evidence from the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
No reliable proof has come down that assigns the month of Rajab any distinctive act of worship; everything reported on the matter is unauthentic and cannot be traced back to the Prophet ﷺ. In fact, the Companions used to forbid this and cautioned people against fasting anything specifically in Rajab. As for someone who already maintains a regular schedule of prayer or fasting, there is no harm in continuing it, for Rajab is like any other month and simply falls under that existing routine. However, to single out Rajab with a separate act of worship not performed in the other months is a forbidden innovation for which a person earns sin, not reward.
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Observing the night of mid-Shaʿbān and fasting its day
Question: Is there a Qur’ānic text or a prophetic ḥadith that supports praying on the night of mid-Shaʿbān and fasting its day? If such evidence exists, is there a particular manner in which the night should be observed? Kindly clarify this for us; may Allah reward you with every good.
Answer: Nothing authentic from the Prophet ﷺ can be relied upon regarding standing in prayer on the night of mid-Shaʿbān or fasting the fifteenth day of Shaʿbān. The night of mid-Shaʿbān is like any other night: whoever is accustomed to night prayer and tahajjud may perform it then just as he does on other nights, without attributing to it any special merit, for designating a specific time for an act of worship requires a sound and authentic proof. When no such proof exists, setting aside certain times for particular acts of devotion is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance. Likewise, there is no authentic basis for fasting the fifteenth day of Shaʿbān, the day of mid-Shaʿbān—no reliable proof has been established from