entered my mind, I went to him, touched his blessed thumb and was relieved to feel some movement.

Upon completing salah, he asked, “O ʿĀishah! Do you know what night this is?” I replied, “Allah and His Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم know best.” He explained, “This is the middle night of Shaʿbān. Allah casts His merciful gaze upon His servants on this night; He forgives those who ask for forgiveness and has mercy on those who seek mercy.”^[1]

On another similar occasion, the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم spent the entirety of Laylat al-Barāʾah offering salah. Sayyidatunā ʿĀishah رَضِیَ اللهُ عَنْهَا said regarding this: “Due to offering salah for the entire night, the blessed feet of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم became swollen. I then acquired the honour of massaging them.”^[2]

Sometimes the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would visit the cemetery and make duʿā for the ummah on this night. It is mentioned in a hadith: “Once on Laylat al-Barāʾah, the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم went to Jannat al-Baqīʿ and prayed for the forgiveness of Muslim men, women and martyrs.”^[3]

Practice of Imam Ḥasan رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ on Laylat al-Barāʾah

The grandson of Allah’s Messenger, Imam Ḥasan رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ, used to divide this blessed night into three portions. He would spend the initial part of the night sending ṣalāt upon the Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , the second part seeking forgiveness and the final part in performing nafl salah.

He was asked, “What is the reward for someone who does this?” He replied, “I heard from my father (i.e. the fourth caliph of Islam, Sayyidunā ꜤAlī b. Abī Ṭālib رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُ) that the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘Whoever brought