Well shab-e-barat is quite an interesting night! much of what is associated with it particularly in the sub-continent is not true. However, its the 15th night of a very important month of the Islamic Calendar, Sha'ban. Many scholars are of the opinion that this month should be seen as a preparation for the next month which is Ramadan. Ramadan is not just about fasting of course to state the obvious. It means refraining from many other bad habits. It is like recharging your faith, retraining your soul- 11 months of worldy affairs takes its toll if you know what I mean. Think of it like mandatory fire drills! It serves the same purpose to an extent. To remind yourself of your mortality, fragility and of course your ultimate objective on Earth. The reality is rarely do such realizations dawn on people on the first day of ramadan. The month of Sha'ban is the month where you are supposed to start PREPARING for the month of Ramadan spiritually and mentally. So that when it arrives, you can take full advantage of it. This preparations include fasting and reading up more on your faith, especially the Quran. I personally read perhaps 5 lines a day. Since I am not particularly bright or perceptive it takes me time to sit and reflect on their meanings. But thats not all. Its perhaps not a bad idea to sit down and make a list of things that you wanna achieve during the month of ramadan..like actually pick up a pen and paper and write down your aims- what you wanna be doing more and what you wanna give up on once you come out of ramadan. So those are few things, Sha'ban is significant for. Shabe Barat is the night in the middle of this important month, and as long as one remembers that, I think we are fine. The thing is I am no scholar, so don't take my word for it.
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