Is the 15th night of Shabaan mentioned in the Holy Quran?

 

Is the 15^th night of Sha’abaan mentioned in the Holy Quran?

 

Almighty Allah says in the Holy Quran:

 

Surely We have sent it down in a blessed night.  Surah Dukhan (44:03)

 

The excellence of the 15^th night of Sha’abaan is mentioned in many Hadith.  The “Lailatul Mubarakah” mentioned in the Holy Quran is clarified by the scholars to be 15^th night of Sha’abaan. 

 

Imam Shaykh Ahmed bin Muhammad Saavi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes in his book Haashiya As Saavi Alal Jalalain under the above mentioned verse in Vol. 4, Pg No: 57, Tafseer Kabeer, Surah Dukhan:

 

Translation: Lailatul Mubarakah means the 15th night of Sha’abaan.  This is the opinion of Hadhrat ‘Akrama and a group (of scholars) and this is acceptable because of some reasons.  One among them is that the 15th of Sha’abaan has 4 names:

 

1.       The blessed night.

2.       The night of deliverance.

3.       The night of mercy.

4.       The night of reward.

 

Hadhrat ‘Allama Syed Mahmood Alusi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes in Ruh Al Ma'ani:

 

Translation: Hadhrat ‘Akrama and one group said that this is the 15th night of Sha’abaan and this night is also called as the night of mercy, the blessed night, and night of reward and the night of freedom.

 

The author of Ruh Al Bayan writes:

 

Translation: Lailatul Mubarakah means the night of Sha’abaan.  (Ruh Al Bayan, Vol. 8, Pg No: 448)

 

The leader of the saints, Hadhrat Ghawth ul A’adham (May Allah be well pleased with him) in the Tafseer of Lailatul Mubarakah:

 

Translation: That is the 15th night of Sha’abaan and it is Shab Baraat.  (Al Ghunya Lit Talibi Tariqil Haqqi, Vol. 1, Pg No: 189)

 

The Holy Quran says about the Lailatul Mubarakah:

 

In this (night) judgment is given on all matters of wisdom (separately).  Surah Dukhan (44:4)

 

This verse shows that Lailatul Mubarakah is the night of decisions and it is mentioned in the Hadith about the 15^th night of Sha’abaan that all the affairs of the coming year are decided this night.  This way the aforementioned Hadith become the details of Lailatul Mubarakah, as mentioned in the narration of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) in Ruh Al Ma'ani, Vol. 4, Pg No: 174:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Ibn Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the decisions of all the matters are taken on the 15^th night of Sha’abaan. 

 

One Final Explanation

 

What does Lailatul Mubarakah mean?

 

In this connection, the exegetes have related 2 opinions.  One that Lailatul Mubarakah means Shab Baraat and the other that it means Shab Qadr.  We will reconcile these 2 interpretations.  The Holy Quran says about Lailatul Mubarakah:

 

In this (night) judgment is given on all matters of wisdom (separately).  Surah Dukhan (44:4)

 

This shows that in this blessed night decisions are taken and it is mentioned in the Hadith that decisions are taken on the 15^th night of Sha’abaan and they are given to the respective angels in Lailatul Qadr.  Thus, if Lailatul Mubarakah is interpreted as Shab Qadr, it means that the angels are given the orders on that night and if Shab Baraat is taken, then it means the decisions are taken.

 

It is given in Hashiya Al Jaml ‘Alal Jalalain, Vol. 4, Pg No: 100 and in Ma'alim Ut Tanzeel:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them): Verily! Allah Most High takes the decisions in Shab Baraat and passes them on to those who are responsible in Shab Qadr.

 

Interpretation by Shah Abdul Aziz (May Allah shower His mercy on him)

 

On interpreting Lailatul Mubarakah as Shab Baraat, a question might be raised that it is clearly given in the Holy Quran that it was revealed in Shab Qadr, then what does revelation of the Holy Quran in Shab Baraat mean?

 

Hadhrat Shah ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Muhaddith Dehlwi (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes about this in Tafseer ‘Azeezi, Surah Qadr, Pg No: 259:

 

Translation: Here a question is raised.  The Holy Quran was revealed completely over a period of 23 years.  This began in the month of Rab’ee ul Awwal.  Then, the 40^th year of the blessed life of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was just starting.  Whereas in the Holy Quran, 3 separate occasions are indicated.  One among them is the month of Ramadhan, second Shab Qadr, which comes in the last 10 days of Ramadhan and third, Lailatul Mubrakah, which according to most scholars is the 15th night of Sha’abaan, which is also called as Shab Baraat.  Then how do you reconcile all these opinions?

 

The answer to this is that after a thorough research in the Hadith, what we get to know is that the revelation of Holy Quran from “Lauh Mahfooz” (the protected tablet) to “Bait Ul Izzah,” which is a high station in the heavens, was done in Shab Qadr.  The same year, the decision to do so was made in Shab Baraat.  Now all the 3 are correct.  The actual revelation was in the month of Ramadhan in Shab Qadr.  The decision to do so was taken in Shab Baraat and the revelation of it on the blessed tongue of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) was started in Rab’ee ul Awwal and it was completed before the passing away of the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).  After this interpretation, there is no contradiction.

 

A beautiful explanation by Hadhrat Muhaddith-e-Deccan (May Allah shower His mercy on him)

 

Muhaddith-e-Deccan Abul Hasanaat Hadhrat Syed Abdullah Shah Sahab Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Qadri (May Allah shower His Mercy on him) writes about the excellence of Shab Baraat:

 

Translation: Allah Most High has named Shab Baraat as the “blessed night” (Lailatul Mubaarakah) and the Holy Quran has also been revealed this night and has said the same about Shab Qadr, “We have revealed the Holy Quran”.

 

The fact is that the decision to reveal the Holy Quran was made in Shab Baraat and it was brought to the first sky on Shab Qadr.  Then it was revealed bit by bit over a period of 23 years.  This blessed night is on the 15^th (the night after the 14th of Sha’abaan).