What Shab e Barat is

Kept on the night of 15 Shau2019ban, the month before Ramadan. Many Muslims spend it in voluntary night prayer and in seeking forgiveness, and it is widely observed in South Asia, Turkey and Central Asia.

Its status is not uniform: it is a major observance in some traditions and regarded as without firm basis in others. Practice and prominence vary considerably by school and region.

How this date is calculated, and why it shifts each year

The countdown at the top of this page is live, and the date beneath it is the next occurrence. The date follows the Islamic lunar calendar, which is about eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year. That is why it arrives earlier each year and works its way through all four seasons over roughly three decades. Dates published in advance are calculated; the confirmed date depends on the sighting of the moon and can differ by a day between countries.

The date shown here is arithmetic: it comes from a tabular Hijri calculation, not from an announcement. Many countries and communities confirm the actual day by local moon sighting or by a national religious authority, and the confirmed date can fall a day either side of the calculated one. Treat this page as a countdown to the expected date and your local mosque or religious authority as the decisive source.

What is coming up next

Once this date passes, the countdown moves on according to the recurrence rule described above. Calculated lunar dates remain estimates until the relevant calendar or local authority confirms them. See the full list of upcoming events, or use the countdown timer for a duration of your own.