Dr.Mazhar
Naqvi
Shab-e-Barat
means the night of forgiveness or atonement. The festival is celebrated with
great pomp and show in the month of Shaban. Muslims see Shab-e-Barat as the
night of good fortune and a popular legend says that on this night the Prophet
visits each house and relieves the pains of suffering humanity. In Persian,
‘Shab’ means night and ‘Barat’ means ‘the night of commission or assignment’. In
Arabic, however, the day is known as Lailatul Barat (the night of
emancipation).The night also
commemorates the entry of Prophet Muhammad into the city of Mecca. However, Imami
Muslims associate this night with the birth of their last Imam Sahab-E-Zaman
Al-Mahdi. The auspiciousness of Shaban can
be gauged from the fact that the Prophet has referred to it as "MY
MONTH".
The Holy
Prophet is reported to have stated “People are not aware of the excellence of
the month of Shaban, the month that comes between the months of Rajab and Ramadan.
In this month, the actions of the people are presented to ALLAH.I wish my
actions to be presented whilst I am fasting." The
importance of Shaban has also been
highlighted by Anas ibn Malik. He says”
once when Prophet was asked about the most meritorious fasting, he answered,
“Fasting in Shaban in honor of Ramadan.” Prophet himself used to fast for the
whole month of Shaban.
Similarly,
about significance of Shab-e-Barat Maula-E-Kainat Hazrat Ali says "o people, spend the 15th night of Shaban
in divine worship and keep fast on the 15th day of Shaban. on this auspicious
night, ALLAH spreads HIS mercy on the earth and calls out: 'IS THERE ANY WHO SEEKS CURE FROM ILLNESS THAT I MAY CURE HIM? Thus
Almighty Allah calls the destitute and needy and grants them means to fulfill
their various needs till dawn."The festival is
celebrated on the intervening night of fourteenth and fifteenth day of Shaban-
the eighth month of the Muslim year.
Garcin
De Tassy, the 19th century French Indologist, has given a vivid
description of Shab-E-Barat’s celebration in India and Persia. In his memoir, he
writes about India “ A grand fete of the Muslims takes place on
the 14th of Shaban, which is called Shab-I-Barat, or the night of
deliverance. On this solemn day the faithful assemble and make in the name of
all those who reside in the Kingdom of eternity, offerings which are considered
inviolable, these offerings comprise bread, halwa and flask of water”
About
Persia, he describes “The Persians say
that in this night, through the intercession of Muhammad and Ali, God saves a
large number of souls of their co-religionists, by making the angel Gabriel
draw them from hell. They say that there is a great merit on going to pray on
this day to the graves of the dead and in distributing alms liberally. This is
one of th most popular fetes….devotion consists in sitting at the graves and
each one talking to the dead parents and friends ,calling them with lamentations
and prayers.”
As
Shab-e Barat falls just fifteen days before the commencement of the holy month
of Ramadan, devotees also use it as an occasion to pray to Allah both in
preparation for Ramadan and for the forgiveness of the sins committed by them.
On this
night, the AMAL NAMA (record book) of a person containing all his deeds of the
past year are closed and kept away in preservation till the day of resurrection
and new Record books are started. Also, on this night, Allah assigns and
instructs the angels in charge of births, deaths, etc, are about their various
duties-the names and number of people who are to die during the coming year,
births and the dates and times they are to take place. On
Shab-E-Barat Allah writes the destinies of all men for the coming year by
taking into account the deeds committed by them in the past.
Like
other parts of India and many a countries, Shab-e-Barat is celebrated in Kanpur
with traditional enthusiasm and gaiety. People visit graveyards, light candles and
recite fatiha. Imamis hold Mehfils in honor of awaited Imam. For
the past several years, a Mehfil is organized on a beautifully decorated boat
in the wee hours of 1y6th Shaban in the mid-stream of river Ganges. Eminent
poets recite poetry in praise of Hidden Imam and also pray for his appearance at
the earliest. Janab Salim has been the chief organizer of the Mehfil. Even
though he is not a man of means, yet he hosts Mehfil with grandeur. From this
year onwards, another Mehfil has been introduced at Karbala Nawabganj by its
new Mutwalli Imtiaz Hussain.( The Blogger has written this article on the
occasion of Shab-e-Barat today and after visiting the grave of his father Mir Saeedul
Hasan Naqvi at Nawabganj Karbala in Kanpur. He belonged to a respected landlord
family of Makanpur and was a leading journalist of India. May Allah give him
place among his beloved ones. Reference available on request) Photo Courtesy- Google Images
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