KARACHI: The Holy Shab-e-Baraat, the night of reverence and fervour and divine blessings for the Muslims, would be observed on Thursday night (today). The Shab-e-Baraat is the night of blessings and worship of the Allah, the 15th night of Shaban, eighth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, is known as Shab-e-Baraat while it is known as Laylatul Bara'ah or Laylatun Nisfe min Sha'ban in the Arab world.

Muslims typically celebrate Shab-e-Baraat on the 15th of Shaban, usually around 15 days before the month of Ramazan begins. Shab-e-Barat has tremendous benefits for Muslims. It is best to pray and worship Allah on that night and seek his forgiveness. Muslims pass the night (Shab-e-Baraat) offering special prayers, recitation from the Holy Quran, holding Milad Mahfil, Zikr, and other religious rituals to mark the occasion with due solemnity.

People also visit the graveyards of their relatives and offer Fateha for the departed souls of their beloved ones. According to a Hadith, Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) said that any individual who fasts for three days during the month of Shabaan and recites Durood three times at Iftar, Allah will forgive his sins and will increase his provisions. Additionally, the person will enter Paradise on a female camel on the Day of Judgement.

Some Islamic scholars believe that in Surah al-Dukhan, there is a reference to this night as Allah says, "We sent it (the Qur'an) down during a blessed night. We are truly warners. In that night is made distinct every affair of wisdom". Some scholars also say that in the second year of Hijrah, the direction of Qiblah was changed from Jerusalem to Ka'bah (Makkah) on the 15th day of Sha'ban. According to some of the other scholars of Tafsir, the Qur'an has not mentioned anything about this night. There are some Ahadith that speak about the Middle of Sha'ban and its night. APP