One of the most revered among Muslims is the Night of Baraat. Translated from Arabic, this word means "non-involvement", "complete separation" or "purification". In other words, on this night, the Lord of the worlds forgives sins, and also decides human destinies. And the reward to His servants for worship is multiplied many times over.

As one of the sayings of the Final Messenger of the Almighty (LGV) testifies, on the night of the middle (from the 15th to the 16th, or according to other versions - from the 14th to the 15th), everything that should happen during this year is predetermined for a person, who will live and who will leave this world. (In 2019, the Night of Baraat occurs on April 19 at sunset).

Laylatul-Baraat is the second most significant night after (the Night of Destiny). Some Muslim scholars believe that the rewriting of the books of a person's destiny begins with the Night of Baraat and ends on the Night of Destiny.

Just as between two Fridays, Allah forgives our sins during Juma-prayer, so the sins committed throughout the year are forgiven on this night. (Recall that in Laylatul-Qadr, it is believed that the sins of a person are erased for all his life).

This Grace of the Almighty turns out to be everything, with the exception of certain categories of people. In a hadith from Abu Hurairah (r.a.), it is specified which people cannot count on the forgiveness of their Lord - these are apostates, envious people, slanderers, gossipers who use intoxicating drinks and interrupt family ties, who disobey their parents, engage in adultery, proud and sowing confusion. The Grace of the Worlds Muhammad (SAW) added that the Creator will not honor them with His forgiveness until they stop doing all these evil deeds and sincerely repent before Him.

In Lailatul-Baraat, by the generosity of the Creator, His prophet (S.G.V.) was granted the right to act as an intercessor for the entire Muslim Ummah, “except for those who fled from the Almighty, like a camel runs away (i.e., those who distanced themselves from the Lord by regularly committing sins).

How to spend the Night of Baraat

If a believer wants to achieve the pleasure of the Most High, especially during the blessed months and days, he should spend more time in worship. At the onset of Laylatul-Baraat, a Muslim is also recommended to stand additional prayers, read the Holy Quran, commemorate his Creator and praise Him, and make salavat to the Prophet (s.g.v.). In addition, one of the desirable actions on this night is dua. A Muslim should ask for what he wants, especially in the last third of the night. Each such prayer strengthens the relationship of the asker with his Lord.

In a hadith from Imam al-Bukhari, it is narrated that the Angel Jabrail appeared to the Final Messenger of God (S.G.V.) and commanded: “Get up, read namaz and make dua! After all, this night is the fifteenth night of Shaaban. The Lord forgives those who spend it in worship.”

As a reliable hadith says, “On the Night of Baraat, the Merciful and Merciful will ask: “Is there anyone who asks for forgiveness so that I forgive him? Is there anyone who is being tested so that I can deliver him from them? ?" And so He lists people with various requests until dawn comes.

In addition to prayers, it is sunnah to keep an uraza. The Prophet of Islam (S.G.V.) admonished: “When the night of the middle of Shaaban comes, revive her and fast on her day (next).”

What duas are read in Lailatul Baraat

Bayhaki conveys the importance of praying to the Almighty on this night: “The dua made on these five nights is not rejected: the first night of Rajab, the night of the middle of the month of Shaaban, the night from Thursday to Friday, the nights of the holidays of Eid al-Fitr and (Uraza and Kurban Bayram )".

In another saying of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) it is indicated: “The Creator will direct His gaze 70 times on the Night of Baraat to the one who performs this prayer. With every glance, He will deliver this person from seventy needs, the smallest of which will be his forgiveness ”(narrated by Ibn Maja).

“ALLAKHUMMA INNII ES-ELYUKE MUJIBETI RAHMETIKYA UE AZEE-IME MEGEFIRATIKYA UES-SELEMETE MIN KULLI ISMIN. UEL-GANIMEE MI KULLI BIRRIN UEL-FEUZE BIL-JENNETE MINEN-NNAR"

Translation:“O Allah, truly, I ask You for something that will surely (lead to the manifestation) of Your mercy and will certainly (allow me to earn) Your forgiveness, and for deliverance from all sin, and for the multiplication of all good things, and for gaining Paradise, and about salvation from fire!

You can make the following dua, based on the verse of the Qur'an:

“Oh Lord, if you wrote my name in the book of the happy, then leave it there forever. If you have written my name in the book of the unfortunate, cross it out. Indeed, only You command: “YEMHULLAHU MEE YEEEEEE-U UE USBIT. UE ʻINDEHU UMMUL-KITEEB" (Allah erases and affirms what He wills, and with Him is the Mother of Scripture", 13:39)

What kind of prayer is performed on the Night of Baraat

Of the desirable ones, one can list tahajjud (voluntary night prayer), (for the forgiveness of sins), tasbih-namaz (repeating the words of tasbiha 75 times in each rak'ah). In addition, salatul-khair, a prayer of 100 rak'ahs, serves as a special prayer in Laylatul-Baraat. Its peculiarity is that in each rak'ah, after the surah "Opening", the surah "Ikhlas" is read ten times.

As noted in the hadiths, “To the one who performs a hundred rak'ahs of prayer on this night, Allah will send a hundred angels. 30 angels will bring him good news that he will enter Paradise. 30 angels - the good news that he will be saved from the torments of Hell. 30 angels will save him from worldly troubles. And 10 angels will protect him from the instigations and snares of Satan.”

What is condemned this night

On the Night of Baraat, it is not mandatory to perform additional prayers, fasting, and doing dhikr. This is not fard or wajib. Everything is done at will, in order to observe the Sunnah of the Prophet (S.G.V.) and get closer to the Almighty. Islam, being a religion of relief, does not force a person to worship all night, exhausting himself and causing harm. If a person gets up early, he is tired or sick, he can spend part of the night in worship or do what he is able to do. A Muslim can read dua (in Arabic or native language) when he goes to bed and do dhikr until he falls asleep.

Laylatul Baraat is not a holiday, so it is not customary to congratulate other Muslims on its onset. You can earn a great reward by reminding people of the coming of this night, talking about worship, virtues. After all, he who pointed to a good deed receives a savab (reward) equal to that if he himself performed it.

It is not worth spending the evening and night in other (worldly) affairs, if they are not so important, they can be postponed. Also, Islamic scholars recommend to refrain from Muslim lectures and collective prayers. Worship on this night is a personal matter for everyone, it is only between him and God, so it is worth spending the evening and night in solitude, without being distracted by secondary things.

Translated from Arabic, "Baraat" means justification, forgiveness and purification. That is, the night when Almighty Allah, with his boundless Grace, forgives a person his sins and mistakes, having cleansed him of spiritual negativity. According to some scholars, the command of Allah Almighty about the transfer of Kyibla for Muslims from the mosque "al-Aqsa" to the Kaaba in the "Haram" was sent down in the second year of the Hijra just on the night of Baraat.

Interestingly, Muslim scholars identify five main features of this night.

1. On this night, all wise deeds are decided
2. Worships and prayers performed on this night bring much more reward (savaba) than those performed on other ordinary nights, and are considered more good.
3. On this night, the Grace of the Supreme Creator encircles the entire Universe
4. Allah, who has infinite Mercy, forgives many sins and mistakes on this night.
5. And it was on the night of Baraat that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, received the full right to be an intercessor for Muslim believers on the Day of Judgment.

According to legend, on this night of the month of Shaaban, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was granted the right to intercede for Muslims and one third of it was transferred, on the fourteenth night another one third, and on the fifteenth night He was granted the full right to intercede for his ummah (shafaghat) on the Day of Judgment.

The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered his ummah the following:

“Spend the fifteenth night of the month of Sha'ban awake and in worship, and fast during the day. After sunset on that day, Allah will descend to the heavens and say: “Is there anyone who asks for forgiveness, and I will forgive him. Is there anyone who asks for food, and I will give food to him. Is there someone who is in trouble so that I can grant him health and peace? This will continue until dawn.”

Imam Subuki writes in his tafsirs: “Indeed, this night washes away the sins of the whole year, and Friday night washes away the sins of the week, and the Night of Destiny (Laylat ul-Qadr) is the sins of all life”, i.e., the revival of these nights is the cause of washing away sins, and therefore this night (Baraat) is called the night of washing away sins.

This night is also called the night of life because of the hadith that Munziriy transmitted from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “The heart of the one who revives the festive night and the night of the middle of the month of Shaban will not die on the day of death of hearts.”

Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, also said:

“On this night, the Almighty will grant forgiveness to all Muslims, with the exception of sorcerers, soothsayers, envious people who have a weakness for alcohol, who disobey their parents and continue to be zealous in adultery”

He also said: “On the fifteenth night of the month of Shaaban, Almighty Allah will show mercy to everyone and forgive everyone, except for those who disobey their parents and associate partners with the Almighty.”; narrated by Ibn Maja.

Fasting in the month of Sha'ban

This month also gives Muslims the opportunity to prepare for the month of Ramadan. In the month of Shaaban, every Muslim needs to especially focus on his behavior, you need to: correct mistakes and bad deeds, do more good deeds, show a good attitude and generally good manners. In addition to five prayers, additional prayers should be performed, night prayer (tahazhjud), commemorate the Almighty, and express gratitude for the gifts that He has given us. An additional post is desirable every Monday and Thursday, or on the 13th, 14th, 15th days of this month.

Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said:

“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fasted, so we said that he would never break his fast and break his fast, so we said that he did not fast at all, and I did not see that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, I fasted for a whole month, except in the month of Ramadan. And I did not see the prophet fast in any of the months more than in Shaaban.

It was also reported from Usama ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “O Messenger of Allah! I have not seen you fast so (much) in other months as in the month of Shaaban.” To which the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “This is the month between Rajab and Ramadan, people leave it without much attention. However, this is the month in which deeds ascend to the Lord of the worlds. And I like my affairs to rise when I am in a state of fasting. This hadeeth explains the wisdom of fasting in the month of Sha'ban, namely the fact that deeds rise to Allah. Also, some scholars pointed to another wisdom of fasting in the month of Shaban, which lies in the fact that this fast is like a sunnah prayer performed before the obligatory prayer. Thus, a person prepares himself, a kind of warm-up before performing the obligatory form of worship.

The 15th night of the month of Shagban is called “Lailatu Baraat” - the night of obedience, the night of purification, the forgiveness of sins by Allah. So do not miss the opportunity to repent again!

Muslims around the world celebrate the holy Night of Barat. This is a special night of the year that symbolizes goodness, forgiveness and love. It is also a time of fasting and prayer. This year, the night of Baraat will come from June 1-2.

In the Qur'an, the night of Baraat is listed as a sacred time of the day when any person practicing Islam can ask Allah for forgiveness. It is also a night of intensified prayers, not in vain, in Arabic, "Baraat" means "purification."

Night of Baraat in 2017: what to do

As a rule, in the morning, immediately after the night in Baraat, Muslims perform a ritual of ablution, put on clean clothes and go to breakfast with their families. Before eating, the head of the family say a prayer. It is believed that treats should be light. Mostly at this time, family members treat themselves to vegetables. The table on which the dishes are located should be low. Also, among the traditions followed by Muslims on this day, there is a tradition to get rid of unnecessary things.

After the holy night of Baraat, preparations for the most important month of Ramadan for all Muslims follow.

Shaaban is one of the most valuable months for which you can find specific instructions in the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). It is reported in an authentic hadith that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) fasted for most of the month of Sha'ban. These fasts were not obligatory for him, but Sha'ban is the month immediately preceding Ramadan. Therefore, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) proposed preparatory measures, some of which are listed below:

1. The Blessed Companion Anas (radiallahu anhu) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was asked: “Which fast is most valuable after the fasts of Ramadan?”. He replied: "The fasts of Shaaban in honor of Ramadan."

2. The Blessed Companion Usama ibn Zeyd (radiallahu anhu) reported that he asked the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): “Messenger of Allah, I saw you fasting in the month of Shaban as often as in any other month.” Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) replied: “It is (Shaaban) the month between Rajab and Ramadan, which many people neglect. And this is the month in which the reckoning of deeds (of people) is presented before the Lord of the universe, so I want my deeds to be presented at the time I am fasting.”

3. Ummul-Mu "minin Aisha (radiallahu anha) said: "Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to fast all of Shaaban." I asked him, "Messenger of Allah, is Shaaban your favorite month to fast?" He said, "In this month, Allah sets up a list of people who die this year. Therefore, I want my death to come while I am fasting."

4. In another hadith, she says: “The Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sometimes began to fast continuously, that we began to think that he would never stop fasting, and sometimes he used to stop fasting, that we began to think that he would never stop fasting. will not fast. I have never seen Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) fast during the entire month, except for the month of Ramadan, and I have never seen him fast more often than on Shaaban.”

5. In another hadith, she says: “I have never seen the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) fasting as much as he did in the month of Shaban. He used to fast this month, leaving only a few days, or rather, he used to fast almost the entire month.

6. Ummul-Mu "minin Umm Salamah (radiallahu anha) said: "I never saw the Messenger of Allah fasting for 2 months continuously, except for the months of Shaaban and Ramadan."

These hadiths indicate that fasting in the month of Sha'ban, although not obligatory, is so valuable that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did not like to miss it.

But it should be borne in mind that the fasts of Shaaban are only for those people who are able to keep them without causing inferiority in the obligatory fasts in Ramadan. Therefore, if a person is afraid that after fasting Shaaban he will lose strength or vigor for fasting Ramadan and will not be able to fast Ramadan with courage, he should not fast Shaaban, since fasting Ramadan, which is obligatory, is more important than voluntary post in Shaaban. Therefore, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) forbade Muslims from fasting 1 or 2 days immediately before the start of Ramadan. The Blessed Companion Abu Hurayrah (radiallahu anhu) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Do not fast after the first half of the month of Shaban has passed.”

According to another hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Do not precede the month of Ramadan with one or two fasts.”

The meaning of the above hadiths is that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) himself used to fast most of the month of Shaban, because he was not afraid of weakness or fatigue before the start of Ramadan. And he ordered others not to fast after the 15th Shaaban for fear that they would lose strength and vigor before the start of Ramadan and would not be able to celebrate the month of Ramadan with enthusiasm.

Night of Baraat

Another significant feature of the month of Shaaban is the presence of a night in it, which is designated in the Shariah as "Laylatul-Baraat" (Night of liberation from Fire). This night falls between the 14th and 15th days of the month of Shaaban. There are certain hadiths of the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), proving that this is a special night on which Divine mercy visits people all over the earth. Some of the hadiths are given below:

1. It is reported that Ummul-Mu "minin Aisha (radiallahu anha) said: “Once the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) performed a night prayer (tahajjud) and was in a very long sajdah that I was afraid if he had died. When I saw this, I got up (from the bed) and moved his thumb (to make sure he was alive) The finger moved and I returned (to my place) Then I heard him say in sajda: “I seek the refuge of Your forgiveness from Your punishment, and I seek the refuge of Your pleasure from Your displeasure, and I seek Your refuge from You. I cannot praise you as fully as you deserve. You are exactly the way You defined Yourself.” After that, he raised his head from the sajdah and finished his prayer. He turned to me: “Aisha, did you think that the Prophet betrayed you?” I said: “No, O Prophet of Allah, but I was afraid that your soul was taken (from this world) because your sajdah was very long.” He asked me: "Do you know what kind of night this is?" I said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said: “This is the night of half Shaaban. Allah the Almighty looks on this night at his slaves and forgives those who ask for forgiveness, and honors those who ask for mercy with His mercy, but keeps those who have evil intent (against a Muslim) the same (and does not forgive them until those until they are freed from malice).

2. In another hadith, Sayyidah Aisha (radiallahu anha) reported that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah Almighty on the night in the middle (month) of Shaaban forgives a large number of people - more than the number of hairs of sheep of the Kalb tribe.”

The Kalb were a large tribe with a very large number of sheep. Therefore, the last sentence of the hadith indicates a large number of people forgiven on this night by Allah Almighty.

3. In another hadith, she narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “This is the middle Night (of the month) Shaaban. Allah frees a large number of people from the Fire, more than the hairs growing on the sheep of the Kalb tribe. But He will not even look at the person who associates with Allah, or at the one who cultivates an evil intention in his heart (against someone), or at the one who breaks family ties, or at the person who leaves his clothes hanging down below his ankles ( as a sign of pride), or on the one who disobeys his parents, and on the one who has the habit of drinking wine.

4. Sayyidina Mu "az ibn Jabal (radiallahu anhu) reports that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allah the Almighty will look at all those created by Him in the middle Night of Shaaban and will forgive all those created by Him, except for the one who associates Him with partners or the one in whose heart there is an evil intention (against a Muslim).”

Although the chain of narrators of some of these hadeeths has some minor technical shortcomings, looking at all these hadeeths together, it becomes clear that this night has some compelling merit, and holding this night as a holy night is not an unfounded concoction, as some make it out to be. modern Ulama, who, on the basis of the mentioned minor shortcomings of the hadith, have completely abandoned attaching special significance to this night. In fact, some of the hadith experts considered some of these hadeeths to be authentic, and defects in the chains of some others were considered by them as minor technical flaws, which, according to the science of hadith, are eliminated by having multiple transmission paths. Therefore, the elders of the ummah constantly considered this night a night of special virtues and spent it in worship and prayers.

What should be done on this night?

In order to observe the Night of Baraat, one should stay awake on this night for as long as possible. If someone has more opportunity for this, he should spend the whole night in worship and prayer. However, if someone cannot do this for one reason or another, he can choose for this purpose any significant part of the night, preferably its second half, and perform the following acts of worship:

(a) Prayer. Namaz is the most preferred action to perform on this night. There is no fixed number of rak'ahs, but it is desirable that there be at least eight. It is also recommended that each part of the prayer - such as qiyam, ruku "and sajda - be performed longer than usual. In prayer, one should recite the longest suras of the Holy Quran from those that a person knows by heart. If someone does not remember the long suras, he can also recite several short suras in one rakah.

(b) Tilavat. The recitation of the Holy Quran is another form of worship that is very beneficial on this night. After performing the prayer or at any other time, one should recite as much from the Holy Quran as a person is able to do.

(c) Dhikr. Zikr (remembrance of the name of Allah) should also be performed on this night. The following dhikr is especially useful:

Salat (durud) should be said to the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) as much as possible. Dhikr can also be said while walking, lying on the bed, or during other hours of work or rest.

(d) Dua. The greatest benefit that can be derived from the blessings of this night is dua. It is hoped that all duas on this night will be accepted by our Lord, insha Allah. A dua in itself is an ibadat, and Allah Almighty gives a reward for each dua along with the satisfaction of the needs of the caller. Even if what was prayed for is not achieved, a person cannot be deprived of the reward for dua, which is sometimes more valuable than the earthly goods that he seeks. Dua also strengthens a person's relationship with Allah Almighty, which is the main goal of all types and forms of worship.

A person can pray for whatever he wants. But the best duas are those made by the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). These duas are so comprehensive that the eloquent expressions used in them cover all human needs of both this world and the Hereafter. In fact, the duas of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) are so deep that the human imagination can hardly measure their greatness.

Books in various languages ​​are available on the subject of the dua of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and a person should pray to Allah Almighty in accordance with them, pronouncing the dua in Arabic or translating their meaning in their own language.

(e) There are people who cannot perform extra prayer or recitation of the Qur'an for various reasons (illness, weakness, or being busy with other necessary tasks). Such people should not be completely deprived of the benefits of this night. They should do the following:

1. Perform Maghrib, Isha and Fajr prayers with the Jamaat in the mosque or in their homes in case of illness.

2. The dhikr, especially mentioned in point (c), should be constantly recited in any position until the person falls asleep.

3. One should pray to Allah for forgiveness and other blessings. You can even do this in bed.

(e) Women during menstruation cannot perform prayer and recite the Qur'an, but they can say any dhikr, tasbih, durud sharif and can turn to Allah with any request they wish in any language. They may also recite Arabic duas given in the Qur'an or in hadiths with the intention of dua (without the intention of tilawat).

(g) According to a hadith which is relatively less authentic, Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was that night in the Baqi cemetery, where he prayed for the Muslims buried there. Based on this, some fuqahs considered it mustahab (recommended) that night to go to the Muslim cemetery and recite the Fatiha surah or any other part of the Koran and pray for the dead. However, this action is not required and should not be performed regularly as a requirement.

1. As mentioned above, the Night of Baraat is the night of special blessings aimed at Muslims. Therefore, this night should be spent in complete obedience to Allah Almighty, and one should avoid all those actions that may not please Allah. Although every Muslim must always refrain from committing sins, on such nights this abstinence becomes even more necessary, since committing sins on this night will be tantamount to responding to divine blessings with disobedience and serious crimes. Such arrogant behavior cannot cause anything other than the wrath of Allah. Therefore, one should strictly refrain from all sins, especially those mentioned in Hadith #3 from earlier in this article, because sins deprive a person of the blessings of this night.

2. Some people on this night do things that they consider necessary for the celebration of the Night of Baraat: they prepare special dishes, highlight houses or mosques, or temporary structures. All such actions are not only baseless and invented by ignorant people in recent times, but in some cases are a complete imitation of the rituals of non-Muslims. Such imitation is itself a sin, and doing it on such a blessed night as the Night of Baraat makes it even worse. Muslims should strictly avoid such actions.

3. Some people hold religious meetings on this night and give long lectures. Such actions are also not recommended. On this night, only genuine acts of worship should be engaged.

4. Such acts of worship as prayer, recitation of the Qur'an and dhikr should be performed on this night individually, and not collectively. Nafl prayer should not be performed in the jamaat and Muslims should not organize gatherings in mosques for the collective celebration of this night.

On the contrary, this night implies the worship of Allah in solitude. This is a time to enjoy direct contact with the Lord of the Universe and to pay attention to Him and Him alone. These are the precious hours of this night, in which no one should interfere between a person and His Lord, and one should turn to Allah with full concentration without interference from anyone.

Therefore, the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) performed acts of worship this night in complete solitude, without anyone accompanying him, even without his beloved life partner Sayyida Aisha (radiallahu anha), and therefore all forms of voluntary worship (nafl-ibadat) are recommended by him to be done individually, not collectively.

Fasting of the 15th Shaaban

On the day following the Night of Baraat, i.e. On the 15th of Sha'ban, it is mustahabb (recommended) to fast. It was reported that the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) highly recommended this fast. Although some hadith scholars have certain doubts about the authenticity of this hadith, however, as mentioned earlier, the fasts of the first half of the month of Sha'ban have special merit, and the Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) fasted most of the days of Sha'ban. A large number of elders (salaf) of the ummah held the post of the 15th Shaaban. This continuous practice indicates that they accepted the relevant hadeeth as authentic.

Therefore, it is recommended to fast on the 15th of Sha'ban, keeping a voluntary (nafl) fast. One can also keep a kaza fast (making up for a missed obligatory fast) and it is hoped that one may also benefit from the virtues of this fast.

Like any human culture, Muslims have a number of holidays, fasts and other memorable dates that rightfully belong only to them. However, there is a certain distinguishing feature that separates the adherents of this religious denomination from the rest - the absence of borrowed holidays. It is widely believed that the Prophet Muhammad forbade all Muslims to celebrate the holidays of other peoples, which is why their integrity has been preserved to this day. Let's get acquainted with the most important Muslim holidays and fasts in 2017.

What is the Muslim calendar

First of all, the Muslim calendar (Islamic) is, and is used mainly to determine all Muslim religious dates, while in some countries it is the official calendar.

The main difference between the Muslim calendar and the Gregorian calendar that we are used to is the beginning of the chronology, which in the Muslim calendar starts from July 16, 622, i.e. from the date of the Hijra, it was on this date that the Prophet Muhammad and other Muslims were forced to move from Mecca to Medina . For this reason, in all Islamic countries, The Muslim calendar is called the Hijri calendar.. Thus, the next year 2017 for Muslims will be 1438-1439 Hijri.

Calendar of Muslim holidays for 2017

New Year according to the Muslim calendar

September 22, 2017 (Fri) - Hijri New Year. On this date, one year according to the Islamic calendar is replaced by another. It is noteworthy that in Islamic countries the New Year is celebrated very coldly. However, there is one belief among Muslims, which is similar to ours - New Year's. They say: how you spend the first month of the new year, so the whole year will pass.

Important Muslim (Islamic) holidays and dates in 2017

Night of Baraat

May 11, 2017 (Tue) - Night of Baraat. One of the sacred nights for Muslims. Some believe that it was on this night that the Koran was sent down from heaven to earth, but only on the night of Qadr did it reach the prophet Muhammad.

Ramadan

May 27, 2017 kind (Sat) – in Arabic in Turkish. The longest Muslim fast, which lasts a whole month. Throughout the month, Muslims refrain from eating certain foods, frequent meals, sexual intercourse, smoking, etc. During this period, most of the time should be spent in prayer and repentance.

Night of Power and Predestination

June 21, 2017 (Wed) - Night of Power and Predestination. The most important night of the year. It was in Qadr that the Prophet Muhammad received the first suras of the Holy Quran.

Eid al Adha

June 26, 2017 (Mon) - (also called Ramadan Bairam or Eid al-Fitr). It is one of the two major Islamic holidays (see Islamic calendar above). On this holiday, Muslims rejoice that they were given the opportunity to grow spiritually, enrich themselves, cleanse their soul and body during the fast of Ramadan. Preparation for the holiday begins four days before its onset. The hostesses do a general cleaning of the premises. On the eve of Uraz Bayram, all family members wash themselves, put on clean clothes (and often new clothes), and prepare treats. On this Muslim holiday, family feasts are held, in which everyone tries to congratulate each other, give gifts and wish warm words from the bottom of their hearts.

Day of Arafat

August 31, 2017 (Thursday) - Day of Arafat. On this date, all Muslims strive to complete their pilgrimage by making a sacrifice to Allah on the sacred Mount Arafat.

Kurban Bayram

September 1, 2017 (Fri) - (called the Feast of the Sacrifice). For the glory of Allah, Muslims slaughter a young lamb, a cow or a camel, part of it is distributed to the poor, part is given to the community. The third part is kept for a special dinner with the family in honor of the holiday.

Day of Ashura

1. On the day of Ashura, according to the Qur'an, Allah created the sky, the earth, the angels and the first man. And the day of judgment will also take place on that date.
2. Day of fasting among the Sunnis in honor of the fasting of Muhammad, who first arrived on this date in the city of Medina.
3. Day of mourning for the Shiites. It is believed that it was on the Day of Ashura that the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, Imam al-Hussein, and his followers were put to death.

Death of the Prophet Muhammad

November 17, 2017 (Fri) - Day of the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Mourning in all Muslim countries.

Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad

December 1, 2017 (Fri) is the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. In many Muslim cities it is celebrated magnificently and festively. Posters with sayings are hung everywhere, sermons are read, songs are sung.