Naqshbandi Haqqani Adab for Laylat al-Bara'ah

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

The night of mid-Sha’ban is known as Laylat al-Bara’ah or Laylat an-Niswfu Sha’ban.  Laylat al-Bara’ah is “The Night of Freedom from the Fire.”  This is the night occurring between 14^th and 15^th of Sha’ban.  It is a meritorious night in which the people of the earth are attended by special Divine Mercy.  It is the night where the records are written.  It is the night of assignment and the night of deliverance, and the observance involves a nightlong vigil with prayers.  It is this night where the deeds are Reckoned, sins Forgiven and sustenance Assigned.  It is also the night where the rolls of the dead are Revealed and those whose souls are to be taken are known to the Angel of Death. 

Although the majority of commentators of the Qur’an consider the Blessed Night on the verses of Surah al-Qadr to refer to Laylat al-Qadr, The Night of Decree, in the month of Ramadhan, it is acknowledged that it may also refer to Laylat al-Bara’ah.  Consequently, the scholars have recommended the observance of the night.  Imam as-Suyuthi (r.a.) said, “As for the night of mid-Sha’ban, it has great merit, and it is desirable to spend part of it in supererogatory worship.” 

We may observe it by making an invitation to feed people on that night, to remember Allah (s.w.t.) and to remember His Prophet (s.a.w.), and to fast its day and pray its night.  In order to observe Laylat al-Bara’ah, one should remain awake on this night as much as possible.  If someone has the opportunity, he or she should spend the whole night in worship and prayer.  However, if one cannot do so for one reason or another, he can select a considerable portion of the night, preferably of the second half of it for this purpose, and should perform the following acts of worship listed below. 

In a swahih hadits as reported by Imam Abu Hatim Muhammad ibn Fayswal at-Tamimi ibn Hibban (r.a.), “Allah (s.w.t.) Looks at His Creation in the night of mid-Sha’ban, and He Forgives all His Creation except for a mushrik or a mushahin,” meaning an idolater or a man of hatred.  This was also reported by Imam Abu al-Qasim Sulayman ibn Ayyub ath-Thabarani (r.a.) in al-Mu’jam al-Kabir and Imam Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Husayn al-Bayhaqi (r.a.) in Shub al-Iman. 

It was reported, by Sayyidatina ‘Aishah bint Abu Bakr (r.a.), that the Prophet (s.a.w.) stood in swalah for part of the night and made his prostration so lengthy that she thought his soul had been taken back.  When she saw this, she got up and moved his big toe, and he moved, so she drew back.  When he raised his head from prostration and finished his swalah, he said, “O ‘Aishah, O fair little one!  Did you think the Prophet had broken his agreement with you?” 

She replied, “No, by Allah, O Messenger of Allah, but I thought that your soul had been taken back because you stayed in prostration so long.” 

He asked, “Do you know what night this is?” 

She said, “Allah and His Prophet Know best.” 

He replied, “This is the night of mid-Sha’ban.  Verily Allah (s.w.t.) Looks at His servants on the night of mid-Sha’ban, and He Forgives those who ask for Forgiveness, and He Bestows Mercy on those who ask for Mercy, and He Gives Delay to the people of envy and spite to their state.” 

The following is the Naqshbandi Haqqani adab for Laylat al-Bara’ah.  This is to be done in addition to the daily adab and the adab of Sha’ban.  On the day immediately following the Laylat al-Bara’ah, it is mustahabb, advisable, to fast.  Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is reported to have recommended this fast emphatically. It is advisable to fast the 15^th of Sha’ban as an optional, nafl, fast.  One can also keep a fast of qadha’, on this day.  For those who can fast, there is great merit in fasting the entire month, especially for those who are fasting the month of Rajab. 

It would be preferable for the murid to make ghusl prior to the fast.  If not, at least make ghusl during the course of the day.  The murid should perform two raka’at sunnah after the ghusl.  The niyyat is for sunnah wudhu. 

Between maghrib and isha’, the murid shall recite Surah YaSin three times.  For those who are fasting, break the fast first, pray maghrib and all the necessary sunnah swalah first, then read Surah YaSin.  Eat a proper meal after the completion of the above. . Each Surah YaSin is read with a different ni’at as follows; for rizq, for protection from bala’, and for long life with iman and amal.  Like the rest of the amal of the holy months, the three Surah YaSin are better read in a group, where one reads for all.  The du’a for Niswfu Sha’ban and the Grand Transmitted Supplication of Sulthan al-Awliya’ is found in the Naqshbandi Haqqani Book of Adab.  It is recited after each Surah YaSin.  Below is the du’a for Niswfu Sha’ban. 

Allahumma yaa Dzaa al-Manni laa yamannu ‘alayhi ahad, yaa Dza al-Jalaali wa al-Ikram, yaa Dza ath-Thuli wa al-An’aam.  Laa ilaha illa Anta.  Zhahara al-Laaji’in wa Jaaru al-Mustajiriin wa Amaanu al-Khaaifin.  Allahumma in kunta katabtanii ‘andaka fii Ummu al-Kitaabi shaqiiyan aw mahruuman aw mathruudan aw muqataran ‘alayya fii ar-rizqi faamhu Allahumma bifadhlika shaqaawatii wa hurmaanii wa thurdii wa iqtaara rizqii wa thabitnii ‘indaka fii Umm al-Kitaabi sa’iidan wa marzuuqan lilkhayraati fainnaka qulta wa qawluka al-Haqq fii Kitaabika al-munzal ‘alaa lisaani nabiyyika al-mursalin yamhu Allahu maa yashaau wa yuthbitu wa ‘indahu Umm al-Kitaab.  Ilahi bi at-Tajallii al-a’azhami fii Laylatii an-Niswfi min shahri Sha’baani al-mu’azhami alatii yufraqu fiihaa kullu amri hakiimin wa yubramu an yakshifa ‘annaa min al-balaai maa ta’lamu wa maa laa ta’lamu wa maa Anta bihi a’alamu innaka Anta al-A’azzu al-Akram.  Wa swalaa Allahu ‘alaa Sayyidinaa Muhammadin wa ‘alaa alihi wa swahbihi wa sallim. 

O our God, Tireless Possessor of Bounty without neglect, O Possessor of Majesty and the Greatest Munificence, O Possessor of Blessing and Sublimity.  There is no god but You, the Support of those who seek Refuge, the Neighbour of those who seek Nearness, the Refuge of those in fear.  O God, if you have Written in the Mother of Books that I be abject or deprived or banished or miserly, then Erase, O God through the Benefit of Your Bounty, my misery, deprivation, exile and miserliness from the Mother of Books and Establish me with You as happy and Blessed for indeed You have Said with Truth in Your Book and upon the tongue of your Prophet and Messenger, “God Blots Out or Confirms as He Pleases, and with Him is the Mother of all books,” (Surah ar-Ra’ad:39).  O my God, by the Majestic Manifestation of the Middle Night of the Blessed month of Sha’ban, “by which every affair of wisdom is Made distinct and Authorised,” (Surah ad-Dukhaan:4), Remove from us the calamities that we are aware of and the calamities that we are not aware of, and You Know Best, for You are the Best of Knowers, You are the Mighty and the Generous.  And Salutations of God and Peace and Blessing upon the Noble Muhammad and those with him. 

Those who are able should pray 100 raka’at of Swalah al-Khayr.  One may pray 50 sets of two raka’atan prayers or 25 sets of four raka’at prayers, though the first option is preferable.  One may pray it singly or in congregation.  However, it is preferable to do it in congregation. 

In the 1^st rak’ah, recite Surah al-Fatihah followed by two Surah al-Ikhlasw.  In the 2^nd rak’ah, recite Surah al-Fatihah followed by Surah al-Ikhlasw.  In this way, the murid completes the 100 raka'at and 150 Surah al-Ikhlasw.  For those who are able, may recite three, five, or ten Surah al-Ikhlasw in every rak’ah.  If the murid is reciting less than ten Surah al-Ikhlasw in each rak'ah, the remaining number of Surah al-Ikhlasw should be recited while sitting down, after finishing the 100 raka'at.  The goal is to finish 100 raka'at and 1,000 recitations of Surah al-Ikhlasw in that night. 

Whoever is able to pray the 100 raka’at, Allah (s.w.t.) will Protect them from problems, sufferings and wars of the coming year.  They will also be protected from poverty.  For them, the Doors of Paradise are open, and they will see the holy face of the Beloved Prophet (s.a.w.) while they are in this life.  They will be Granted a good death, and they will leave this world with lighted faces and be written as one who leaves this world in faith.  They will see their maqam in akhirah before they die. 

Sulthan al-‘Arifin Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri, (q.s.) once said, “Thirty of the companions of Rasulullah (s.a.w.) related to me that Allah (s.w.t.) will Look seventy times upon one who performs this prayer on this night, and with each glance He will Fulfill seventy of that person’s needs, the least of them being Forgiveness.”