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The festival of Shab- E- Barat is
celebrated by Muslims all over the
world with a great deal of fanfare
and enthusiasm. However, this festival
is known to be among the more popular
festivals that are celebrated in Pakistan.
For al those who believe in Islam,
this festival of Shab- E- Barat holds
a special significance. It is believed
that on the night of Shab- E- Barat,
God or the Divine force, writes the
fate of the entire mankind for the
coming year. While writing the same,
God is supposed to consider all aspects
(both positive as well as negative),
that have been done by the man in
the past.
Shaban is the eighth month of the
Islamic calendar year. This festival
of Shab- E- Barat is usually celebrated
either on the 13th or 14th day of
Shaban. Eventually, it happens to
be just 15 days ahead of Ramadan,
the holiest period of Islamic faith.
The night of Shab- E- Barat, symbolizes
a night of forgiveness. During this
time, people usually pray to God in
preparation of the holy Ramadan and
also for forgiving all their previous
sins. According to a particular Islamic
school of thought, this night the
Prophet takes pain in visiting all
homes and subsequently makes an attempt
to relieve the humanity of all sorts
of pain and suffering. The night of
Shab- E- Barat immortalizes the entry
of Prophet Mohammad to the holy city
of Mecca. However, for all those who
belong to the Shia section of the
Islamic society, this festival of
Shab- E- Barat is believed to be associated
with the birth of their last man.
The festival of Shab- E- Barat is
renowned for its famous celebrations.
Since, this festival is essentially
celebrated in night; the sky gets
brightened as a result of dazzling
fireworks. Houses and streets are
also enlightened by candles and electric
bulbs. Various types of sweets and
other desserts are distributed at
random in the night, and also sent
to friends and relatives. Some persons
are also known to spend their time
in charity works during this time.
Fatiha (the blessings), are also
recited over the meals on the eve
of this festival. This is done in
the name of the Prophet, his daughter
Fatima, and her husband Ali. A very
popular Islamic belief is that if
someone prays to Allah (the Islamic
form of Almighty) all through the
night of this festival, he might be
forgiven for all crimes committed
on his part. Some people also visit
the mosques to offer prayer and practice
meditation. Even, some Muslims are
known to offer the optional Namaz
during the late hours.
This festival of Shab- E- Barat is
not mentioned in Quran, the holy book
of the Islamic community. However,
this festival is talked about in Sura
Dukhanin a form of Laila Mubaraka.
And many of the learned Islamic scholars
believe that both Shab- E- Barat and
Laila Mubaraka are one and the same.
Keep scrolling through the pages
of
to know more about other popular celebrations
around the world.
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