A lot of Hadiths can be seen referring the nobility of the night of Bara’. The Prophet (Peace and Blessing of Allah be upon him) says: on the fifteenth night of Sha’ban (the eighth month of Islamic calendar), the Almighty Allah will shower the kindness on his creatures and will forgive all sins to them except to polytheists and the hostile minded. In some narrations can be found that the Almighty abandons the Astrologer, the drunkard, those who despising his parents and adulterers from his forgiveness. The above mentioned Hadith has been reported by Ibn Hibban, Thabarani and Baihaqi(May Allah Mercy upon them) through Mua’d bin Jabal (May Allah Pleased with him), by Ibn Majah through Abu Moosa Al- Ash’ari and by Bazzar and Baihaqi through Abu Bakr ((May Allah Mercy upon them). Ibn Hibban has commented that this Hadith is ‘Sahih’ (authenticated) as like Allama Zurqani commented that it is ‘Hasan’.
Aysha, the mother of believers, says: once in a night, the Messenger of Allah (PBH) got up and performed the Prayer. He did a long lasting prostration. I ran to the Messenger supposing that he might breathe his last. After a while, he raised his head from the prostration and completed his prayer. He asked me; Aysha ! Did you think that the Prophet betrayed you? I said: oh the Messenger of Allah! By the Almighty, I haven’t thought so. But when I saw the lasting of your prostration, I supposed you might be departed. Then he asked do you know the nobility of this night? I replied Allah and his Messenger will know. Soon, he told: this is the night of fifteenth day of Sha’ban. Verily on this night, Allah Almighty will shower his kindness on the slaves of Him, will accept the repentance of those who raised their hands to Him seeking forgiveness and will remain the hostile- minded on their state itself (i.e. i means that they will be forgiven after only avoiding their hostility and enmity) (Baihaqi, Ala’ bin Haris).
Ala’, the reporter seen in the chain of this narration, has not heard Aysha (May Allah Pleased with her). But he is an honest and a great scholar. Besides, the author of four Sunan, Abu Davood, Thurmudi, Nasaie and Ibn Majah (May Allah Mercy upon them) and Imam Muslim(R)told about this Hadith that this an acceptable ‘Mursal Hadith’ i.e. ‘Munqathi’e (The Hadith on which a reporter disappeared from the chain of narration (Zurqani 7/411). If so, this Hadith must be become ‘Muthasil Al-sanad’ and beyond the clutches of doubts.
Aysha says: Once in a night I did not see the Messenger in the bed. Seeking him, I came out from my house. After a while, I found him raising his both eyes to the sky and standing in the grave yard of Jannathul Baqie. Then the Messenger asked me: Did you fear that the Almighty and his Messenger betraying you? Soon, I replied: Oh the Messenger of Allah! I supposed that you might go to any other wives of you. The Messenger (PBH) commented: Verily, on the night of fifteenth Sha’ban, the Almighty (i.e. his kindness) will come down into the first heaven. Then, he will forgive the sins even if they are enough in number more than the hires of sheep of Kilab tribe( on that time the tribe of Kilab was the owners of most excessive number of sheep). Imam Baihaqi and Daraquthni (R) reported a Hadith as Aysha (R) saying that the above mentioned incident took place on the fifteenth night of Sha’ban and her turn was on that night. They reported this Hadith through Ahmad bin Abu Shayba, Thurmudi, Ibn Majah, Baihaqi, Hajjaj bin Arthath and Yahya bin Abu Kathir by Urwa by Aysha (May Allah Mercy upon them).
So, let us discuss on the chain of this narration. Al Haifz Sindi and Iraqi has clarified that the Hadith has been reported by other three chains without the above noted one. These all chains each one strengthens the other. Hence this Hadith has reached to stage of Hasan Li Ghairihi (the next step of Sahih with the support of another one). (Zurqani 7/412).
Imam Zurqani(R) specially highlighted the saying of Imam Ibn Rajab (R) that this Hadith is more acceptable than others those appeared in this subject.
The above noted Hadith all are in the position of Hasan Li Ghirihi and deprived of any sort of doubt and demerit in its chain of narrations. Here comes some anti Islamic activist. They accused that the chains of the Hadiths are not acceptable and the narrators in the chain are not reliable. They used their stages and publications for circulating their false messages. Besides, they made a lot of believers astray form the straight path. These miscreants tried every nerve to make this virtuous night stained. Considering this pathetic condition, we mentioned the chain of narration in detail. There are a lot of Hadiths belonging to the subject. But here only the third Hadith mentioned above is sufficient to prove our claim. For, it is in the position of Hasan Li Ghairihi. In addition, it is not a dispute to accept such Hadith as an evident in Ahkams (in the canon law of Islam).
The famous Hadith scholar Sheikh Abdul Haqq Al-Dahlawi (R) says: the consonance (ijam’a) of scholars supports the argument that the Hadith Sahih can be taken as an evident in Ahkams. Likewise, the Hasan Li Ghairihi is also an evident in it by the consonance of the scholars. Concerning each one of the weak narration, it would be an evident in virtuous deeds only. But, if those Hadiths are taking together, it would be in the stage of Hasan (Al Muqaddima Page 6).