The night of redemption and cleansing of the sins: Lailat al-Baraa

Accepted as the harbinger of the month of Ramadan, the Baraa Night will be celebrated by Muslims across the world on Thursday night.

Lailat al-Baraa means the night of redemption, salvation or the night of freedom from Hell and the abyss of it.

Lailat al-Baraa happens in the Mid of Shaban, between the 14th and 15th day of the 8th month of the Islamic Lunar Calendar. This occurs almost fifteen days before the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan.

The holy night starts at sunset on the 14th of the month and ends at dawn on the 15th.

The technical term of the meaning is the name of a very auspicious and fertile night, which corresponds to the 15th night of the Shaban month.

Everything that will happen in a year will be decided tonight. All deeds, sustenance, lifetimes, causes of death, rise and fall, that is, everything is corrected and commended tonight as previously written in the Levh-i Mahfuz.

In this regard, the Holy Quran says:

“By the Enlightening Scripture. We have revealed it on a Blessed Night—We have warned. In it is distinguished every wise command. A decree from Us. We have been sending messages. As mercy from your Lord. He is the Hearer, the Knower. Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, if you know for sure.” (al-Dukhan 2-7)

Therefore, al-Baraa night comes after the night of Qadr. There are many hadiths about the virtue of this night. Here are some of them:

Usamah ibn Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting during any month as much as you do in Sha`ban.' He said: 'That is a month to which people do not pay much attention, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are taken up to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my deeds be taken up when I am fasting.”' (An-Nasa’i)

“When it is the night of the middle of Sha`ban, Allah looks down on His creation and forgives the believers, prolongs hope for the disbelievers and leaves the spiteful to their rancor until they desert it.” (At-Tabarani)

“Allah looks down on the night of the middle of Sha`ban and forgives all His creation, apart from the idolater and the one who has grudge against another.” (At-Tirmidhi) (ILKHA)