The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not fast in any month more than he did in Sha‘bān

‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would not fast in any month more than he did in Sha‘bān. He used to fast the whole of Sha‘bān. In another narration: He used to fast the whole of Sha‘bān except for a few days. The second narration explains the first one and clarifies that her words “the whole of it” actually means “most of it”.

Another interpretation says that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would fast the entire month at times and part of it at other times. It is also said that he would fast from its beginning, middle, or latter part from time to time. Thus, he left no part of this month without having fasted in it, yet over a number of years. Hence, we ought to fast in Sha‘bān more than in other months, following the Prophet’s example.

The wisdom behind the desirability of fasting frequently in Sha‘bān is that it comes right before Ramadan, just as the supererogatory prayers are offered before the obligatory ones. According to another view, it is recommended to fast a lot in Sha‘bān because the deeds of people are raised up to Allah, the Almighty, during this month, as indicated by the Sunnah.