THE NIGHT OF FORGIVENESS

A NIGHT OF FORGIVENESS
At this night devout muslims stay up all night praying for good fortune in the coming year ,for it's shab e barat. The third most important muslim festival after the both eids .
Shab e barat is a night long prayer celebration conducted in the privacy of the home . Which is why so little is known about it. Fatiha or prayers of salvation of a departed soul ,nafil namaz or optional prayers and recitation of the quraan,late into the night is what the festival is about in its pristine form. The illuminations you see in some localities ,the bursting of crackers and exchange of halwa or sweetmeats that marks this festival in india are not part of the original shab e barat celebrations. These are unique to the subcontinent and more of a deepavali influence ,write theologian Fazlur azmi in his book SHAB e BARAT .
The festival is celebration 15 days before RAMDHAN . The muslim month of fasting. In persian shab means night and barat means assignment . Shab e barat is the night when Allaha arrange the affairs of the coming year.
Muslim believe that on this night the Almighty writes the destinice of all men and women for the coming year by taking into account their deeds in the past year.
Shab e barat also commemorates the entry of muhammad pbuh into mecca. It is also a festival associated with the dead. The prayers for the dead.
People ,therefore stay up the whole night offering namaz . Reciting from the quraan,asking for forgiveness of their dead relative and in their memory. Flowers are also offered at their graves. Some fast the following day in preparation for the coming ramdhan.