Syaaban And Voluntary Fasting

عَنْ أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَمْ أَرَكَ تَصُومُ شَهْرًا مِنَ الشُّهُورِ مَا تَصُومُ مِنْ شَعْبَانَ قَالَ ذَلِكَ شَهْرٌ يَغْفُلُ النَّاسُ عَنْهُ بَيْنَ رَجَبٍ وَرَمَضَانَ وَهُوَ شَهْرٌ تُرْفَعُ فِيهِ الْأَعْمَالُ إِلَى رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ فَأُحِبُّ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ عَمَلِي وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ 

Usamah bin Zaid said: 

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting any month as much as Shaban.' He said: 'That is a month to which people do not pay much attention, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are taken up to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my deeds be taken up when I am fasting."'

(HR an-Nasai No: 2357)

Status: Hadith Hasan

https://sunnah.com/nasai:2357 

Learnings:

1. The month of Shaaban, the month when the Prophet SAW performed the most voluntary fasting compared to other months. 

2. The month of Shaaban, the month where most people are negligent to increase their deeds. Many are busy with worldly affairs such as preparing for Eid, holding feasts and so on. 

3. Each of us is advised to increase our deeds in the month of Shaaban such as voluntary fasting, voluntary prayer, almsgiving, reading the Quran and others in preparation for meeting the month of Ramadan. 

4. The Prophet SAW increased deeds such as voluntary fasting in the month of Shaaban because he liked his deeds to be lifted while he was fasting. 

Let's seize the opportunity to increase righteous deeds in the month of Shaaban, including voluntary fasting. Make this month for us to 'water' our righteous deeds so that they grow and be fresh continuously in the month of Ramadan.