Fasting In Sha’bān – Why It’s Awesome

 Yo, I heard fasting in Sha'bān is supposed to be awesome. What's the deal?

Check it out, so the Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam used to fast in the month of Sha'bān quite regularly. There's actually a bunch of different reports on this, like the one by 'Ai'sha radhiAllahu 'anha who said, “I never saw the Messenger of Allāh fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha’bān,” reported in Bukhari and Muslim. Also, it was narrated in Abi Dawud that Sha’bān was the month the Prophet loved to fast in the most.

So outside fasting the obligatory month of Ramadan, the Prophet would regularly fast during Sha’bān. Just like that we should fast in Sha’bān and love fasting that month, too.

Oh, wow. So why Sha’bān?

Allāh knows best, but there are some interesting sayings of the Prophet about fasting this month. Usama ibn Zaid radhiAllahu 'anhu once asked him about his many fasts during Sha’bān, and the Prophet responded “That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.”

Pay attention to how the Prophet was keen to do those extra deeds during times that people don't pay attention to, something we need to pick up on more often. Not only are you protected from possibly showing off because most people don't know you are fasting during this irregular time, you will be fasting when everyone else isn't, thus making the difficulty more rewardable.

Also, Sha’bān acts like a warm up to Ramadan. Imagine starting your car's engine when it's 20 below zero. The car engine needs to run for a bit before you can take off. Similarly, it helps to fast this month to warm yourself up to the full month of consecutive fasting you'll be hitting up the following month in Ramadan.

That's straight, man. Have any scholars said anything about these fasts?

Yeah, straight up. Ibn Rajab, may Allāh have mercy on him, said that the fasts of Sha’bān are actually like the sunan al-rawatib, which are the Sunnah prayers before and/or after Fajr, Dhuhr, Maghrib, and so on. Those prayers are considered the best of Sunnah prayers and act to make up for any mistakes or short comings in our fard prayers.

Just like that, Ibn Rajab said that the Sha’bān fasts are the best extra fasts and make up for any mishaps we may have had from our Ramadan fasts.

That's awesome, Ibn Rajab is so cool, mA. Anything else I need to know?

The Prophet sal Allahu 'alayhi wa sallam told us to avoid fasting the last one or two days of Sha’bān. This comes to us from a Hadith reported in Bukhari and Muslim. Some say this is to kind of prepare for the month ahead of 30 straight fasts.

Also there is difference of opinion on if it's allowed to fast during the second half of Sha’bān if you haven't already started during the first half, and some scholars like Imam Nawawi and Ibn al-Qayyim say you should fast in the first half in order to fast in the second. Regardless, no one disagrees about fasting in the first half, and if you find yourself during that time, you should fast!

So that's why fasting in this month is awesome. I'm so gonna fast every Sha’bān now inshā'Allāh. Thanks for the tips, jazakAllah khair.

Wa iyyakum. Enjoy your fasts!

More on fasting in Sha'bān here:

• He never fasted more than in the month of Sha`bân – Sh. ibn Uthaymeen
• The Month of Sha’baan – IslamQA
• The prohibition on fasting in the second half of Sha’baan – IslamQA
• Is it mustahabb to fast the whole month of Sha’baan? – IslamQA