What’s the difference between Sha’baan 1431AH and 1432AH?
This question may seem confusing or pointless, but before you read on, I want you to think for a minute on what you feel the difference is.
Sha’ban is the month where last year’s account of good and bad actions for every individual ascends to Allah. As we know, there are four instances when our actions ascend to Allah, the daily record, weekly record, yearly record, and the whole life record.
We are encouraged to do good and seek repentance especially in these instances. The daily record ascends twice, as the actions of the night ascend in the morning, and the actions of the day ascend in the night. It is due to this that it is from the Sunnah to seek forgiveness in the morning and the evening, as we want our sins to be forgiven before they ascend, and we want it to ascend while we are in a righteous state.
The weekly record also ascends twice, as it ascends every Monday and Thursday. It is also due to this that the prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) used to fast every Monday and Thursday and he said, “Deeds are shown (to Allah) on Mondays and Thursdays, and I like my deeds to be shown when I am fasting.” (Tirmidhi)
The whole life record ascends when we die, and as we never know when we die, nor are we usually strong to do good actions closer to our death, we should always be in a constant state of repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allah, as well as doing a lot of good actions.
As for the yearly record, it is reported that Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in Sha’ban.’ He (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, ‘That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadhan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.’” (Nasaa’i)
The answer to the question is that the difference is a whole year of your life has passed. A whole year of more than 350 days of actions recorded. The actions of the days are recorded , not neglecting any hour, nor second of each day. Ibrahim al-Nakh’ee used to cry to his wife every Thursday, and she used to cry too and he used to say, “Today our actions will be put forth in front of Allah”. So how about the actions of the whole year!!!
Sit down and try to reflect on what you did in the past year and try to remember the actions that will be put forth in front of Allah.
How great is your heedless state of this great month and of your actions that will be put forth in front of Allah!
How many sins have you committed this year?
How many haram gazes have you not restrained our eyes from this year?
How much of your brothers’ and sisters’ meat have you eaten this year due to backbiting?
If we were present when someone was backbiting another, did you stop them? Or at least leave that congregation?
How many times did you listen to haram?
Did you protect your hands from falling into haram?
Did you stop your feet from taking you to haram?
How much good did you enjoin?
How much evil did you forbid?
How many hours did you waste?
How neglectful have you been of your brothers and sister around the world?
Was there a time when you ate something which caused Allah to be angry with you?
Was there a word that you said which caused your place in Jahannam to dwell deeper than the distance between the East and the West?
Was there a time when you were alone, you were heedless of Allah watching over you, and you committed sins which distanced you from Jannah and from your Lord?
How I wonder, what is our position in the eyes of Allah at the end of this year?
Which of us will be brought closer, and which of us will be distanced further?
In this year, many people have made Jannah obligatory upon them due to the good they did, while others have made Jahannam obligatory upon them due to the evil they committed. Have you wondered which of these two types of people you are?
The hours of obedience make the air fragrant as the actions ascend to Allah
The tears rolling down the eyes make the face full of light
The sadaqah given in secret accepted from The most Generous, The most Kind
The thirst during the voluntary fasts rewarded with rivers of wine, honey, and milk from The All-High
The gatherings of remembrance concluded with a mention of your name from Allah to the angels who are closest to Him
Eyes protected from haram gazes are rewarded with seeing Allah’s face
Ears protected from listening to haram are rewarded with hearing {This is Jannah. You have inherited it due to what you used to do} [Al-Zukhruf 43:72], and “Oh people of Jannah, It is you right to live, so you shall never die, and it is your right to be healthy, so you shall never be sick, and it is your right to be young, so you shall never age, and it is your right to enjoy yourself, so you shall never be grieved” (Muslim)
Limbs washed with water from wudhu will be lit up on a day of complete darkness
High levels in Jannah have been achieved by people who have used their time wisely, yet we remain where we are, still unable to fulfil the obligations as commanded by Allah, still unable to pray on time, still unable to pray in the Masjid. When is the time for us to wake up from this heedless state and realise what we have done and repent and ask Allah for forgiveness.
You may be asking, “What do you want me to do now?” My brothers and sisters, every day that has passed in this previous year has been an extra chance for you to do good, and now that you have looked back at what you have done and what will be put forth in front of Allah, it is time to realise that Allah has blessed you by letting you live till this day. So many people have died during the past year, yet Allah has let you live, and even let you read this reminder to encourage you to turn back to him, so now is the time to do so.
We are now in Sha’ban, so make sure you make full use of it, and repent and seek forgiveness from Allah for all your sins and shortcomings, so that they are forgiven before they ascend to your Lord. Sha’ban is a month which many people neglect, and the prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and the salaf used to do a lot of worship during the times that people neglect. Imagine you are worshipping Allah at a time which many people neglect, and when Allah looks at His creation during that time, only a few humans are engaging in worship, and you are one of them! Sha’ban is a time of fasting, as the prophet (SallaAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam) used to fast the majority of this month, so ensure you follow his Sunnah and increase in fasting. Also, make sure you prepare yourself for Ramadhan by increasing in qiyamul-layl, reading the Qur’an, voluntary prayers, constant dhikr, so that when Ramadhan comes, you are fully prepared for it and are already used to doing righteous actions.
Finally, I would like to remind you brothers and sisters that you will never see from good except its signs, and you will never see from bad except its signs, for all the good is in Jannah and all the bad is in Jahannam, so make sure you are not deceived by fake material deceptions and swap them for what is really good, and know that every life has its people, so make sure you are from the people of the hereafter, and not the people of this life.
May Allah increase us in good and make us from the ones who remember as soon as a shaytan whispers in our ears. O Allah, increase our life so that we reach Ramadhan and make it our most fruitful Ramadhan to date.
Much of this article has been incorporated from a previously written article in Arabic, found on http://www.islamway.com/?iw_s=Article&iw_a=view&article_id=7739
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