Hadith in Which deeds are raised up in the month of Sha’bān,

Hadith in Which deeds are raised up in the month of Sha’bān, 

Q. ‘Asalāmu Alaykum brother, brother when you have time, can you check if this is authentic regarding Sha’bān?

“It is the month is which people’s deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds to be taken up whilst I am fasting.’” Classed as hasan by al-Albānī in an-Nasā’i (2221).

A. Wa ‘alaykum asalām wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuhu, yes it was declared hasan by al-Albānī, however that reference is not correct — It was also declared authentic by Imām Ibn Khuzaymah (رحمه الله), but what’s clear is that this hadīth is weak and there’s nothing authentic whatsoever on this topic. I have translated a good response to what brother Ahmad Abū Anas shared on “Majlis Alūkah” forum, which says:

There’s no hadīth confirmed from the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that the deeds are raised up in the month of Sha’bān, and there’s nothing authentic concerning this matter, and this is from the matters of the unseen, which isn’t affirmed except by an authentic text.

It has been narrated from the hadīth of Usāmah Ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه) as it’s collected in Al-Nasā’ī, from the chain of:

‘Abdul-Rahmān Ibn Mahdī > Thābit Ibn Qays Abū al-Ghasn > Sa’īd al-Maqbarī > from Usāmah Ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه) that he said:

“It is the month is which people’s deeds are taken up to the Lord of the Worlds, and I would like my deeds to be taken up whilst I am fasting.” [1] and it was narrated by Imām Ahmad with a (slightly) longer wording than this. [2]

And this hadīth is weak, “Thābit Ibn Qays Abū al-Ghasn” was alone in reporting it, and he is weak with regards to his precision, and has only narrated a few hadīths, he isn’t well-known.

Imām Ahmad said about him: “Trustworthy”. [3]

And Imām an-Nasā’ī said: “There’s nothing wrong with him.” [4]

And both of their statements are in relation to his integrity (i.e., he is truthful, doesn’t lie), and not in relation to his precision.

This is explained by the statement of Yahya Ibn Ma’īn, wherein he said: “He’s weak, his hadīth isn’t that good and he is sālih, there’s nothing wrong with him.”

So his weakness here is in relation to his precision, and his trustworthiness is in relation to his integrity.

That is why he was weakened in relation to his precision by Imām Abū Dāwūd al-Sijistānī wherein he said: “His hadīths aren’t that good.”

So the weakening here is in relation to his hadīths and narrations, and not his integrity.

And Abū ‘Abdillāh al-Hākim said: “He’s not a Hāfidh, nor a Dābit (i.e., he’s not someone who’s precise).”

And this is also a weakening to his precision and narrations, not to his integrity.

And Ibn Hibbān said: “He makes a lot of errors in what he narrates, his reports are not used as proof if there is no one to support his narration.” [5]

And Imām al-‘Uqaylī mentioned him in “al-Du’afā’ al-Kabīr” (i.e., among the weak narrators and rejected his narration).

So these Imāms spoke about him in relation to his poor accuracy and precision, and this is what the “Tawthīq” (i.e., Declaration of him being reliable) by Ahmad and Al-Nasā’ī is explained as referring to his integrity.

And the weakness of the narration is due to his (poor) precision, not due to his integrity.

So he has gathered between poor accuracy, with narrating only a few hadīths, along with being alone in reporting this narration, so it’s not accepted from him, so the hadīth is not authentic.

And that is why Ibn ‘Adī al-Jarjānī rejected this hadīth, wherein he mentioned this report of his, and said: “Thābit Ibn Qays is among those who are to have their Hadīths written down (for consideration).” [6]

And this is his Methodology in rejecting the reports of narrators, and what is meant by “among those who are to have their hadīths written down”, i.e., in Shawāhid and Mutāba’āt (supporting evidence from other narrators), however with regards to “al-Tafarrud” (his singular narrations), it’s not accepted from him, such as the situation of this report, and that is why he (i.e., Ibn ‘Adī) rejected it.

And it was rejected by Al-Hāfidh Ibn al-Qaysarānī, wherein he quoted this hadīth along with its Isnād, then said: “And Thābit is not that good.” [7] 

And it could be understood from the speech of Al-Hāfidh al-Bayhaqī that he rejected it, wherein he said: “Al-Ghafārī Thābit Ibn Qays was alone in reporting it.” [8]

End Quote.

Therefore, the hadīth is clearly weak due to the Tafarrud of Thābit Ibn Qays, and Allāh knows best.

__________

[1] Sunan an-Nasā’ī (2327).

[2] Musnad Imām Ahmad (2327).

[3] Al-Jarh wal-Ta’dīl (2/456) for Ibn Abī Hātim.

[4] Tahthīb al-Tahthīb (2/13).

[5] Al-Majrūhīn (1/206).

[6] Al-Kāmil Fī Du’afā’ al-Rijāl (2/293)].

[7] Thakhīrat al-Huffādh (3807).

[8] Shu’b al-Īmān (3/1401).

— Abū Bakr at-Tarābulsī (فك الله أسره).

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