In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Month of Rajab
Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
Praise be to Allaah, Who says which means: “And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses” (Al-Qasas: 68). The attribute of choosing or selecting is indicative of His Lordship and Oneness, and of the perfection of His Wisdom, Knowledge and Power.
One aspect of His doing this is the fact that He has chosen some days and months and given them preference over others. Among the months, Allaah has chosen four which He has made sacred, as He says, which means: “Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein…” (At-Tawbah: 36). These months are calculated according to the movements of the moon, not the movements of the sun, as done by the kuffaar.
The Sacred Months are mentioned by implication in the Qur’aan, but their names are not given. Their names are mentioned in the Sunnah, though. It was reported from Abu Bakrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam gave his Farewell Sermon and said: “Time has completed its cycle and is as it was on the Day when Allaah created the heavens and the earth. The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred, three consecutive months – Dhoo’l-Qa’dah, Dhoo’l-Hijjah and Muharram – and the Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumaada and Sha’baan.” (Bukhaari & Muslim).
It was called Rajab of Mudar because (the tribe of) Mudar did not tamper with its timing, unlike the rest of the Arabs, who used to change their order depending on whether they were in a state of war or not. This was the postponing referred to in the verse, which means:
“The postponing (of a Sacred Month) is indeed an addition to disbelief: thereby the disbelievers are led astray, for they make it lawful one year and forbid it another year in order to adjust the number of months forbidden by Allaah, and make such forbidden ones lawful.” (At-Tawbah: 37)
It was also said that the reason why it was attributed to Mudar was because they venerated it and respected it so much.
Rajab is a sacred month
The Sacred months have a special status, which applies also to Rajab. Allaah says, which means: “O you who believe! Violate not the sanctity of the Symbols of Allaah, nor of the Sacred Month…” (Al-Maa’idah: 2).
This means: do not violate their sanctity which Allaah has commanded you to respect and forbidden you to violate, for this prohibition includes both vile deeds and beliefs.
Allaah says which means: “so wrong not yourselves therein…” (At-Tawbah: 36), meaning, in the Sacred Months. The pronoun here (translated here as “therein”) refers to these four sacred months, as stated by the Imaam of the Mufassireen, Ibn Jareer al-Tabari, may Allaah have mercy on him.
So we should pay attention to the sanctity of these four months, because Allaah has singled them out for a special status and has forbidden us to commit sins out of respect for their holiness. Sins committed at this time are even worse, because Allaah has made this time sacred. Hence in the verse quoted above, Allaah has specified this time and forbidden us to wrong ourselves – which includes committing sins – even though this is forbidden during all the months of the year.
Fasting in Rajab
There is no authentic report from the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam or from the Sahaabah to indicate that there is any particular virtue in fasting during Rajab. The fasting that is prescribed in Rajab is the same as that prescribed in other months, namely fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, and the three days of al-Beedh (the mid three days of the lunar month), fasting alternate days, and fasting Sirar al-Shahr. Some of the scholars said that Sirar al-Shahr refers to the beginning of the month; others said that it refers to the middle or end of the month. ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, used to forbid fasting in Rajab because it involved resemblance to the Jaahiliyyah. It was reported that Kharashah Ibn Al-Harr said: ‘I saw ‘Umar smacking the hands of those who fasted in Rajab until they reached out for food, and he was saying, ‘This is a month which was venerated in the Jaahiliyyah’.
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim said: ‘the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam did not fast for three consecutive months (i.e., Rajab, Sha’baan and Ramadaan) as some people do, and he never fasted Rajab at all, nor did he encourage people to fast this month’.
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said: ‘No saheeh hadeeth that may be used as evidence has been narrated concerning the virtues of the month of Rajab or fasting this month or fasting in any specific part of it, or observing Qiyaam al-Layl (night prayer) specifically during this month. Imaam Abu Ismaa’eel al-Harawi al-Haafiz has already stated this before me, and we have narrated this from others also’.
Some people have innovated a number of practices in Rajab, including the following:
1. Salaat al-Raghaa’ib. This prayer became widespread after the first and best centuries after the death of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam, especially in the fourth century AH. Some liars fabricated this prayer, which is done on the first night of Rajab. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, may Allaah have mercy on him, said: ‘Salaat al-Raghaa’ib is bid’ah according to the consensus of the scholars of religion, such as Maalik, al-Shaafa’i, Abu Haneefah, al-Thawri, al-‘Oozaa’i, al-Layth and others. The hadeeth that is narrated concerning it is a lie according to the consensus of the scholars who have knowledge of hadeeth’.
2. It is said to have been reported that major events happened in the month of Rajab, but none of these reports are true. It was reported that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam was born on the first night of Rajab, and that he received his Mission on the twenty-seventh, or twenty-fifth of this month. None of this is correct. It was reported with a chain of narrators that is not authentic from Al-Qaasim Ibn Muhammad that the Prophet’s Night Journey (al-Israa’) took place on the twenty-seventh of Rajab. This was denied by Ibraaheem Al-Harbi and others. One of the innovations that take place during this month is the recitation of the story of the Mi’raaj, and celebrations to commemorate it on the twenty-seventh of Rajab, or singling out this night to perform extra acts of worship such as prayer during the night or fasting during the day, or rejoicing and celebrating. Some celebrations are accompanied by haraam activities such as mixing of men and women, singing and music, etc. all of which are not permitted even on the two ‘Eeds which are prescribed in Islam, let alone innovated celebrations. Added to that is the fact that there is no proof that the Israa’ and Mi’raaj happened on this date. Even if it were proven, that is no excuse for holding celebrations on this date, because nothing of the kind has been reported from the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam or from his companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, or from any of the Salaf (early generations) of this nation. If it were a good thing, they would surely have done it before us. May Allaah help us.
3. Salaat Umm Dawood halfway through Rajab.
4. The du’aa’s which are recited specifically during Rajab are all fabrications and innovations.
5. Specifying the visiting of graves to the month of Rajab is bid’ah, because graves are to be visited at any time of the year with no exceptions.
Allah Hafiz
