Shacbaan

Shacbaan (Arabic: شعبان) is the eighth month of the Islamic calendar, a lunar calendar in which each month begins with the sighting or calculation of the new moon. It falls between Rajab (the seventh month) and Ramadan (the ninth month).

Like other Islamic months, Shacbaan has 29 or 30 days. Because the lunar year is approximately 10–12 days shorter than the solar year, Shacbaan begins progressively earlier each year relative to the Gregorian calendar.

Etymology and origin

The name is generally derived from the Arabic root sha'aba, meaning to scatter or disperse. Standard etymological dictionaries suggest the month was named after the practice of pre-Islamic Arabs dispersing to seek water after Rajab, a month of truce in which warfare was forbidden. This explanation is linguistic in nature and cannot be verified historically.

Religious significance

Shacbaan is known as a month of preparation for Ramadan. Many Muslims observe voluntary fasting during this month, basing their practice on hadith reports that the Prophet Muhammad regularly fasted for much of it. Scholars differ on the extent of his fasting in Shacbaan and on how many days toward the end of the month it is appropriate to fast.

The night of the 15th of Shacbaan—called Laylatul Baraa'ah or Nisfu Shacbaan—is commemorated by communities in parts of the Muslim world, particularly in South Asia, Turkey, and Iran, with special prayers and supplications. Conversely, some schools of Islamic jurisprudence, particularly Salafi scholars, dispute that the communal practices associated with this night have a sound basis in Islamic tradition.

Calculation and calendar variation

The beginning and end of Shacbaan determine when Ramadan begins. For this reason, many religious authorities in different countries observe or calculate the 29th of Shacbaan to confirm the first day of the fasting month. Differences between sighting-based and astronomical calculation methods can result in different countries beginning Ramadan on different dates.