O devotees of the Messenger! We find ourselves in the sacred month of Shaʿbān, and tonight is Laylat al-Barāʾah. This is an extremely sacred night of salvation, wherein people attain freedom from Hell, Allah showers special mercy upon His servants, countless sinners are forgiven, duʿās are accepted, rizq is distributed, and whoever asks for blessings in their rizq has their duʿā answered.

The night in which doors of goodness are opened

Our beloved master, the Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , said:

Allah opens the doors of goodness on four nights: the night of Eid al-Aḍḥā; the night of Eid al-Fiṭr; the 15^th night of Sha’ban, where the names of those who are to die, the rizq of people and the names of those who shall perform ḥajj are written; and the night of ʿArafah (9^th Dhū al-Ḥajj).^[1]

The night of forgiveness and exoneration

A hadith found in the book Shuʿab al-Īmān describes how our beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

On the 15^th night of Shaʿbān, a caller announces: “Is there anyone who desires to be forgiven, so he may be forgiven? Is there anyone who asks, so he may be granted?” With the exception of an immoral woman and a polytheist, people will have any need they enquire about fulfilled.^[2]

What the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم witnessed on Laylat al-Barāʾah

Ibn ʿAsākir explains:

Archangel Jibrīl عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام once came to Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم on Laylat al-Barāʾah and said, “O Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ! Kindly stand up and offer salah, as this is the night