Nisf Sha'ban (Mid-Sha'ban)

Nisf Sha'ban (Arabic: نصف شعبان), the 15th night of the month of Sha'ban, is one of the most blessed nights in Shia Islam. It marks the birthday of the 12th and last Imam, Imam Muhammad al-Mahdi (may Allah hasten his appearance), who was born in Samarra, Iraq, on the 15th of Sha'ban 255 Hijri (869 CE).

Imam al-Mahdi, according to Shia theology, is the promised savior who lives in ghaybah (occultation) and will return at Allah's command to fill the world with justice, as it was filled with injustice. The Prophet Muhammad said: "Even if only one day remains of this world, Allah will prolong that day until He sends a man from my progeny who will fill the earth with justice" (narrated in both Shia and Sunni collections).

Specific acts of worship for the 15th of Sha'ban include: ghusl, prayer (including a special prayer consisting of four rak'ah with specific recitations), recitation of Ziyarat Sahib al-Zaman (visitation prayer to Imam al-Mahdi), Du'a Kumayl, and Ziyarat al-Jami'ah al-Kabirah. Imam al-Sadiq said about this night: "It is the night when Allah writes the decree of life and death for the coming year" (Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 94).

Shia Muslims worldwide celebrate this night with great joy and festivity. Mosques and husayniyyahs are illuminated, lectures about Imam al-Mahdi are held, and du'as for his appearance are recited with great earnestness. The 15th of Sha'ban is one of the year's most festive evenings in Shia Muslim centers, with programs that combine worship, community, and the hope for a better world under Imam al-Mahdi's leadership.