The ruling on fasting the middle of the month of Sha'ban and the ruling on standing in prayer during its night
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Q538: The questioner, A. A. from the Riyadh region, asks: What is the ruling on fasting the middle of Sha'ban, and the ruling on standing in prayer during its night?
A538: No hadith has been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) specifically regarding the middle night of Sha'ban. Therefore, the middle night of Sha'ban is like any other night. One who has the habit of standing in prayer and performing the late-night voluntary prayer should do so in this night as he does in others, without it having any special status. This is because designating a specific time for a type of worship requires valid evidence. If there is no valid evidence, then designating
certain acts of worship becomes a religious innovation, and every religious innovation is misguidance. Likewise, no evidence has come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding fasting on the fifteenth day of Sha'ban that necessitates the prescription of fasting on that day. As long as nothing has been established specifically regarding it, designating it for fasting is a religious innovation. As for religious innovation, it is that which has no evidence from the Book of Allah or from the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), where its doer thinks he is drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through it. This is because acts of worship are based on divine legislation and require evidence from the Lawgiver. As for the hadiths that have been narrated on this topic, they are all weak, as the scholars of knowledge have reported, and they do not establish the foundation of a worship, neither by standing in prayer on that night nor by fasting on that day. However, one who has the habit of fasting the white days (the 13th, 14th, and 15th) should fast them in Sha'ban as he does in other months. One who has the habit of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, and the middle of Sha'ban coincides with one of these days, has no blame on him for fasting according to his habit, not because it is specific to that day. Similarly, one who fasts a lot in Sha'ban, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast a lot in this month, but he did not single out this fifteenth day, did not designate it for fasting, but rather it was included incidentally. The conclusion is: No evidence has been established specifically regarding the middle night of Sha'ban that necessitates keeping it awake with standing in prayer, and no evidence has been established regarding the fifteenth day
of Sha'ban that necessitates designating it for fasting as some people do, especially the common people, on this night or on this day. All of this is a religious innovation from which one must prohibit and warn. And in the established acts of worship from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), such as prayer and fasting, there is sufficient to compensate for these newly invented matters. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
A538: No hadith has been established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) specifically regarding the middle night of Sha'ban. Therefore, the middle night of Sha'ban is like any other night. One who has the habit of standing in prayer and performing the late-night voluntary prayer should do so in this night as he does in others, without it having any special status. This is because designating a specific time for a type of worship requires valid evidence. If there is no valid evidence, then designating
certain acts of worship becomes a religious innovation, and every religious innovation is misguidance. Likewise, no evidence has come from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding fasting on the fifteenth day of Sha'ban that necessitates the prescription of fasting on that day. As long as nothing has been established specifically regarding it, designating it for fasting is a religious innovation. As for religious innovation, it is that which has no evidence from the Book of Allah or from the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), where its doer thinks he is drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) through it. This is because acts of worship are based on divine legislation and require evidence from the Lawgiver. As for the hadiths that have been narrated on this topic, they are all weak, as the scholars of knowledge have reported, and they do not establish the foundation of a worship, neither by standing in prayer on that night nor by fasting on that day. However, one who has the habit of fasting the white days (the 13th, 14th, and 15th) should fast them in Sha'ban as he does in other months. One who has the habit of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, and the middle of Sha'ban coincides with one of these days, has no blame on him for fasting according to his habit, not because it is specific to that day. Similarly, one who fasts a lot in Sha'ban, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast a lot in this month, but he did not single out this fifteenth day, did not designate it for fasting, but rather it was included incidentally. The conclusion is: No evidence has been established specifically regarding the middle night of Sha'ban that necessitates keeping it awake with standing in prayer, and no evidence has been established regarding the fifteenth day
of Sha'ban that necessitates designating it for fasting as some people do, especially the common people, on this night or on this day. All of this is a religious innovation from which one must prohibit and warn. And in the established acts of worship from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), such as prayer and fasting, there is sufficient to compensate for these newly invented matters. And Allah the Exalted knows best.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.