Sha'ban & 15th night in a nutshell

“…and so when that became famous regarding them in the cities, the people differed in relation to the night. Some of them accepted the greatness of the night from them and agreed with them regarding its greatness. Among them were a group of worshippers from the people of Basra and others. The majority of scholars from the people of the Hijaz disapproved of them. Among them was ‘Ata and Ibn Abi Mulaykah. ‘Abdur Rahman ibn Zayd ibn Aslam has narrated this view from the jurists (faqihs) of Madinah and that is the view of the companions of Malik and others who said: All of that is an bid’ah (innovation) …”

(I say: It is clear that the bid‘ah according to the people of the Hijaz and the companions of Malik is not due to the diligent observance of worship in the 15th night of Sha‘ban itself, but rather the bid‘ah is the gathering in the mosque in this night and to keep it awake in a gathering, wearing one’s best clothes, to burn incense, to apply kuhl on the eyes and other various activities in it. They considered that this was not from the habits of the Companions and the major Followers (may Allah be pleased with them). This is an issue of ijtihad in which we do not reprimand anyone in regards to it. In each of the two sides there at major hafizs of Hadith, jurists, and pillars of knowledge and guidance. Hafiz Ibn Rajab has mentioned after this, as you will note, that Imam Hafiz Ishaq ibn Rahwayh inclined to the view of the imams of knowledge and religion from the people of the Levant like Khalid ibn Ma‘dan, Makhul, Luqman ibn ‘Amir and others.

Then, if it is by way of argument clearly established from some of them that observing worship in the 15th night of Sha‘ban in itself, even if it is done alone, is an bid‘ah , then no attention will be paid to this view and, regardless of who it is, the utterer shall be told that we only take and act on that which has been established for us from the sayings of our beloved, our master, our imam, our Prophet, the beloved of the Cherisher of the Worlds, the master of the prophets and messengers, the prophet of guidance and clemency Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ﷺ.