnah for the middle night of Sha'ban? We have seen a publication containing some hadiths regarding the virtue of this night, and some of these hadiths have been authenticated by some hadith scholars?
The Shaykh : The correct view is that everything reported regarding the virtue of the middle night of Sha'ban is weak and does not constitute a valid proof. Some of it consists of fabricated matters. It is not known that the Companions used to honor it, nor that they would single it out for a specific act of worship, nor that they would single out the middle day for fasting. Most of those who used to honor it were the people of Sham from the Tabi'un, not the Companions. The Tabi'un in the Hijaz also rejected them, saying: We cannot honor something without valid evidence.
Therefore, the correct view is that the middle night of Sha'ban is like any other night; it is not singled out for standing in prayer, nor is the middle day singled out for fasting. However, if a person stands in prayer every night, we do not say: Do not stand in prayer on the middle night. And if a person fasts on the white days, we do not say: Do not fast on the middle days. We only say: Do not single it out for standing in prayer, nor its day for fasting.
The Shaykh : The correct view is that everything reported regarding the virtue of the middle night of Sha'ban is weak and does not constitute a valid proof. Some of it consists of fabricated matters. It is not known that the Companions used to honor it, nor that they would single it out for a specific act of worship, nor that they would single out the middle day for fasting. Most of those who used to honor it were the people of Sham from the Tabi'un, not the Companions. The Tabi'un in the Hijaz also rejected them, saying: We cannot honor something without valid evidence.
Therefore, the correct view is that the middle night of Sha'ban is like any other night; it is not singled out for standing in prayer, nor is the middle day singled out for fasting. However, if a person stands in prayer every night, we do not say: Do not stand in prayer on the middle night. And if a person fasts on the white days, we do not say: Do not fast on the middle days. We only say: Do not single it out for standing in prayer, nor its day for fasting.