These people will not be forgiven in the 15th night of Shabaan – until they repent!

 

These people will not be forgiven in the 15^th night of Sha’abaan – until they repent!

 

Shab Baraa'at is a night of extreme mercy of Allah Most High.  There is a Hadith in Sunan Ibn Majah:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  When the 15th night of Sha’abaan (i.e. the night after 14th) comes, stand up in worship in that night and fast in its day (i.e. on the 15th of Sha’abaan) as Almighty Allah graces the worldly skies with His presence right from sunset and announces: Is there anyone desirous of forgiveness that I may forgive him?  Is there any one desirous of sustenance that I may grant him?  Is there any one plagued by difficulties that I may grant him solace?  Is there any one like this?  Is there any one like this?  Until Fajr dawns. (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 1451; Shua’bul Iman, Hadith No. 3664; Kanz Ul ‘Ummal, Hadith No. 35177; Tafseer Durre Manthur, Surah Dukhan-4).  However, even on this night, there will be some people who will not be forgiven. 

 

Those sinners who will not be forgiven even in Shab Bara'at are these:

 

1)      The one who ascribes partners to Allah Most High.

2)      Those who hold the wrong tenets of faith.

3)      Murderers.

4)      Those who harbor spite.

5)      Fornicating men and women.

6)      Those who let their lower garments below their ankles.

7)      Those who disobey their parents.

8)      Habitual wine drinkers.

9)      Those who break off relations with relatives.

10)    Usurers.

11)    Soothsayers.

12)    Astrologers.

13)    Those who loot others.

14)    Those who collect taxes.

 

Imam Qurtubi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) has penned a beautiful exposition in Al Jame’ Li Ahkaam Il Quran that with the scholars, there are 3 categories of Shirk and all 3 of them are Forbidden (Haraam). 

 

The first is to ascribe partners to Allah Most High in His godhood (‘Uluhiyyah).  This is the worst form Shirk.  The idolaters of Makkah were guilty of this.

 

The second is to consider someone as a partner to Allah Most High in His works that somebody can do something without the grant and will of Allah Most High, even though that other entity might not be included in godhood as well.

 

The third is to ascribe partners to Him in worshipping Him and this is ostentation (Riya).  What it means is that those acts of worship which were to be performed only for the pleasure and approval of Allah are performed to show off to other people.  This renders everything futile.  This is called Shirk Khafi, which the ignoramuses don’t understand.  (Al Jame’ Li Ahkaam Il Quran, Vol. 5, Pg. No. 181)

It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Shaddad bin Aus (May Allah be well pleased with him) that he started crying.  He was asked as to what was making him cry.  He said:  I just remembered something which I heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say:  I fear Shirk and concealed lust for my Ummah. He says:  I asked:  O Prophet of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam)!  Will your Ummah ascribe partners to Allah Most High after you?  The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Yes!  Remember that they will neither worship nor the moon, neither stones nor idols, but they will be ostentatious in their deeds.  Concealed lust is that a person among them will start the day fasting.  Then any of his base desires will come before him and he will forsake his fast.  (Zujajatul Masabeeh, Vol. 4, Pg. No. 193)

 

There is Hadith recorded in 13 books of Hadith that 2 people will not be forgiven.  One among them is a polytheist and the other is a “Mushahin”.  This word has been described to have 2 meanings:

 

(1)     One who holds the wrong beliefs.

(2)     One who harbors spite.

 

Explaining the Arabic word “Mushahin” which is mentioned in the Hadith, Imam Auza’i (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes:

 

Translation: The word “Mushahin” means such a person who holds the wrong set of beliefs and have gone outside the beliefs of the Ahle Sunnah (Haashiya Sunan Ibn Majah, Pg. No. 99)

 

It is essential for Muslims to safeguard and propagate those beliefs which Muslims have received from the Holy Quran and Hadith.

 

A murderer will not be forgiven

 

In this sacred night, when the special mercy of Allah descends, a murderer will not be forgiven as mentioned in the Hadith:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  In Shab Bara'aat, Almighty Allah manifests His attributes of mercy and forgiveness on the slaves.  Except 2 sinners, those who hold the wrong beliefs and the murderer, all other sinners are forgiven. 

 

In the present times, unawareness of Islamic teachings has reached such ebb that Muslims are anyhow fighting with each other.  When their affairs become even more tangled, they get down to murdering each other.  Is the blood of human beings so cheap that a person is killed for the temporary gains of this world?  The believers ought to be over and above all this, as mentioned in the Hadith:

 

Translation:  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin A’as (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  By Him, in whose hands my life is!  The murder of a believer is worse than the end of the world.  (Sunan Nasai, Hadith No. 3997)

 

Those who harbor spite will not be forgiven

 

It means to harbor some malice in the heart about someone and try to harm that person.  For a spiteful person, only this much is enough that his/her testimony about the other party will not be accepted.  Hadhrat ‘Amr bin Sh’uaib (May Allah be well pleased with him) narrates on the authority of his father and he, on the authority of his grandfather:

 

Translation: The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has rejected the testimony of those who breach trust and of those who harbor spite.  (Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 3602)

 

To save oneself from harboring spite, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said  Shall I not tell you such a thing that will remove spite from your bosoms?  That is fasting 3 days in every month. (Sunan Nasai, Hadith No. 2397)

 

An adulterer will not be forgiven

 

The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) says:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Uthman bin Abil A’as (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  In Shab Bara'aat, a Caller calls out: Is there anyone who desires forgiveness that I may grant forgiveness?  Is there anyone who seeks something that I may grant it?  Whatever one asks for will be granted, but an adulterous woman and a polytheist will not be forgiven.

 

There is another Hadith in this regard:

 

Translation: When a person commits adultery, faith leaves him (or her) and stays suspended over his head like a shadow and when that person stops the act, it returns towards him.  (Jame’ Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 2836; Mustadrak ‘Alas Sahihain, Hadith No. 55)

 

 

Because of adultery, an adulterer will be assailed with 6 difficulties.  Three of them come in this world: (1) Reduction in sustenance (Rizq) and lack of blessings in it.  (2) Deprivation from good.  (3) Hatred of people.  Three will come in the hereafter:  (1) Displeasure of Almighty Allah.  (2) Harshest punishment.  (3) Will be thrown into hell.

 

As Hadhrat Imam Nasr bin Muhammad Samarqandi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) says in Tambeeh Ul Ghafileen, Pg. No. 130,131.

 

When adultery becomes common in a place, then difficulties and epidemics, even plague becomes common.  As Imam Samarqandi (May Allah shower His mercy on him) writes in Tambeeh Ul Ghafileen, Pg. No. 131.

 

The one who breaks off relations will not be forgiven

 

There is Hadith narrated on the authority of Ummul Momineen Hadhrat ‘Aisha Siddiqua (May Allah be well pleased with her):

 

Translation: The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said:  Jibreel (May peace be upon him) came to me in Shab Bara'aat and said:  This night Allah Most High releases from hell as many people as there are hair on the goats of the Clan of Kalb and this night some people will not be looked at with mercy.  They are:  Polytheist, those who hold the wrong beliefs, those who break off relations with relatives, those who let their lower garment hang below their ankles, those who disobey their parents, those who are habituated to wine.  (Shua’bul Iman, Hadith No. 3678)

 

There is great excellence of maintaining relations with ones’ relatives.  As mentioned in a Hadith:

 

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas bin Malik (May Allah be well pleased with him), he says that he heard the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) say:  Almighty Allah increases one’s lifespan because of charity and maintaining relations and saves one from a faithless death because of them and removes difficulties and evils.  (Musnad Abu Ya’ala, Hadith No. 3933)

 

 Thus, all Muslims should try to save themselves from these sins and if some are being committed, then on this night, we should sincerely repent for these sins as well.

[To be continued…]