Day of Doubt

Ramadan Karim!
The month of fasting is noble, giving. Karim is also one of the Names of God. God is noble, open handed, giving, grand.
Here in Qom, yesterday, July 31, was the day of doubt, so called because it had not yet been determined whether it was the first day of Ramadan or the last day of Sha'ban. On the day of doubt, fasting is not obligatory, but one should fast anyway. One should fast in the hope that it is Ramadan and that the fast will be counted as the fast of the first day of Ramadan if it is, and that it will be counted as a supererogatory fast or some other kind of fast otherwise. So, whatever turns out to be the case, one can be said to have intentionally fasted in the appropriate manner.
So, we can act intentionally without knowing what we are doing, in the sense of not knowing which of various descriptions correctly characterizes our action.
All of our actions are like this, for we never know all of the subsidiary effects of our actions, although these effects would figure in some true descriptions of the actions.
According to Islamic law, all acts of worship must be performed intentionally to be valid. One must intend to perform action X under a certain description (e.g., as fulfilling a religious obligation or as a non-obligatory good deed, such as an act of charity), and the goal of performing the action must be nearness to God. On the day of doubt, we perform the action of fasting (which is not an overt action, but a negative action, a refraining from gratifying the stomach or what is below the stomach (Persian and Arabic euphemism)) under a description that takes the logical form of a conjunction of two conditionals: if it is Ramadan, then a Ramadan fast AND if it is Sha'ban, then a supererogatory fast, and the action as conditionally described is for the sake of approaching God.
What it means to approach God or to seek nearness to God is another issue. Suffice it to say that "nearness" is metaphorical, an indication of spirituality and transcendence of the physical but through the physical symbol of reduced distance. Since the whole point of worship is sanctification or the intensification of spirituality and since this depends entirely on the stance we take in our thoughts, words, and deeds, there can be no worship without the proper intention.
Sometimes people misconstrue having an intention with the recitation of a formula that describes the intention, and the religious scholars periodically remind them that intention is a matter of the heart and not of the tongue.
As it turns out, 1 August is the first of Ramadan, so the day of doubt was the last day of Sha'ban in Iran. Everyone I know fasted. May Allah accept our worship in whatever forms it takes!
Some of the Sunni sources indicate that it is forbidden to fast on the day of doubt:
Al-Nawawi said in al-Majmu’, 6/399:

Our companions said: It is not correct to fast on the day of doubt when it is uncertain that Ramadaan has begun, and there is no difference of scholarly opinion on this point… But if a person fasts it to make up for a missed fast, or in fulfillment of a vow, or as an act of expiation (kafaarah), then it is permissible, because if it is permissible to observe a voluntary fast on that day for one who has a reason to do so, then it is more appropriate that one should be allowed to observe an obligatory fast. This is like the time when it is forbidden to pray (when one may nevertheless offer a prayer for which there is a reason). And if a person still owes some missed Ramadaan fasts, then he has to observe those fasts, because the time for making it up has become very short.

Shi'i and Sunni scholars agree that a fast intended as a fast of Ramadan but on the day of doubt that turns out to be the last day of Sha'ban would be incorrect. The Shi'a, however, hold that this does not imply that one should not fast on such a day, only that one's intention has to be appropriate.

Imam Ridha (PBUH) is reported as saying, “If one observes fasting on the last three days of Sha`ban and attach it to the obligatory fasting of Ramadan, Almighty Allah will reward him as if he has observed fasting for two consecutive months.”
It has been narrated in the book Uyun al-Akhbar al-Ridha from Abi Salt al-Harawi that when he visited Imam al-Ridha (PBUH) on the last Friday of Sha`ban, the Imam said to him, “Abu’lalt: The majority of Sha`ban has passed. This is the last Friday in it. You should thus settle what you have missed in this month by working hard in the rest of it. You may supplicate, seek forgiveness of Almighty Allah, recite the Holy Qur'an, and repent before Almighty Allah from your sins so that you receive the month of Ramadan with pure sincerity to Almighty Allah. You must fulfill all the trusts that you are liable to settle; and do not bear malice against any of your brethren-in-faith; and you must give up any sin that you commit. Fear Almighty Allah and trust in Him in secret and openly, for ‘If any one puts his trust in Allah, sufficient is (Allah) for him. For Allah will surely accomplish his purpose: verily, for all things has Allah appointed a due proportion. 65/3’

In the rest days of Sha`ban, you may repeat the following supplication very much for Almighty Allah saves many people from Hellfire on account of the sanctity of this month:



اللّهُمَّ إنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ غَفَرْتَ لَنَا فِيمَا مَضَى مِنْ شَعْبَانَ فَاغْفِرْ لَنَا فِيمَا بَقِيَ مِنْهُ

O Allah: If You have not forgiven us in the past days of Sha`ban, (please do) forgive us in the rest of it.



Imam al-Sadiq (PBUH) used to say the following supplication at the last night of Sha`ban and the first night of Ramadhan:



In The Name of Allah

O’ Allah! This is the blessed month in which the Qur˜an was revealed as guidance for mankind and clear evidence of guidance and discrimination (of the right from the wrong) is being witnessed by us. Therefore, keep us healthy in it and keep us sound in our faith in it and accept it from us in a state of prosperity and health granted to us by You, O’ He who acknowledges and gives answer many times to the very little offered to Him and thanks us by giving us plenty, accept my simple (acts).
O’ Allah! I ask You to provide me with a way towards all good and keep me away from all that You do not like, O’ the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!
O’ One who forgave me and forgave me all my misdeeds committed secretly. O’ One who does not punish me for my disobedience! Your forgiveness. Your forgiveness! Your forgiveness! O’ the Generous!
O’ my Lord! You admonished me but I did not respond; You reproached me concerning Your prohibited (things) but I cared not for it - what excuse do I now have? So then pardon me O’ the Generous!
Your pardon! Your Pardon!
O’ Allah! I beseech you for ease at the time of my death and forgiveness at the time of reckoning (on the Day of Resurrection). The sins of Your slave are great (in number) but forgiveness from You should serve my purpose well. O’ the One deserving to be feared and fitted to pardon. Your pardon! Your Pardon!
O’ Allah! I am Your servant, son of Your servant and son of Your slave girl, I am weak and stand in need of Your Mercy. You are Omnipotent and Mighty. You have reckoned their deeds and accordingly distributed to them their livelihood and made them creation after creation of different languages and colours. people know not what You know and esteem You not with the estimation due to You and all of us stand in need of Your mercy. Do not turn not Your face away from us and ordain in Your decree to make me among Your creatures - virtuous in deeds and hopes and in your decree and verdict.
O’ Allah! Keep me alive to live the best life (of righteousness) and cause me to die the best death in a state of love (in my heart) towards Your friends and in a state of enmity towards Your enemies and with a desire to meet You and fearing You and with humility and fulfilling the promise and submitting to Your will, testifying to Your Book and following the life-pattern of Your Messenger (Muhammad).
O’ Allah! That which lays hold of my mind (from the following): doubt, disbelief, disappointment, intoxication, conceit, insolence, vanity, show, desire for fame, disagreement, hypocrisy, infidelity, transgression, disobedience, pride or any thing that You do not love may kindly be substituted with: faith according to Your promise, inspiration to fulfill Your promises, contentment with Your decision, piety in the world, a desire of that which is with you (good) impression, mental tranquility, and a sincere repentance. I ask You O’ Lord! of the Worlds for all of these.
O’ my Lord! Disobedience to You is due to Your forbearance (of us disobeying you), and obedience is due to Your generosity and magnanimity as if You were never disobeyed. I and the other person who never disobeyed are the dwellers of Your earth. Therefore with Your grace, pardon me and invite us to You with Your goodness, O’ the Most Merciful of those who show Mercy!
And may the everlasting prayers of Allah be upon Muhammad andhis progeny, unlimited blessing which neither could be reckoned nor appreciated by any one except
You. O’ the Most Merciful of those who show Mercy!