The contention over the importance of the night of mid-Shaʿbān, and more particularly its appropriate honouring—long a matter of respectful scholarly debate—has, more recently, and particularly in the light of national celebrations of one sort or another, become a divisive issue. What has to be read between the lines is the potential for discord that such issues provoke in distracting the ʿulamāʾ from more essential concerns facing the Umma today. In this paper, Dr. Alarfaj continues the noble tradition of the original Salaf by carefully laying out the divergence of views and indeed legitimating the differing positions—to a point. Without abandoning the fine adab of the principle of scholarly debate, he reveals the scope of valid dispute in this particular issue, while highlighting the negligence of some who deem this subsidary issue to be of key importance. The muʾminūn conceal faults, show mercy, express compassion, and refrain from blaming or shaming others. Conversely, the misguided expose faults, shame others, spread despair, and drive people to lose hope, even to the extent of declaring them kāfir.
The Night of Mid-Shaʿbān Paperback by Dr. Abdulelah Alarfaj
The contention over the importance of the night of mid-Shaʿbān, and more particularly its appropriate honouring—long a matter of respectful scholarly debate—has, more recently, and particularly in the light of national...
