The 15th of Sha‘bān: Why Muslims Beg Forgiveness Before Ramadan Even Starts.
Medium | 03.02.2026 23:23
The 15th of Sha‘bān: Why Muslims Beg Forgiveness Before Ramadan Even Starts.
It’s one of the most widely observed nights on the Muslim calendar, yet its reports are discussed with caution and nuance by scholars. Still, the impulse remains: seek forgiveness, mend ties, pray as if you might not reach Ramadan.
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That tension between rigorous narration and living devotion actually tells you something beautiful about how Muslim spirituality works.
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When you watch Muslims on the 15th of Sha‘bān, you’re not really watching a “festival.” You’re watching a people rehearsing a return to Allah. Some do it quietly at home. Some fill the masjid after ʿIshā’. Some visit graves with trembling duʿā’.
In parts of the world it becomes cultural and noisy; in others it is almost invisible, like a secret between the servant and his Lord. And hovering over it all is the honest question a sincere Muslim should not be ashamed to ask:
Is this night truly “special”? And if scholars differ, what do I do with my heart’s need to be forgiven before Ramadan even starts?
