Islamic World Observes Barat, Holy Night of Fate and Forgiveness:  Thursday, February 13, 2025

Contributed by Andra Baylus, Regional Director of the Meher Baba Spiritual Community

I recently became aware of the Islamic observation of Barat.  Because I love to learn about the observations of different faith traditions, I did some research and learned the following:

Shab-e-Barat or “The Night of Forgiveness” is one of the most sacred nights in Islamic tradition, celebrated by millions of Muslims worldwide. It has various names worldwide, such as Cheragh-e-Barat, Berat Kandili or Nisfu Syaaban.

Shab-e-Barat is believed to be the night in which Allah (SWT) grants forgiveness and mercy to all his believers who repent for their sins and wrongdoings. 

This holy night occurs on the 15th of Shaban, the eighth month of the lunar calendar in Islam. The Persian word “Shab” means “night” while  “Barat” is an Arabic word meaning “forgiveness” or “salvation.” The term together represents the night in which Muslims turn to Allah (SWT) for salvation, mercy, and forgiveness.

It is a period of spiritual reflection, praying, and remembrance and is regarded as a chance for everyone to call for redemption from their past sins and start a new reformed life. It is one of the most sacred nights in Islam, similar to the nights of Laylat al-Qadr.  

This blog post is the expressed opinion of its writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Tysons Interfaith or its members.