Thread by @aaolomi

In a few days Muslims around the world will commemorate shab e barat or laylat al-nisf sha’ban, a spiritual day that falls in the middle of the lunar month of sha’ban, 15 days before Ramadan.

It is regarded as a day of prayer and destiny

A thread-

Many Muslims believe the fate and destiny of humankind is determined on shab e barat and the days is marked by prayer and atonement.

The night is described as a time of great activity among the angels and features in cosmological accounts.

Writers like Zamakhshari and Suyuti claim decrees written in Lawh al-Mahfuz, the eternal tablet are revealed to the angels who minster the fate and destiny of humans.

A decree of everyone’s deeds is revealed to Ismail the angel of the first heaven.

Then the allotted provisions are revealed to Mikai’l and his Karubiyyum who deal with matters of sustenance and water.

Another decree dealing with all matters of natural phenomenon is revealed to Jibrai’l angel of revelation.

Finally, the span of everyone’s life is revealed to Azra’il.

It is said the tablet is taken to the angel by Mika’il who finds the angel of death sitting under a mighty tree with countless leaves upon which is written the name of everyone.

Azra’il has train their unblinking multitude of eyes upon the tree watching as the leaves fall, indicating the time of death for mortals.

But on Shab barat, the angel will also see the tree spout new leaves and life is born anew.

The account is found in the cosmological texts, and stems from a narration from Abu Ya’la; Muhammad (pbuh) said, “Allah commands the angels to write from the al-lawh al-mahfuz all those souls who will die in the coming year. I like to have my death recorded while I am fasting.

Most significantly, several narrations indicate it is upon this night God hears the prayers for forgiveness with some claiming the Spirit descends close to earth.

Ibn Maja writes, “The Prophet (pbuh) said that Allah has manifested on the night of 15th of Shaban and forgiveness of all His creation…”

While many of the narrations are considered daif or weak, the number of narrations recorded led most medieval jurists to accept the commemoration of shab e barat.

Other narrations are stronger like that of Nasai who recorded Muhammad (pbuh) saying: “It is a month in which the deeds are raised up to Allah. I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting.”

As a result of the mix of narrations (both strong and weak), the considerable number of narrations, and the commonality of the practice scholars like Imam Shafi’i would encourage prayer and fasting.

Around the world Muslims will pray, fast, and ask for forgiveness as their destinies are being recorded.

It should also be noted that other theologians will argue the claims about shab e barat actually are about Laylatul Qadr, a holy night of Ramadan

There are also regional variations in observation.

In South Asia we find many of the faithful will visit graves of the dearly departed and ask for forgiveness for those who have died.

In the Persianate world, wild rue is burned as incense to ward off evil and purify homes

In Shia Islam the day also marks the birth of Imam al-Mahdi, an important eschatological figure who is believed to be in occultation. The faithful pray for his righteous return.

In esoteric circles Lawh al-Mahfuz and the allotment in life will be an important theological concept linked to the Arabic lots, calculated techniques in horoscopes used to determine the specific “lot” of an individual

There are special practices around this I'll mention later

For historians shab barat might indicate a pre-Islamic ritual observance which was Islamized and endured in practice.

For scholars of Islamic thought, the festival is a point of particular interest to understand the concept of fate and destiny.

The idea of predestination was heavily debated, but one approach which recognized the sovereignty of God while acknowledging and element of free will saw shab barat as the perfect balance of the two:

Human deeds are a product of their intentions and actions. Yet they live within the confines of what God decrees.

There is an allotment which cannot be surpassed, an acceptance of certain things beyond human free will like the time of one’s death, or calamities

God’s decree then doesn’t nullify humanity’s free will, but provides the boundaries within which it operates while acknowledging some things fall outside that demarcation.

For those that commemorate the day, may your prayers be heard and your fasts successful.

I’ll continue our foray into Islamic cosmology in future threads