Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s3.t3.25

c7.s3.t3.25

The other important festival was that of *Shab Barat* (‘the night of record’) which fell on the 14th day of *Sha‘ban*.⁴ It has been aptly described as the ‘Guy Fawkes Day of Islam’ although its associations are totally different from the parallel English festival. It professes to commemorate an appropriate legend of Islam, but this is not the whole truth. It is difficult to make a positive assertion, but the *Shab Barat* festival is probably copied from the Hindu festival of Sivaratri.⁵ Some religious enthusiasts spent the whole night of *Shab Barat* in offering special prayers and reading the Holy Book and other formulae.⁶ Common people spent their time in making merry. The distinguishing features of popular celebration were the extensive use of fire-works and the illumination of homes and mosques.⁷