The acts of the night of the middle of Sha'ban

4 Abu Yahya says: Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him) was asked about the virtue of the night of the middle of Sha'ban. He said: That night is the most virtuous night after the Night of Power (Laylat al-Qadr), in which God Almighty bestows His favor upon His servants and forgives them with His grace. So strive to draw near to God in it, for this is a night that God has made certain for Himself that He will not turn away any beggar as long as they do not ask for disobedience. It is a night that God has placed for us in exchange for the Night of Power that He placed for the Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family). So strive in supplication and praise of God Almighty and Glorious, for indeed, whoever in it:

Says the tasbih of God (Subhan Allah) one hundred times,

And praises God (Alhamdulillah) one hundred times,

And says the takbir (Allahu Akbar) one hundred times,

God will forgive his past sins and fulfill his needs of this world and the hereafter that he asks for, and what He knows he needs, even if he does not ask for them, out of His generosity and favor upon His servants.

Abu Yahya says: I said to our master Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him): What are the supplications in it? He said: When you have prayed the 'Isha' prayer, pray two rak'ahs, and in the first rak'ah, read al-Hamd and Surah al-Jahd, which is Surah al-Kafirun, and in the second rak'ah, read al-Hamd and Surah al-Tawhid, which is Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad. Then when you have said the salam, say Subhan Allah 33 times, Alhamdulillah 33 times, and Allahu Akbar 34 times, and then say:

✅ The supplication mentioned after the night prayer of the middle of Sha'ban that was mentioned in the previous part:

یَا مَنْ إِلَیْهِ مَلْجَأُ الْعِبَادِ [یَلْجَأُ الْعِبَادُ] فِی الْمُهِمَّاتِ وَ إِلَیْهِ یَفْزَعُ الْخَلْقُ فِی الْمُلِمَّاتِ یَا عَالِمَ الْجَهْرِ وَ الْخَفِیَّاتِ [وَ] یَا مَنْ لا تَخْفَى عَلَیْهِ خَوَاطِرُ الْأَوْهَامِ وَ تَصَرُّفُ الْخَطَرَاتِ یَا رَبَّ الْخَلائِقِ وَ الْبَرِیَّاتِ یَا مَنْ بِیَدِهِ مَلَکُوتُ الْأَرَضِینَ وَ السَّمَاوَاتِ أَنْتَ اللهُ لا إِلَهَ اِلّا أَنْتَ أَمُتُّ إِلَیْکَ بِلا إِلَهَ اِلّا أَنْتَ فَیَا لا إِلَهَ اِلّا أَنْتَ اجْعَلْنِی فِی هَذِهِ اللَّیْلَةِ مِمَّنْ نَظَرْتَ إِلَیْهِ فَرَحِمْتَهُ وَ سَمِعْتَ دُعَاءَهُ فَأَجَبْتَهُ وَ عَلِمْتَ اسْتِقَالَتَهُ فَأَقَلْتَهُ وَ تَجَاوَزْتَ عَنْ سَالِفِ خَطِیئَتِهِ وَ عَظِیمِ جَرِیرَتِهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَجَرْتُ بِکَ مِنْ ذُنُوبِی وَ لَجَأْتُ إِلَیْکَ فِی سَتْرِ عُیُوبِی اللهُمَّ فَجُدْ عَلَیَّ بِکَرَمِکَ وَ احْطُطْ خَطَایَایَ بِحِلْمِکَ وَ عَفْوِکَ وَ تَغَمَّدْنِی فِی هَذِهِ اللَّیْلَةِ بِسَابِغِ کَرَامَتِکَ وَ اجْعَلْنِی فِیهَا مِنْ أَوْلِیَائِکَ الَّذِینَ اجْتَبَیْتَهُمْ لِطَاعَتِکَ وَ اخْتَرْتَهُمْ لِعِبَادَتِکَ وَ جَعَلْتَهُمْ خَالِصَتَکَ وَ صَفْوَتَکَ

اللهُمَّ اجْعَلْنِی مِمَّنْ سَعَدَ جَدُّهُ وَ تَوَفَّرَ مِنَ الْخَیْرَاتِ حَظُّهُ وَ اجْعَلْنِی مِمَّنْ سَلِمَ فَنَعِمَ وَ فَازَ فَغَنِمَ وَ اکْفِنِی شَرَّ مَا أَسْلَفْتُ وَ اعْصِمْنِی مِنَ الازْدِیَادِ فِی مَعْصِیَتِکَ وَ حَبِّبْ إِلَیَّ طَاعَتَکَ وَ مَا یُقَرِّبُنِی مِنْکَ وَ یُزْلِفُنِی عِنْدَکَ

سَیِّدِی إِلَیْکَ یَلْجَأُ الْهَارِبُ وَ مِنْکَ یَلْتَمِسُ الطَّالِبُ وَ عَلَى کَرَمِکَ یُعَوِّلُ الْمُسْتَقِیلُ التَّائِبُ أَدَّبْتَ عِبَادَکَ بِالتَّکَرُّمِ وَ أَنْتَ أَکْرَمُ الْأَکْرَمِینَ وَ أَمَرْتَ بِالْعَفْوِ عِبَادَکَ وَ أَنْتَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِیمُ اللهُمَّ فَلا تَحْرِمْنِی مَا رَجَوْتُ مِنْ کَرَمِکَ وَ لا تُؤْیِسْنِی مِنْ سَابِغِ نِعَمِکَ وَ لا تُخَیِّبْنِی مِنْ جَزِیلِ قِسَمِکَ فِی هَذِهِ اللَّیْلَةِ لِأَهْلِ طَاعَتِکَ وَ اجْعَلْنِی فِی جُنَّةٍ مِنْ شِرَارِ بَرِیَّتِکَ [خَلْقِکَ] رَبِّ إِنْ لَمْ أَکُنْ مِنْ أَهْلِ ذَلِکَ فَأَنْتَ أَهْلُ الْکَرَمِ وَ الْعَفْوِ وَ الْمَغْفِرَةِ وَ جُدْ عَلَیَّ بِمَا أَنْتَ أَهْلُهُ لا بِمَا أَسْتَحِقُّهُ فَقَدْ حَسُنَ ظَنِّی بِکَ وَ تَحَقَّقَ رَجَائِی لَکَ وَ عَلِقَتْ نَفْسِی بِکَرَمِکَ فَأَنْتَ أَرْحَمُ الرَّاحِمِینَ وَ أَکْرَمُ الْأَکْرَمِینَ اللهُمَّ وَ اخْصُصْنِی مِنْ کَرَمِکَ بِجَزِیلِ قِسَمِکَ وَ أَعُوذُ بِعَفْوِکَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِکَ وَ اغْفِرْ لِیَ الذَّنْبَ الَّذِی یَحْبِسُ عَلَیَّ [عَنِّی‏] الْخُلُقَ وَ یُضَیِّقُ عَلَیَّ الرِّزْقَ حَتَّى أَقُومَ بِصَالِحِ رِضَاکَ وَ أَنْعَمَ بِجَزِیلِ عَطَائِکَ وَ أَسْعَدَ بِسَابِغِ نَعْمَائِکَ فَقَدْ لُذْتُ بِحَرَمِکَ وَ تَعَرَّضْتُ لِکَرَمِکَ وَ اسْتَعَذْتُ بِعَفْوِکَ مِنْ عُقُوبَتِکَ وَ بِحِلْمِکَ مِنْ غَضَبِکَ فَجُدْ بِمَا سَأَلْتُکَ وَ أَنِلْ مَا الْتَمَسْتُ مِنْکَ أَسْأَلُکَ بِکَ لا بِشَیْ‏ءٍ هُوَ أَعْظَمُ مِنْکَ.

Then you go into prostration

And you say 20 times: Ya Rabbi, Ya Allah!

و هفت مرتبه :لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ

And seven times: Ma Sha'a Allah.

ده مرتبه :لَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بَاللهِ

Then you send blessings upon the Prophet and ask for your needs. So, by God, if you ask for the number of raindrops, God Almighty will grant them to you with His generosity and favor.

📚 Iqbal al-A'mal, vol. 3, p. 315

✅ After performing the above prayer with its etiquette, do not forget to supplicate for the relief of the Remnant of God (peace of God be upon him).

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ

5 Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: When it was the night of the middle of Sha'ban, the Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family) was with one of his wives. When it was the middle of the night, the Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family) rose from his bed. When his wife woke up, she found that the Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family) had risen from his bed. So what comes to the mind of women entered her mind, and she thought that the Prophet had gone to one of his other wives. So she got up and tied her 'shaml' (a kind of cloak) around herself, and by God, it was not made of silk, linen, or cotton, but its warp was of hair and its weft was of camel wool. She got up and searched for the Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family) from room to room. At that moment, she suddenly saw the Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family) in prostration, lying on the ground like a piece of cloth. So she went close to him and heard him saying in his prostration:

سَجَدَ لَکَ سَوَادِی وَ خَیَالِی وَ آمَنَ بِکَ فُؤَادِی هَذِهِ یَدَایَ وَ مَا جَنَیْتُهُ عَلَی نَفْسِی یَا عَظِیمُ یُرْجَی لِکُلِّ عَظِیمٍ اغْفِرْ لِیَ الْعَظِیمَ فَإِنَّهُ لَا یَغْفِرُ الذَّنْبَ الْعَظِیمَ إِلَّا الرَّبُّ الْعَظِیمُ

Then he raised his head and returned to prostration, and I heard him saying:

أَعُوذُ بِنُورِ وَجْهِکَ الَّذِی أَضَاءَتْ لَهُ السَّمَاوَاتُ وَ الْأَرَضُونَ وَ انْکَشَفَتْ لَهُ الظُّلُمَاتُ وَ صَلَحَ عَلَیْهِ أَمْرُ الْأَوَّلِینَ وَ الْآخِرِینَ مِنْ فَجْأَةِ نَقِمَتِکَ وَ مِنْ تَحْوِیلِ عَافِیَتِکَ وَ مِنْ زَوَالِ نِعْمَتِکَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِی قَلْباً تَقِیّاً نَقِیّاً وَ مِنَ الشِّرْکِ بَرِیئاً لَا کَافِراً وَ لَا شَقِیّاً

Then he rolled his cheeks in the dirt and said:

عَفَّرْتُ وَجْهِی فِی التُّرَابِ وَ حَقٌّ لِی أَنْ أَسْجُدَ لَکَ.

Then when the Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family) intended to return, I quickly ran to my bed. Then the Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family) came to the bed, while she was breathing heavily (due to her rushing)! The Messenger of God (peace of God be upon him and his family) said to her: What is this heavy breathing? Do you not know what night this is? This is the night of the middle of Sha'ban!

To the extent that he said: And indeed, God in this night forgives His creation more than the number of hairs of the goats of the Banu Kalb tribe, and God sends down His angels from the sky to the earth in Mecca.

📚 Iqbal al-A'mal, vol. 3, p. 324

6 عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ فَضَّالٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ عَلِيَّ بْنَ مُوسَى الرِّضَا عَنْ لَيْلَةِ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ- فَقَالَ هِيَ لَيْلَةٌ يُعْتِقُ اللَّهُ فِيهِ الرِّقَابَ مِنَ النَّارِ وَ يَغْفِرُ فِيهَا الذُّنُوبَ الْكِبَارَ قُلْتُ فَهَلْ فِيهَا صَلَاةٌ زِيَادَةً عَلَى صَلَاةِ سَائِرِ اللَّيَالِي فَقَالَ لَيْسَ فِيهَا شَيْ ءٌ مُوَظَّفٌ وَ لَكِنْ إِنْ أَحْبَبْتَ أَنْ تَتَطَوَّعَ فِيهَا بِشَيْ ءٍ فَعَلَيْكَ بِصَلَاةِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَ أَكْثِرْ فِيهَا مِنْ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ وَ الِاسْتِغْفَارِ وَ الدُّعَاءِ فَإِنَّ أَبِي كَانَ يَقُولُ الدُّعَاءُ فِيهَا مُسْتَجَابٌ قُلْتُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّهَا لَيْلَةُ الصِّكَاكِ قَالَ تِلْكَ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ فِي رَمَضَانَ.

📚 Uyun Akhbar al-Ridha (peace be upon him), vol. 1, p. 292

📚 Amali al-Saduq, p. 32

📚 Fadha'il al-Ashhur al-Thalathah, p. 45

Ibn Fadhdhal says: I asked Imam al-Ridha (peace be upon him) about the night of the middle of Sha'ban. The Imam said: It is a night in which God frees necks from the fire and forgives major sins. I said: Is there a prayer in it more than the prayers of other nights? He said: There is nothing fixed or specific in it, but if you want to perform an optional act of worship in this night, then you must perform the prayer of Ja'far ibn Abi Talib and increase the remembrance of God and seeking forgiveness and supplication in this night, for my father used to say: Supplication in it (i.e., in the night of the middle of Sha'ban) is answered!

I said: People say that this night is the night of the descent of the scrolls (of provisions, deaths, etc.)! He said: These matters are on the Night of Power (not the night of the middle of Sha'ban)

✅ According to the above narration, in the night of the middle of Sha'ban, we should benefit from the blessing of the prayer of Ja'far and, since the Imam said that supplication is answered in this night, we should supplicate frequently for the hastening of the relief.

اللَّهُمَّ فَصَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ

7 It is narrated that Kumayl ibn Ziyad al-Nakha'i saw the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) reciting this supplication in prostration on the night of the middle of Sha'ban.

And in another narration, it is said that the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: There is no servant who keeps vigil on the night of the middle of Sha'ban and recites the supplication of al-Khidr (peace be upon him) except that it is answered for him

Kumayl says: When Ali (peace be upon him) returned, I entered upon him at night. The Imam said: O Kumayl! What brought you here? I said: O Commander of the Faithful, I want the supplication of al-Khidr! The Imam said: Sit down.

O Kumayl, when you have memorized this supplication, recite it every Friday night, or once a month, or once a year, or once in your life, and as a result, evil and calamity will be repelled from you, and you will be helped and given victory, and you will be provided for, and you will not lose forgiveness.

O Kumayl! Your long companionship with us has made it obligatory for us to give you what you asked for. Then he said: Write down:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّی أَسْأَلُکَ بِرَحْمَتِکَ الَّتِی وَسِعَتْ کُلَّ شَیْ ءٍ وَ بِقُوَتِکَ الَّتِی قَهَرَتْ بِها کُلَّ شَیْ ءٍ وَ خَضَعَ لَهَا کُلُّ شَیْءٍ وَ ذَلَّ لَهَا کُلُّ وَ بِجَبَرُوتِکَ الَّتِی غَلَبَتْ بِها کُلَّ شَیْ ءٍ وَ بِعِزَّتِکَ الَّتِی لَا یَقُومُ لَهَا شَیْ ءٌ......

until the end of the supplication which is today famous as the supplication of Kumayl, but according to the saying of the Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him), its name is the supplication of al-Khidr (peace be upon him) and its original entry is for the night of the middle of Sha'ban, and it is also recited on Friday nights or once a month, or once a year, or once in a lifetime, according to the above narration.

📚 Iqbal al-A'mal, vol. 3, p. 331

8 عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُصَافِحَهُ مِائَةَ أَلْفِ نَبِيٍّ وَ أَرْبَعَةٍ و عِشْرُونَ أَلْفَ نَبِيٍّ فَلْيَزُرْ قَبْرَ الْحُسَيْنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ فِي النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ- فَإِنَّ أَرْوَاحَ النَّبِيِّينَ تَسْتَأْذِنُ اللَّهَ فِي زِيَارَتِهِ فَيُؤْذَنُ لَهُمْ

📚 Al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 48

📚 Misbah al-Mutahajjid, p. 761

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat, p. 179

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Whoever loves for 124,000 prophets to shake hands with him, let him visit Imam Husayn ibn Ali (peace be upon them) on the middle of Sha'ban! For indeed the souls of the prophets (peace be upon them) seek permission from God to visit him and they are given permission!

9 عَنْ زَيْدٍ الشَّحَّامِ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ قَالَ: مَنْ زَارَ الْحُسَيْنَ لَيْلَةَ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ- غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَ مَا تَأَخَّرَ

📚 Kamil al-Ziyarat, p. 174

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: Whoever visits Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) on the night of the middle of Sha'ban, God will forgive his past and future sins!

10 عَنِ الصَّادِقِ قَالَ: مَنْ زَارَ الْحُسَيْنَ فِي النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ لَهُ أَلْفَ حَجَّةٍ.

📚 Misbah al-Za'ir, p. 232

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: The one who visits Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) on the middle of Sha'ban, God Almighty will write for him a thousand Hajj pilgrimages!

1 1 عَنْ هَارُونَ بْنِ خَارِجَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ: إِذَا كَانَ لَيْلَةُ النِّصْفِ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ- نَادَى مُنَادٍ مِنَ الْأُفُقِ الْأَعْلَى زَائِرِي الْحُسَيْنِ ارْجِعُوا مَغْفُوراً لَكُمْ ثَوَابُكُمْ عَلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَ مُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيِّكُمْ

📚 Al-Tahdhib, vol. 6, p. 49

Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: When the night of the middle of Sha'ban comes, a caller from the highest horizon calls out: O visitors of Husayn! Return while you have been forgiven and your reward is upon your Lord and upon Muhammad (peace of God be upon him and his family), your Prophet!

✅ The hadiths on the virtue of visiting Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) on the night of the middle of Sha'ban are many, and specific prayers for the visitor of that Imam on the night of the middle of Sha'ban have also been mentioned in the narrations. We pray that we benefit from its great goodness. God willing.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَی مُحَمَّدٍ وَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ

وَ عَجِّلْ لِوَلِیِّکَ الْفَرَجَ وَ الْعَافِیَةَ وَ النَّصْرَ