Is there any authentic evidences concerning the virtue of the middle night of Shaban, because there are some Hadiths which Sheikh Albani authenticates that speak of its virtues and that Allāh descends during this night?
Allah descends every night during the last third of the night, so why should we limit this to the middle night of Shaban. Especially when the likes of Al-‘Uqayli and a group from the earlier and later generations have all concluded that there’s nothing authentic concerning the excellence of this night.
So I advise (my brothers from) Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama’ah not to follow the way of the Sufis in magnifying the middle night of Shaban.
As for what has been mentioned, that on that night (the middle night of Shaban) every matter of wisdom is ordained, then this falls contrary to the saying of Allāh the Almighty in that the Qur’an was revealed on Laylatul Qadr.
And it is on this night of Laylatul Qadr concerning which Allāh said: فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ, which means “on that night every matter of wisdom is ordained”.
And by consensus, Laylatul Qadr is in Ramadan not in Shaban.
But what’s shocking is that you find many from Ahlus-Sunnah – may Allah guide them- in these later years circulating Hadiths which speak of the virtues of the middle night of Shaban and encouraging people to stand its night in prayer, or encouraging such and such (act).
It’s an innovation to single out this night with prayers believing that on this night every matter of wisdom is ordained, or that on this night the provisions are shared out, or that the yearly decree descends on this night. This is all unfounded.
As for Allah descending on this night, then Allah descends every night during the last third of the night; and the Hadith affirming this can be found in the Sahihain (Bukhari and Muslim). So why should we go and restrict this to the middle night of Shaban.
Moreover, there’s a group of scholars who have weakened these reports, and the judgement of the Huffadh (authorities in the field of Hadith) holds more weight than the conclusion of Albani, may Allah have mercy on him.
Furthermore, I wrote a post previously when I was in Malaysia three years ago, entitled: ‘warning Ahlus-Sunnah from resembling the misguided Sufis in reviving the middle night of Shaban,” or something along these line.
