"When it is the night of the middle of ˹the month of˺ Shaʿbān, a caller calls out: Is there one seeking forgiveness that I may forgive him? Is there someone asking that I may grant him? Then no one will be asking for a thing except it will be granted, excluding an adulteress or someone who associates partners ˹with Allah˺."

«إِذا كانَ ليلةُ النِّصف منْ شعبانَ نادَى منادٍ: هلْ مِنْ مُسْتَغَفِرٍ فأغفرَ له؟ هلْ منْ سائلٍ فأعْطِيَه، فلا يسألُ أحدٌ شيئًا إِلّا أُعْطِى إِلَّا الزَّانيةُ بفرجِها أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ۔»

"When it is the middle of ˹the month of˺ Shaʿbān then withhold fasting until it is ˹the month of˺ Ramaḍān except when fasting is ˹habitually or ritually obligitatory˺ upon him, and thus he should ˹continue˺ and not cut off ˹fasting˺."

«إِذا كانَ النِّصفُ مِنْ شعْبانَ فأمْسكُوا عن الصَّومِ حتَّى يدخلَ رمضانُ إِلا أن يكونَ عليه صومٌ فليَسْرُدْ ولا يقطعْ۔»

that Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī entered upon ʿĀʾishah then ʿĀʾishah said to him: O Abū Saʿīd, tell me something you heard from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and I shall then tell you what I saw him do. Abū Saʿīd said: ˹Once˺ when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to ˹offer˺ the Subḥ Ṣalāh (the ritual prayer at dawn), he said: "O Allah fill my hearing with nūr (illumination), and my sight with nūr, and before me nūr, and behind me nūr, and on the right of me nūr, and on the left of me nūr, and above me nūr, and below me nūr, and magnify my nūr through Your Mercy." Then they both agreed.

ʿĀʾishah said: ˹Once˺ the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon me then he took of his two garments but then he did not finish since he stood up and wore them ˹again.˺ Then a strong sense of jealousy struck me where I assumed that he is going to go to some of my co-wives. So I left following him and found him at the Baqīʿ, Baqīʿ al-Gharqad (name of a graveyard), seeking forgiveness for the believing men and women, and the martyrs. Then I said: By my father and mother, you are in need of your Lord and I am in need of this world. Then I left and entered my apartment and I out was out of breath.

Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ caught up with me and said, "What this ˹heavy˺ breathing, O ʿĀʾishah?" I said: By my father and mother, you came to me and took of your two garments then you didn't finish since you stood up and wore them ˹again.˺ and then a strong sense of jealousy struck me and I assumed that you will go to one of my co-wives, and ˹I felt this way˺ until I saw you at Baqīʿ doing what you were doing.

He said, "O ʿĀʾishah, were you afraid that you that Allah and His Messenger would wrong you? As a matter of fact, Jibrīl (Gabriel), may peace be upon him, came to me and said that tonight is the night of the middle of ˹the month of˺ Shaʿbān. ˹This night˺ there are those who are freed from the Hellfire as many as the number of hairs on the sheep of the ˹tribe of˺ Banū Kalb . ˹However,˺ Allah does not look at (1) the one who associate partners with Him, nor at (2) a hateful person, nor at (3) the one who severs ties of kinship, nor at (4) an ˹ostentatious˺ person with long clothing, nor at (5) the one who disowns his parents, nor at (6) the one who is addicted to alcohol."

He (the narrator) said: Then he took off his two garments and said to me, "O ʿĀʾishah, do you allow me to stand up tonight ˹for the night Ṣalāh˺?" I said: Yes, by my father and mother. The he stood ˹the night˺ and did sajdah (prostrated) for a very long time until I thought that he has passed away. So I touched him and put my hands on the bottom of his feet and then he moved and I was happy.

I heard him say during his sajdah: "I seek refuge through Your Grace from Your punishment, and I seek refuge through Your Pleasure from Your Displeasure, and I seek refuge through You from ˹Your wrath˺, Mighty and Sublime is Your Essence, I cannot enumerate Your Praises as You have assigned Praised for Yourself."

Then when it was morning, I mentioned these ˹phrases˺ to him then he said, "O ʿĀʾishah, did you learn them?" I said: Yes. Then he said, "Learn them and teach them, for Jibrīl, may peace be upon him, taught these to me and ordered me that I repeat them in my sajdahs.

أنَّ أبا سَعِيدٍ الخُدْرِيَّ دَخَلَ عَلى عائِشَةَ، فَقالَتْ لَهُ عائِشَةُ: يا أبا سَعِيدٍ حَدِّثْنِي بِشَيْءٍ سَمِعْتَهُ مِن رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ، وأُحَدِّثُكَ بِما رَأيْتُهُ يَصْنَعُ، قالَ أبُو سَعِيدٍ: كانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إذا خَرَجَ إلى صَلاةِ الصُّبْحِ، قالَ: «اللهُمَّ امْلَأْ سَمْعِي نُورًا، وبَصَرِي نُورًا، ومِن بَيْنَ يَدَيَّ نُورًا، ومِن خَلْفِي نُورًا، وعَنْ يَمِينِي نُورًا، وعَنْ شِمالِي نُورًا، ومِن فَوْقِي نُورًا، ومِن تَحْتِي نُورًا، وعَظِّمْ لِيَ النُّورَ بِرَحْمَتِكَ». وفِي رِوايَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ: «وأعْظِمْ لِي نُورًا» ثُمَّ اتَّفَقا۔

قالَتْ عائِشَةُ: دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَوَضَعَ عَنْهُ ثَوْبَيْهِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَسْتَتِمَّ أنْ قامَ فَلَبِسَهُما۔ فَأخَذَتْنِي غَيْرَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ ظَنَنْتُ أنَّهُ يَأْتِي بَعْضَ صُوَيْحِباتِي۔ فَخَرَجْتُ أتْبَعَهُ فَأدْرَكْتُهُ بِالبَقِيعِ بَقِيعِ الغَرْقَدِ يَسْتَغْفِرُ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ والمُؤْمِناتِ والشُّهَداءِ، فَقُلْتُ: بِأبِي وأُمِّي أنْتَ فِي حاجَةِ رَبِّكَ، وأنا فِي حاجَةِ الدُّنْيا فانْصَرَفْتُ، فَدَخَلْتُ حُجْرَتِي ولِي نَفَسٌ عالٍ۔

ولَحِقَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ، فَقالَ: «ما هَذا النَّفَسُ يا عائِشَةُ؟»، فَقُلْتُ: بِأبِي وأُمِّي أتَيْتَنِي فَوَضَعْتَ عَنْكَ ثَوْبَيْكَ ثُمَّ لَمْ تَسْتَتِمَّ أنْ قُمْتَ فَلَبِسْتَهُما فَأخَذَتْنِي غَيْرَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ، ظَنَنْتُ أنَّكَ تَأْتِي بَعْضَ صُوَيْحِباتِي حَتّى رَأيْتُكَ بِالبَقِيعِ تَصْنَعُ ما تَصْنَعُ۔

قالَ: «يا عائِشَةُ أكُنْتِ تَخافِينَ أنْ يَحِيفَ اللهُ عَلَيْكِ ورَسُولُهُ، بَلْ أتانِي جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ، فَقالَ: هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةُ لَيْلَةُ النِّصْفِ مِن شَعْبانَ ولِلَّهِ فِيها عُتَقاءُ مِنَ النّارِ بِعَدَدِ شُعُورِ غَنَمِ كَلْبٍ، لا يَنْظُرُ اللهُ فِيها (١) إلى مُشْرِكٍ، (٢) ولا إلى مُشاحِنٍ، (٣) ولا إلى قاطِعِ رَحِمٍ، (٤) ولا إلى مُسْبِلٍ، (٥) ولا إلى عاقٍّ لِوالِدَيْهِ، (٦) ولا إلى مُدْمِنِ خَمْرٍ»

قالَ: ثُمَّ وضْعَ عَنْهُ ثَوْبَيْهِ، فَقالَ لِي: «يا عائِشَةُ تَأْذَنِينَ لِي فِي قِيامِ هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ؟»، فَقُلْتُ: نَعَمْ بِأبِي وأُمِّي، فَقامَ فَسَجَدَ لَيْلًا طَوِيلًا حَتّى ظَنَنْتُ أنَّهُ قُبِضَ فَقُمْتُ ألْتَمِسْهُ، ووَضَعْتُ يَدِي عَلى باطِنِ قَدَمَيْهِ فَتَحَرَّكَ فَفَرِحْتُ۔

وسَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ فِي سُجُودِهِ: «أعُوذُ بِعَفْوِكَ مِن عِقابِكَ، وأعُوذُ بِرِضاكَ مِن سَخَطِكَ، وأعُوذُ بِكَ مِنكَ، جَلَّ وجْهُكَ، لا أُحْصِي ثَناءً عَلَيْكَ أنْتَ كَما أثْنَيْتَ عَلى نَفْسِكَ»

فَلَمّا أصْبَحَ ذَكَرْتُهُنَّ لَهُ فَقالَ: «يا عائِشَةُ تَعَلَّمْتِهُنَّ؟»، فَقُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، فَقالَ: «تَعَلَّمِيهِنَّ وعَلِّمِيهِنَّ، فَإنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلامُ عَلَّمَنِيهِنَّ وأمَرَنِي أنْ أُرَدِّدَهُنَّ فِي السُّجُودِ»،

"There ˹should be˺ no fasting after the middle of ˹the month of˺ Shaʿbān until the ˹month of˺ Ramaḍān. ˹However,˺ who has a fasting ˹obligation˺ upon him he must continue ˹to fast˺ and not cut off ˹fasting˺.”

«لَا صَوْمَ بَعْدَ النِّصْف مِنْ شَعْبَانَ حَتَّى رَمَضَانَ، وَمَنْ كَانَ عَلَيه صَوْمُ يَوْمٍ فَليَسْرُدْهُ وَلَا يَقْطَعْهُ۔»

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to supplicate while in prostration during the night of the middle of ˹the month of˺ Shaʿbān saying, "I seek refuge through Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek refuge through Your pleasure from Your displeasure, and I seek refuge through You from You. Exalted be You!" and he said, "Jibrīl ordered me to repeat these ˹statements˺ in my prostration and I learned these and he taught me these."

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَدْعُو وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ يَقُولُ: «أَعُوذُ بِعَفْوِكَ مِنْ عِقَابِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِرَضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ، جَلَّ وَجْهُكَ۔» وَقَالَ: «أَمَرنِي جِبْرِيلُ أَنْ أُرَدِّدُهُنَّ فِي سُجُودِي فَتَعَلَّمْتهُنَّ وَعَلَّمْتهُنَّ۔»

When it was the night of the middle of Shaban, the Prophet ﷺ slipped out from beneath my cloak—meaning Aishah’s cloak. By Allah, it was not made of striped cloth, nor of silk, nor of linen, nor of cotton, nor of wool; rather, its warp was of hair, though its weft was of camel hair. I thought to myself that he might have gone to one of his wives, so I said, “Let me look for him in the house.” Then my hand fell upon his feet while he was in prostration, and I memorized from his supplication as he was saying:

“I prostrate to You with my darkness and my shadow, and my heart believes in You. I acknowledge to You Your blessings, and I confess to You my sin. I have wronged myself, so forgive me; indeed none forgives the tremendous sin except You. I seek refuge in Your pardon from Your punishment; I seek refuge in Your mercy from Your wrath; I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your displeasure; and I seek refuge in You from You. Exalted is Your Face; I cannot enumerate praise of You. You are as You have praised Yourself.”

He continued standing and sitting until morning came, and morning came while his feet had become swollen. I said, “May my father and my mother be sacrificed for you—has Allah not forgiven you your past sins and your future ones?” He said: “O Aishah, should I not be a grateful servant? Do you know what is in this night?” I said, “What is in it?” He said: “In it, every child to be born in this year is written; in it, every one who will die is written; in it, their provisions are sent down; and in it, their deeds are raised.” I said, “O Messenger of Allah, does no one enter Paradise except by Allah’s mercy?” He said: “Yes.” I said, “Not even you?” He said: “Not even I—unless Allah envelops me in His mercy.” Then he wiped his hand over his head down to his face.

لَمَّا كَانَتْ لَيْلَةُ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ، انْسَلَّ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مِنْ مِرْطِي، يَعْنِي مِرْطَ عَائِشَةَ، وَاللَّهِ مَا كَانَ مِنْ جَزْءٍ، وَلَا قَزٍّ، وَلَا مِنْ كِتَّانٍ، وَلَا كُرْسُفٍ، وَلَا صُوفٍ، إِلَّا كَانَ سُدَاهُ مِنْ شَعَرٍ، وَإِنْ كَانَتْ لُحْمَتُهُ مِنْ وَبَرِ الْإِبِلِ. فَأَحْسِبُ نَفْسِي أَنْ يَكُونَ أَتَى بَعْضَ نِسَائِهِ، فَقُلْتُ: أَلْتَمِسُهُ فِي الْبَيْتِ. فَوَقَعَتْ يَدِي عَلَى قَدَمَيْهِ وَهُوَ سَاجِدٌ، فَحَفِظْتُ مِنْ دُعَائِهِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ:

«سَجَدَ لَكَ سَوَادِي، وَخَيَالِي، وَآمَنَ بِكَ فُؤَادِي، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِالنِّعَمِ، وَأَعْتَرِفُ لَكَ بِالذَّنْبِ، ظَلَمْتُ نَفْسِي فَاغْفِرْ لِي، إِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ الْعَظِيمَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ. أَعُوذُ بِعَفْوِكَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ مِنْ نِقْمَتِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِرِضَاكَ مِنْ سَخَطِكَ، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْكَ. جَلَّ وَجْهُكَ، لَا أُحْصِي ثَنَاءً عَلَيْكَ، أَنْتَ كَمَا أَثْنَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ».

فَمَا زَالَ قَائِمًا وَقَاعِدًا حَتَّى أَصْبَحْتُ، فَأَصْبَحَ وَقَدِ اصْطَهَدَتْ قَدَمَاهُ. فَقُلْتُ: بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي، أَلَيْسَ قَدْ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَكَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِكَ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ؟ فَقَالَ: «يَا عَائِشَةُ، أَفَلَا أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا؟ هَلْ تَدْرِينَ مَا فِي هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ؟» قُلْتُ: وَمَا فِيهَا؟ قَالَ: «فِيهَا يُكْتَبُ كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ فِي هَذِهِ السَّنَةِ، وَفِيهَا يُكْتَبُ كُلُّ مَيِّتٍ، وَفِيهَا تُنْزَلُ أَرْزَاقُهُمْ، وَفِيهَا تُرْفَعُ أَعْمَالُهُمْ». قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا أَحَدٌ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ إِلَّا بِرَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ؟ قَالَ:* «نَعَمْ»*. قُلْتُ: وَلَا أَنْتَ؟ قَالَ: «وَلَا أَنَا، إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِي اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَتِهِ». ثُمَّ مَسَحَ يَدَهُ عَلَى هَامَتِهِ إِلَى وَجْهِهِ.

[Machine] My beloved, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , came to me on the night of the middle of the month of Sha'ban. He went to his bed, then got up and poured water over himself, then hurried out. I followed in his footsteps and found him prostrating and saying in his prostration: "My blackness and my illusions have prostrated to you, and my heart believes in you. These are my hands, I have wronged myself, so forgive my sins. For no one forgives the great sin except you, O Great Lord. I returned to my place, and it wasn't long before he returned to me. I said: By my mother and father, O Messenger of Allah, tonight I have seen from you what I have never seen before. He said: O Humayra, this night is the night of the middle of Sha'ban. On this night, Allah frees a hundred thousand people from Hellfire, as many as the hair of the goats of the tribe of Kalb. And on this night, Allah looks upon His creation and says: Is there anyone seeking forgiveness so that I may forgive him? Is there anyone repenting so that I may accept his repentance? And on this night, every wise matter is decreed.

"أَتَانِي حَبِيبِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَهْرِ شَعْبَانَ، فَأَوَى إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ، ثُمَّ قَامَ فَأَفَاضَ عَلَيْه المَاء، ثُمَّ خَرَجَ مُسْرِعًا، فَخَرَجْتُ فِي أَثَرِهِ، فَإِذَا هُوَ سَاجِدٌ فِي (*) وَيقُولُ فِي سُجُودِهِ: سَجَدَ لَكَ سَوَادِي وَخَيَالِي، وَآمَنَ بِكَ فُؤَادِي، هَذِهِ يَدَايَ، أَنَا جَنَيْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي ذُنُوبِي؛ فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ العَظِيمَ غَيْرُكَ، يَا رَبِّ العَظِيم، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مَكَانِي، فَمَا لَبِثَ أَنْ رَجَعَ إِليَّ، فَقُلْتُ: بِأَبِي أَنْتَ وَأُمِّي يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ مِنْكَ فِي هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةِ مَا لَمْ أَرَ مِنْكَ قَبْلَهَا، قَالَ: يَا حُمَيْرَاءُ! هَذِهِ اللَّيْلَةُ لَيْلَةُ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَهْرِ شَعْبَانَ، للهِ مِنْهَا مِائِةُ أَلَفِ عَتِيقٍ مِنَ النَّارِ، وَبِعَدَدِ شَعَرِ مِعْزَى كَلْبٍ، وَهِيَ الَّتِي يَطَّلِعُ اللهُ - تَعَالَى - فِيهَا عَلَى خَلْقِهِ فيقول: خَلْقَهُ، أَمَا مِنْ تَائِبٍ فَأَتُوبَ عَلَيْهِ؟ أَمَا مِنْ مُسْتَغْفِرٍ فَأَغْفِرَ لَهُ؟ وَفِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ".

"There are five nights wherein supplications are not rejected: (1) the first night of ˹the month of˺ Rajab, (2) the night of the middle of ˹the month of˺ Shaʿbān, (3) the night of ˹every˺ Friday, (4) the night of the ˹ʿīd of˺ Fiṭr, and (5) the night of the ˹ʿīd of˺ Sacrifice.

«خَمْسُ لَيَالٍ لا تُرد فيهن الدَّعْوةُ: (١) أَوَّلُ لَيْلَةٍ مِن رجبٍ، (٢) ولَيْلَة النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ، (٣) ولَيلَةِ الجُمُعةِ، (٤) ولَيْلَةِ الفِطر، (٥) ولَيْلَةِ النَّحْرِ۔»

Allah ordains goodness during four nights: (1) the night of ˹the ʿĪd of˺ Adḥá and (2) ˹the ʿĪd of˺ Fiṭr, (3) the night of the middle of Shaʿbān – where the lifespans and provisions are ordained and the ˹upcoming performance˺ of Ḥajj is ordained – and (4) the night of ʿArafah until the Ādhān.

«يَنْسَخُ اللَّه ﷻ الخَيْرَ فِى أَرْبَعِ لَيَالٍ نَسخًا: (١) ليلةِ الأضحى، (٢) والفطر، (٣) وليلةِ النصفِ مِنْ شعبَانَ يَنْسخُ فِيهَا الآجال والأرْزَاق ويُكْتَبُ فِيهَا الحَجُّ، (٤) وفِى ليْلةِ عرفَةَ إِلى الأذَانِ۔»