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Islamic holiday
Barat festival

Mid Sha'ban ( or ليلة نصف مِن شعبان laylat niṣf min šaʿbān "night on the half of Sha'ban") is a Muslim holiday observed by Shia and Sunni Muslim communities on the eve of 15th of Sha'ban (i. e., the night following the sunset on the 14th day) — the same night as Shab e barat or Laylat al Bara’ah .

It is regarded as a night when the fortunes of individuals for the coming year are decided and when Allah may forgive sinners. In many regions, this is also a night when prayers are arranged for forgiveness from Allah for one's deceased ancestors. Additionally, Twelver Shia Muslims commemorate the birthday of Muhammad al Mahdi on this date. Imam Ja'far al Sadiq and Imam Muhammad al Baqir used to perform special prayers in this night. Both Sunni and Shia Muslims recognise this night to be as the Night of Forgiveness. Muslims observe Mid Sha'ban as a night of worship and salvation. Scholars like Imam Shafii, Imam Nawawi, Imam Ghazzali, and Imam Suyuti have declared praying acceptable on the night of mid Shaban.

The base for celebrating Mid Sha'ban is not without dispute. Whether or not 15 Sha'ban is regarded as a special holiday, has primarily been an issue of interpreting the Quran and classifying the Hadith.

According to Twelver Shias, Muhammad al Mahdi, the final Shia Imām, was born on 15 Sha'ban. Shi'as celebrate Muhammad al Mahdi's birthday on that day and perform religious acts such as prayers for the reappearance of Muhammad al Mahdi, fasting, and worship. Iranian cities are decorated on night of Mid Sha'ban.

Mid Sha'ban is celebrated in countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Lebanon, Iran, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan. The Salafi Arabs do not celebrate this holiday. In the Arab world the festival is celebrated by Arabs with Sufi heritage, and Shias. In Iraq, children are given candies as they walk around their neighborhoods. Sunni Muslims in Iraqi Kurdistan and Afghanistan celebrate this holiday 15 days before Ramadan. Some Muslims in Indonesia do communal zikr in mosques followed by a lecture (ceramah) led by an ustad or otherwise known in Java and Madura as a kyai. This tradition is rarely followed in Indonesia, but it is widely followed in Aceh, West Sumatra and South Kalimantan. In South Asia, Muslims make sweets (especially Halwa or Zarda) to be given to the neighbors and the poor on the evening prior to the 15th of Sha'ban. This custom of distributing Halva is also practiced in Bosnia on the 15th night of Sha'ban, as well as on three other holidays: Laylat al Qadr, Laylat al Mi'raj and Laylat al Raghaib.