The month of my Beloved!

Sya'ban

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 3.127
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) would fast most of the month of Sha`ban. Aishah (Radi`Allahu Anhu)said: "I never saw the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) fast a complete month save for Ramadan, and I have never seen him fast more in a month than he did in Sha`ban." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Usamah ibn Zaid (Radi`Allahu Anhu) inquired: "O Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam), I never find you fasting in any month like you do during the month of Sha`ban." The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) responded: "That is a month the people neglect. It comes between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds. I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting." (Related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa`i, and by IbnKhuzaimah.)

Other than the whole of the holy month of Ramadan,it was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) that he would keep as many voluntary fasts as possible in the month of Shabaan.

Narrated Abu Hurairah, Allaah's Messenger said: "When the month of Shaban is halfway, do not fast." [Reported by the five, Ahmad disapproved it].

Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Fasting in Sha'ban is better than fasting in the Sacred Months, and the best of voluntary fasts are those that are (observed in the months) closest to Ramadan, before or after. The status of these fasts is like that of al-Sunan al-Rawatib which are done before and after fard (obligatory prayers) and which make up for any shortfall in the number of obligatory prayers. The same applies to fasts observed before and after Ramadan. Just as al-Sunan al-Rawatib are better than other kinds of voluntary prayers, so fasts observed (in the months) before and after Ramadan are better than fasts at other times.

Hazrat Umm Salama (Radhiyallahu anhaa) is reported as having said:
In no other month, apart from Ramadaan, did Allaah’s Messenger (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) fast more often than in Sha’baan. And that was because, each Sha’baan, all who must die in the course of that year have their names transcribed from the list of the living onto that of the dead, and a man may embark on a journey even while his name is listed among those about to die.

According to Anas ibn Maalik (Radhiyallahu anhu), the Prophet (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said:
“The excellence of Rajab over other months is like the excellence of the Qur’aan over all other speech, while the excellence of Sha’baan over other months is like my excellence over the rest of the Prophets, and the excellence of Ramadaan over other months is like the excellence of Allaah (Exalted is He) over all His creatures.”