Question:
Is there any authentic hadith regarding the night of Bara’at? Some people set off fireworks etc. on this night; what is the ruling of such actions in Shariah?
Answer:
Islam is a complete religion that provides comprehensive guidance in every aspect of life; all kinds of guidance regarding worship and dealings are present in the Book and Sunnah. No individual has the right to devise methods of worship according to their own desires, wishes, or preferences, nor to promote the customs and innovations of any society. The mixing and blind imitation that the Muslims have adopted from Jews, Christians, Hindus, and other nations is all a result of this mixing. Similarly, some methods were devised by Sufis, which the general public blindly follows, considering them as part of religion without investigation, even though there is no evidence for these matters and methods at all.
Sufis and ascetics have invented many artificial and fabricated prayers, spreading innovations among the Muslim Ummah. Among their inventions are fabricated prayers and methods of worship on the fifteenth night of Sha‘ban, which we will mention later. On this night, mosques and religious centers are especially illuminated, and Pakistani Muslims, in particular, set off fireworks and firecrackers, although fireworks and firecrackers have no connection with worship and no evidence within the Islamic framework. Islamic Shariah has never accepted fireworks as part of worship on any occasion.
When the call to prayer (Adhan) was initiated, several Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) suggested lighting a fire to announce the prayer time so that people could gather upon seeing it, but the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not approve of this. Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrated:
كان المسلمون حين قدموا المدينة يجتمعون فيتحينون الصلوات وليس ينادى بها أحد فتكلموا يوما فى ذلك فقال بعضهم اتخذوا ناقوسا مثل ناقوس النصارى وقال بعضهم قرنا مثل قرن اليهود فقال عمر أولا تبعثون رجلا ينادي بالصلاة قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يا بلال قم فناد بالصلاة
When Muslims came to Madinah Munawwarah, they used to gather and set a time for prayer without calling Adhan. One day they discussed this; some said to ring a bell like the Christians, and others said to blow a horn like the Jews. Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Why don’t you send a man to call the prayer?” The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “O Bilal! Get up and call the prayer.”
And in the narration of Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him):
ذكروا أن يعلموا وقت الصلاة بشيء يعرفونه فذكروا أن ينوروا نارا أو يضربوا ناقوسا فأمر بلال أن يشفع الأذان ويوتر الإقامة
The Companions mentioned that they wanted to announce the prayer time by some means so that the time would be recognized. Some suggested lighting a fire or ringing a bell, but Sayyiduna Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) was commanded to say the words of Adhan in pairs and the Iqamah in odd numbers.
And in one narration, when the matter of fire was mentioned before the Prophet (peace be upon him), he said:
ذاك للمجوس “This is for the Magians.”
From this hadith, it is understood that fire worship is the way of the Magians, and even today, displaying fire on occasions of joy is a Magian practice. In remembrance of this, Nowruz is celebrated and illuminated in Iran, and Diwali is celebrated among Hindus in India as a memorial of this fire worship. Due to mixing and mingling with non-Muslims, Muslims have also introduced fireworks and firecrackers into their worship.
Among the Magians, the most famous group is the Barmakids. The word Barmak is the plural of Barmak, who was the ancestor of the Barmakids. He was the caretaker of a fire temple. Allama Muhammad Tahir Panihindi writes:
قال على وأول حدوث الوقود من البرامكة وكانوا عبدة النار فلما أسلموا أدخلوا فى الإسلام ما يموهون أنه من سنن الدين مقصودهم عبادة النيران ولم يأت فى الشرع استحباب زيادة الوقود على الحاجة فى موضع
Ali ibn Ibrahim said: “The innovation of lighting fire was first introduced by the Barmakids. They were fire worshippers, and when they entered Islam, they introduced into Islam something they boasted was a Sunnah of their religion, although their intention was fire worship. Islamic Shariah does not permit excessive illumination on any occasion.”
It is clear that the innovation of illumination and fireworks was invented by the Barmakid Magians and has no relation to Islam or Muslims.
Furthermore, the invention of the night of Bara’ah (Shab-e-Bara’at) occurred after the fourth century Hijri. Imam Abu Muhammad Izz al-Din ibn Abd al-Salam al-Maqdisi states:
لم يكن بيت المقدس قط صلاة الرغائب فى رجب ولا صلاة بصف شعبان فحدث فى سنة ثمان وأربعين وأربعمائة أن قدم علينا رجل من نابلس يعرف بابن الحي وكان حسن التلاوة فقام فصلى فى المسجد الأقصى ليلة النصف من شعبان فأحرم خلفه رجل ثم انضاف ثالث ورابع فما ختم إلا وهم جماعة كثيرة ثم جاء فى العام المقبل فيصلي معه خلق كثير وانتشرت فى المسجد الأقصى وبيوت الناس ومنازلهم ثم استقرت كأنها سنة إلى يومنا هذا
“In Jerusalem, there was no Salat al-Ragha’ib in Rajab nor Salat on the night of mid-Sha‘ban. This innovation was introduced in 448 AH. A man known as Ibn al-Hayy came to us from Nablus; he was a good reciter. He stood for prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque on the night of mid-Sha‘ban. One person joined him, then a second, a third, and a fourth, until many people gathered by the end of the prayer. The next year he came again with a large group, and this prayer became common in Al-Aqsa Mosque and among people in their homes and places. Then it became established as if it were a Sunnah, and this innovation has continued to this day.”
Similarly, on this night, people began to perform Salat al-Alfiyyah or Salat al-Bara’ah, meaning they pray 100 rak‘ahs, reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas ten times in each rak‘ah, thus reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas a thousand times, calling it Salat al-Alfiyyah. Allama Muhammad Tahir Panihindi writes:
The prayer of Alfiyyah performed on the night of mid-Sha‘ban is among the innovations. In this prayer, in 100 rak‘ahs, Surah Al-Ikhlas is recited ten times in each rak‘ah. People observe it more than Eid. The reports and narrations about it are either weak or fabricated. Imam Ghazali and others mentioned it in Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din, but one should not be deceived by it nor by the imitative distortion that calls it the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr). Because of it, the common people have fallen into a great tribulation, even lighting many lamps and causing immorality and violation of chastity, which is indescribable. This prayer was first introduced in Jerusalem in 448 AH.
Zayd ibn Aslam said:
ما أدركنا أحدا من مشايخنا وفقهائنا يلتفتون إلى ليلة البراءة وفضلها على غيرها
We have not found any of our scholars or jurists paying attention to the night of Bara’ah nor giving it preference over other nights.
Ibn Dahiya said:
أحاديث صلاة البراءة موضوعة وواحد مقطوع ومن عمل بها صح أنه كذب فهو من عدم الشيطان
The narrations regarding the prayer of the night of Bara’ah are fabricated and invented. Whoever acts upon a narration proven to be fabricated is a follower of Satan.
Therefore, there is no authentic narration regarding the night of Bara’ah. Some have tried to justify the night of Bara’ah from the Qur’an, citing the verse from Surah Ad-Dukhan:
﴿إِنَّا أَنْزَلْنَاهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُبَارَكَةٍ ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا مُنْذِرِينَ فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ﴾
“Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night; indeed, We were to warn [mankind]. On that night is made distinct every precise matter.”
This is interpreted as “the blessed night” being the night of Bara’ah, during which the affairs of the year are decided. However, this interpretation is incorrect. The blessed night refers to Laylat al-Qadr, which the Qur’an itself explains as the night when the Qur’an was revealed. These are two names for the same night, and the month is also specified by the Qur’an as Ramadan:
﴿شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِي أُنْزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ﴾
“Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed.”
Imam Abu Bakr ibn al-Arabi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
“The third issue is the determination of this night. The majority of scholars agree that the blessed night refers to Laylat al-Qadr, and the claim that it is the night of mid-Sha‘ban is false because Allah has stated clearly and definitively in His Book that Ramadan is the month in which the Qur’an was revealed. He has explicitly stated that its revelation occurred in Ramadan. Then the night is described here as the blessed night. Whoever claims it was revealed on any night other than Ramadan has lied against Allah. There is no reliable narration regarding the virtue of the night of mid-Sha‘ban or the writing of the names of the dead on it. Do not pay attention to it.”
All narrations regarding the night of Bara’ah are weak, unreliable, and rejected. I will only mention a few important verdicts. Imam ‘Aqili (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
وفي النزول فى ليلة النصف من شعبان أحاديث فيها لين ولرواية النزول فى كل ليلة أحاديث ثابتة صحاح فليلة النصف من شعبان داخلة فيها إن شاء الله تعالى
“The narrations about the descent of Allah on the night of mid-Sha‘ban are weak, and (in fact) there are authentic and established hadiths about Allah’s descent every night, so the night of mid-Sha‘ban is included among them, God willing.”
Meaning, there is no authentic hadith specifically about Allah’s descent on the night of the 15th of Sha‘ban, but Allah descends every night, including the night of mid-Sha‘ban, without any special virtue.
Hafiz Abu al-Khattab Ibn Dahiya said:
قال أهل التعديل والتجريح ليس فى حديث ليلة النصف من شعبان حديث يصح
“The scholars of criticism and praise have said that there is no authentic hadith about the night of mid-Sha‘ban.”
Hafiz Abu Shamah al-Shafi‘i states:
كل ذلك بأسانيد ضعاف
“All narrations regarding it are weak.”
Regarding the prayers performed on the night of Bara’ah and in Rajab called Salat al-Ragha’ib, Imam Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) states:
وهاتان الصلاتان بدعتان مذمومتان منكرتان فيحذران ولا تغتر بذكرهما فى كتاب قوت القلوب والإحياء وليس لأحد أن يستدل على شرعيتهما
“These two prayers are blameworthy, rejected, and severe innovations. Do not be deceived by their mention in Qut al-Qulub (by Abu Talib Makki) and Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din (by Ghazali), and it is not permissible to argue for their legitimacy.”
In summary, there is no authentic narration regarding the specification of the night of Bara’ah or its special prayer. It is an innovation from 448 AH, introduced by some Sufis in Jerusalem. It was not known among the people of Hijaz or other Islamic lands, nor is it mentioned in the Book and Sunnah. Similarly, fireworks, firecrackers, and firing guns on this night are baseless.
The general virtues of Sha‘ban are that in this month the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) worshipped and fasted more than in other months after Ramadan, to prepare for Ramadan. However, after the fifteenth of Sha‘ban, he did not fast excessively nor did he observe a special fast to welcome Ramadan one day before it, except as part of his regular yearly fasts.
