KARACHI: All public and private schools and colleges will remain closed on Wednesday (March 8) on account of Shab-e-Barat (Shaban 15th), the College Education Department of Sindh announced on Tuesday.

Believers across the country will observe Shab-e-Barat, also known as the night of blessings and glory, on Tuesday night (tonight) with full religious spirit.

“In pursuance of the decision of the Steering Committee meeting held on 22nd February 2022 all the public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of the College Education Department shall remain closed on Wednesday (March 8, 2023) on account of Shab-e-Baraat (15th Shaban, 1444),” the notification issued by the College Education Department.

Meanwhile, School Education and Literacy Department also announced that the institutions (public and private) working under administration of the department shall remain closed on March 8.  

Tonight all Muslims will gather in specially decorated mosques in large numbers to offer Nawafil, Shabina and recitation of the Holy Quran during the whole night to seek the blessings of Almighty Allah.

Almost all city mosques will hold special Shabina prayers but the most prominent are Badshahi Masjid, Data Darbar and Masjid Gunbad-e-Khizra etc.

Some traditions call Shab-e-Barat the night of blessings and accountability when The Almighty Allah makes mass judgments regarding lives, deaths, bestowments and blessings for the next year.

Besides, judgments for awarding blessings and Rizq to the believers are also made. To seek those huge blessings, the believers make special prayers for the prosperity of the entire Ummah, soliciting unity, security and restoration of peace and above all averting the compounding economic crisis in the country.

Most of the city mosques have been decorated with lightings and buntings and extra security measures have been made with the deployment of police personnel for the protection of worshippers.

The ulema through their special prayers offered collective repentance before The Almighty for their sins, terming the economic hardships a form of His wrath and punishment, and sought His blessings to fend off this punishment from the world.

The graveyards will be thronged by a large number of believers to pray for the departed souls of their loved ones.

The moon for the holy month of Shaban was sighted in Pakistan on February 21. The first of Shaban will be marked on February 22.