A translation of this article from Naseem al-Sham
In the Name of Allah, the All Merciful, the Most Merciful
 |
| شهر رجب |
Word of the Month for Rajab
By Asmāʾ Ramaḍān
Translated by Mahdi Lock
Praise be to Allah, Lord of all
Creation, praise that complies with His blessings and compensates His abundance,
and blessings and peace be upon our master Muḥammad, may Allah’s
blessings and peace be upon him and all his family and Companions.
To proceed:
Al-Bukhārī and
Muslim have related in their two Ṣaḥīḥ collections, from the ḥadīth of
our master Abū Bakrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave a khuṭbah in his
farewell pilgrimage and in that khuṭbah he said, {Indeed time has come full
circle and returned to how it was the day Allah created the heavens and the
earth. The year is twelve months and four of them are sacred, three of which
are in succession: Dhūl Qaʿdah,
Dhūl Ḥijjah and Muḥarram, and the other is
Rajab Muḍar, which comes between Jumādā and
Shaʿbān}…and the rest of the ḥadīth.
Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has said in
Sūrat at-Tawbah: {There have been twelve months with Allah in the Book of
Allah, from the day He first created the heavens and the earth. Four of them
are sacred. That is the true religion. So do not wrong one another during them.
However, fight the idolaters totally just as they fight you totally, and know
that Allah is with the godfearing.} [At-Tawbah 9:36]
Thus, Allah, Glorified is He, has
informed us that since the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the
creation of night and day, both have revolved in their orbits and as a result
we have the darkness of the night and the whiteness of the day, and that was
when the year was made to comprise twelve months based on the sighting of the
crescent moon.
Therefore, the year in the Revealed Law
is measured according to the moon and its ascending, not the sun and its
passage through the zodiac, as is done by the People of the Book.
From these months, Allah, Glorified and
Exalted, has made four sacred, and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace, clarified which ones they are in the aforementioned ḥadīth.
-
There
has been a difference of opinion as to which of the sacred months is best:
-
One
opinion is that it is Rajab, and this is the position of some of the Shāfiʿīs and was it declared weak by Imam an-Nawawī and
others.
-
Another
opinion is that is al-Muḥarram, and this is the
preferred opinion of Imam an-Nawawī.
-
Still
another opinion is that it is Dhūl Ḥijjah,
and this has been related from Saʿīd ibn Jubayr and
others, and it is the more prominent position[1]…and
Allah knows best.
-
His
statement, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, {Indeed time has come full
circle and returned to how it was the day Allah created the heavens and the
earth. The year is twelve months…} is a nullification of the deferring of
months[2]
that was done in the Age of Ignorance,
as people in the Age of Ignorance would swap the sacred months with
other months according to their needs.
-
There
has also been a difference of opinion as to why these four month are called
sacred [ḥaram]:
-
One
opinion is that it is because of their esteemed sanctity and the unlawfulness
of committing sins therein, and it has been related from Ibn ʿAbbās,
may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, ‘Allah has singled out four months
and made them sacred. He has esteemed their sanctity and made sinning therein
weightier, and He has made righteous action and its reward weightier.’ Kaʿb
said, ‘Allah has chosen time, and the most beloved of it to Allah is the sacred
months.’
-
Another
opinion is that they are called ḥaram because fighting is unlawful therein, and this was
known in the Age of Ignorance.
- Another opinion is that the reason these months were
made sacred, out of all other months, is to facilitate the performance of Ḥajj
and ʿUmrah, and therefore the month of Dhūl Ḥijja had been made sacred because Ḥajj
takes place therein, and the month of Dhūl Qaʿdah has been made sacred along
with it because that’s when the journey towards Ḥajj is made. The month of Muḥarram
has likewise been made sacred because that’s when the return journey from Ḥajj
is made, so that the pilgrim can feel safe and secure from the moment he leaves
his house till the moment he returns. The month of Rajab has been made sacred
so that ʿUmrah can be performed in the middle of the year, and thus those who are
close to Makkah perform ʿUmrah therein.
-
Regarding his statement, may Allah bless him and grant
him peace {and Rajab Muḍar), Rajab was called Rajab because it is held
in awe [yurajjab], i.e. exalted.
- Another
opinion is that the angels devote themselves to glorifying and praising Allah
in this month.
-
As
for it being added to Muḍar, one opinion is that the people of Muḍar
would greatly exalt and respect this month, and thus it was attributed to them.
-
Another
opinion is that the people of Rabīʿah would make Ramaḍān
sacred, while the people of Muḍar made Rajab sacred, and thus it was called
Rajab Muḍar, and this is verified by his statement, {which comes between Jumādā and
Shaʿbān}…
-
Some
have mentioned that the month of Rajab has fourteen names: the Month of Allah,
Rajab, Rajab Muḍar, Munṣil al-Asinnah, al-Aṣamm, Munaffis,
Muṭahhir, Muqīm, Harim, Muqashqish, Mubarriʾ, Fard…
-
There
are several rulings attached to the month of Rajab, some of which come from the
Age of Ignorance, and the scholars have differed as to whether they continued
to apply in Islam, such as the prohibition of fighting. The majority hold the
position that such a prohibition was abrogated. Another example is ritual
sacrifices, as people in the Age of Ignorance would slaughter an animal and
call it al-ʿatīrah, and the scholars have differed
regarding its ruling in Islam. The majority hold the position that Islam
nullified it…
-
Abū Dāwūd
and an-Nasāʾī have related on the authority of
Nubayshah, that they said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, we did the ʿatīrah in the Age of Ignorance…’ i.e. in Rajab. He responded, [Sacrifice for
Allah in any month, and obey Allah and feed people.}
-
It
is on the authority of al-Ḥasan, may Allah be
pleased with him, that he said, ‘There is no ʿatirah in Islam. ʿAtīrah was only in the Age of Ignorance.
Someone would fast the month of Rajab and do the ʿatīrah therein. A sacrifice would make Rajab a season [mawsam]
followed by a festival [ʿīd], for eating sweets and the like…and it has
been related from Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with him, that he disliked
making a festival for Rajab.
- At-Ṭabarānī
and Ibn Mājah have related from Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with him, that
he said, ‘The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would forbid
fasting the entire month of Rajab so as to avoid a festival being made for it.’
-
In
the Muṣannaf, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Ibn Ṭāwūs,
on the authority of his father, who said, ‘The Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, said, {Do not make a month a festival, nor a day
a festival}, and the foundation of this is that it has not been legislated for
the Muslims to make anything a festival apart from what has come in the
Revealed Law as a festival, which is the day of al-Fiṭr[3]
and the day of al-Aḍḥā[4]
followed by the days of tashrīq. These are the annual festivals, while
Friday is the weekly festival. Apart from these, making anything else a festival
or season is an innovation [bidʿah] that has no basis in the Revealed
Law.
·
Some
of the rulings of Rajab (what has been mentioned regarding fasting, prayer and
ʿUmrah):
-
As
for prayer, nothing has been authentically related
regarding Rajab having any specific prayer that is exclusive to it. The aḥādīth
that have been related regarding the virtue of Ṣalāt ar-Raghāʾib are
false, baseless and inauthentic. This prayer is an innovation according to the
vast majority of scholars, and this has been mentioned by the following
prominent latter-day scholars and memorisers of ḥadīth: Abū Ismāʿīl, Abū Bakr
as-Samʿānī, Abū al-Faḍl ibn Nāṣir, Abū al-Faraj
Ibn al-Jawzī, and others. The earlier scholars didn’t mention it,
because it was invented after them. It first appeared after the year 400 AH,
and therefore the earlier scholars never knew about it or spoke of it.
Even Imam
an-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy on him, in his book al-Majmūʿ, says,
‘The prayer known as Ṣalāt ar-Raghāʾib, which is twelve units of prayer
performed between Maghrib and Ishā on the first Friday night in Rajab, and the
hundred units of prayer performed during the middle night of Shaʿbān; these two
prayers are reprehensible and repugnant innovations. There is no known mention
of them in the books Qūt al-Qulūb or Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm ad-Dīn and there
is no ḥadīth that mentions either of them. It’s all baseless, and one should
not be misled by those imams who have obscured their ruling and written
documents about their being recommended. They are mistaken in this matter. The
sheikh, the imam, Abū Muḥammad
ʿAbdur Raḥmān
ibn Ismāʿīl al-Maqdasī, may Allah have mercy
on him, has written a valuable book that negates both of them, and he did an excellent
job.'
-
As
for fasting, nothing has been
authentically related from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, nor his Companions, regarding the virtue of fasting Rajab in particular.
However, it has been related from Abū Qalābah
that he said, ‘In Paradise there is a palace for those who fasted Rajab.’
-
Rather,
what has been related regarding fasting in all of the sacred months is the ḥadīth
of Mūjībah al-Bāhiliyyah, on the
authority of her father or uncle, that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, said to him, {Fast some days in the sacred months and leave
some days.}
-
It
is on the authority of ʿAṭāʾ that ʿUrwah said to ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar,
may Allah be pleased with him, ‘Did the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, fast in Rajab?’ He replied, ‘Yes, and he would honour it.’
And he said this three times. This ḥadīth
has been related by Abū Dāwūd
and it is mursal.[5]
-
In
another ḥadīth that has been related by Ibn Mājah,
it is stated that Usāmah ibn Zayd, may Allah
be pleased with him, would fast the sacred months, and then the Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, {Fast Shawwāl.}
Thereafter, he left fasting the sacred months and fasted Shawwāl
until he died. (There is a cut in the chain of transmission).
-
It
is on the authority of Zayd ibn Aslam, may Allah be pleased with him, that he
said, ‘It was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, that some people were fasting Rajab, and he said, {What about
their fasting in Shaʿbān?}
-
Azhar
ibn Saʿīd al-Jumaḥī related from his
mother that she asked ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be pleased with her, about fasting
Rajab. She replied, ‘If you are someone who fasts, then you must fast in
Shaʿbān.’
-
It is on the authority of Kharshah ibn al-Ḥurr that he
said, ‘I saw ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, striking the hands of people
in Rajab so that they would put them in the bowl, and he would say, ‘Eat…this a
month that the People of Ignorance would exalt.’
-
It is on the authority of Abī Bakrah, may Allah be
pleased with him, that Nafīʿ ibn al-Ḥārith (one of the distinguished
Companions) entered upon his family and they had new baskets and small jugs. He
said, ‘What is this?’ They replied, ‘We’re fasting Rajab.’ He then said, ‘Are
you making Rajab like Ramadan?’ He then turned over the baskets and shattered
the jugs.
-
It is on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be
pleased with him, that he disliked for anyone to fast the whole month of
Rajab…and it is on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar and Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be
pleased with both of them, that they opined that some days should not be
fasted.
-
Imam ash-Shāfiʿī, in his old school, said, ‘I dislike
for a man to fast an entire month the way he fasts Ramaḍān.’
-
What has been related to us from Imam Aḥmad, may Allah
have mercy on him, is that whoever fasts the whole year can fast [all of
Rajab], and if not then one should not fast all of it. Rather, one should break
his fast therein and not make it resemble Ramaḍān.
-
It is in the Musnad of Imam Aḥmad, on the
authority of Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, that when he saw the
people preparing for Rajab he disliked it, and he said, ‘Fast therein and break
your fast.’
-
It is on the authority of ʿĀʾishah, may Allah be
pleased with her: ‘The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would
fast three days from every month, and sometimes he would delay them so that he
could make them up in Shaʿbān.’
-
As for zakāt, it has become the custom of people in certain countries
to pay their zakāt in the month of Rajab, and there is neither a foundation for
this in the Sunnah nor was it a known practice amongst any of the First Three
Generations[6]…but
in any case, zakāt is only obligatory after one’s wealth has passed the
threshold and been in one’s possession for one lunar year, whatever month it
happens to fall in.[7]
-
As for performing ʿUmrah (in Rajab), Imam Aḥmad has
related in his Musnad, as well as Ibn Mājah in the chapter on pilgrimage
rites, on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, that the
Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, performed an ʿUmrah in Rajab
and ʿĀʾishah reproached him for doing so. He listened and remained silent…
-
It is on the authority of Ibn ʿUmar, may Allah be
pleased with him, that he performed ʿUmrah in Shawwāl and Rajab.
-
It is on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Musayyib, may
Allah be pleased with him, that he said, ‘ʿĀʾishah would perform ʿUmrah towards
the end of Dhūl Ḥijjah, and she would perform an ʿUmrah from Madīnah and enter iḥrām
at Dhūl Ḥulayfah.
-
It is on the authority of Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbdur Raḥmān ibn Ḥāṭib
from his father, who said, ‘I performed an ʿUmrah with ʿUmar and ʿUthmān in
Rajab.’
-
It has been related that the month of Rajab contains
significant events, the most authentic of them being the event of the Night
Journey and Ascent[8]
…but there has been a difference of opinion as to when this event actually
occurred. The preferred position is that it took place after the Prophet, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, had returned from Ṭāʾif, but the exact
year in which it took place has not been specified. Imam Ibn Ḥajar [al-ʿAsqalānī]
decisively affirmed that it took place one year before the Hijrah, and Allah
knows best.
The vast majority of Muslims hold the position that
this event took place in body and spirit, and thus it is one of the dazzling
miracles that Allah honoured the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, with, in order to make firm his heart and bestow honour upon him.
When the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, was taken on the Night Journey to Jerusalem, among the signs that he saw
on the way were the following: seeing the terrain of the Paradise as well as
that of the Fire, seeing our master Mūsā, our master ʿĪsā and the tree of
Ibrāhīm, peace be upon them, seeing the pillars of the Book being carried by
the angels, the scent coming from the pure grave of Māshiṭah, Pharaoh’s daughter…and the Prophet, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, saw the state of this worldly life and he came
across a caller from the Jews and the Christians, but he didn’t respond to him.
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw the Dajjāl. The state of those
who leave off prayer and zakāt was revealed to him, as well as that of
fornicators, highway robbers, consumers of usurious gain and preachers of
sedition. Likewise, the state of those who fight in Allah’s way was revealed to
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as well as the states of
the people of the Paradise and those of the Fire…
All of the above took place on the way to Jerusalem
(and the details thereof are many), and then, when the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, entered al-Masjid al-Aqṣā he found Ibrāhīm al-Khalīl,
Mūsā, and ʿĪsā amongst a large group of Prophets, peace be upon them, that had
been gathered for him. Jibrīl, peace be upon him, put him forward and he led
all of them in two units of prayer. Then they praised Allah the Exalted and
reminded one another of the Hour…
Then two drinking bowls were brought to the Prophet,
may Allah bless him and grant him peace, one containing milk and the other
wine, and he chose the milk. Jibrīl then said, ‘Praise be to Allah, who guided
you to man’s natural disposition.’ Then he took the Prophet, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, and ascended with him into the sky, and when he was in
the sky of this world he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw the Fire
and the ways its people are punished. He also met the angels, and the angel who
guards the Fire. Then he ascended with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace, into the seven heavens, where he met the Prophets, peace be
upon them, and he saw his Ummah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him.
Then the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, entered Paradise and described it as that which no eye has seen, no hear
has heard and nothing like it has ever occurred to the heart of any human
being, and so forth. He saw the Kawthar[9]
river and he even, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave glad tidings
to the noble Companions that he had seen their abodes in Paradise.
-
Then he, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
reached the lote tree of the utmost
boundary[10],
which was the limit of what he ascended to in terms of the earth, and then he
was taken from there. Then he reached the limit of that which falls from above
it, and was taken from there. At that point he saw a sublime light and then a
cloud covered the lote tree. Jibrīl, peace be upon him, stayed back while the Prophet,
peace be upon him, ascended until he reached a level at which he heard the
screeching of pens. His Lord then spoke to him and that was when the five
prayers were made obligatory upon him.
-
This place in the sky was exclusively for him, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his Ummah were exclusively given the
final āyāt of Sūrat al-Baqarah. Also, whoever does not associate partners with
Allah will be forgiven.[11]
He was also given three titles: the Master of the Messengers, the Messenger of
the Lord of all Creation, and the Leader of the Radiant.[12]
-
There has been some difference of opinion regarding
the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, seeing His Lord, Blessed
and Exalted is He, during the Night Journey and Ascent. The preferred position
is that He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw his Lord, Blessed and
Exalted is He, with the eyes in own head that night, may Allah bless him and
grant him peace.
-
In conclusion, the People of Ignorance would devote
themselves in Rajab to supplicating against oppressors, believing that it would
be accepted from them. There are well-known reports about this and they have
been mentioned by Imam Ibn Abī ad-Dunyā in his book Mujābī ad-Daʿwah,
and others. This was mentioned to ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allah be pleased
with him, and he said, ‘Indeed Allah would do that to them to restrain some of
them from others, and Allah has made the Hour their appointed time and the Hour
is more calamitous and bitter.’
-
Zāʾidah ibn Abī ar-Raqād has narrated on the authority
of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, ‘When Rajab had entered,
the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace would say, {O
Allah, bless us in Rajab and Shaʿbān and make us reach Ramaḍān.} Imam
al-Bukhārī, may Allah have mercy on him, said, ‘Zāʾidah is munkar in ḥadīth’,
which makes the ḥadīth weak in terms of its chain of transmission, and
especially since no one else has related it regarding the virtue of Rajab.
-
Despite that, it contains evidence that it is
recommended to ask Allah to be allowed to live in order to witness virtuous
times, so that one can perform righteous actions therein; indeed the believer
does not increase in age except that he increases in goodness, and the best of
people are those who have long lives and do good works. The First Three
Generations deemed it desirable to die after a righteous deed, such as fasting
Ramaḍān, or after completing Ḥajj, and they would say, ‘Whoever dies like that
will be forgiven.’
-
One of the righteous became ill just before the month
of Rajab, and he said, ‘I have asked Allah to delay my death until the month of
Rajab, for it has reached me that in that month Allah has people whom He spares
punishment.’ Allah answered him and he died in Rajab.
-
The month of Rajab is the key to the months of
goodness and blessing. Abū Bakr al-Warrāq al-Balkhī said, ‘The month of Rajab
is the month of cultivating. The month of Shaʿbān is the month of irrigating.
The month of Ramaḍān is the month harvesting what was cultivated.’
-
It is also related from him that he said, ‘The month
of Rajab is like wind. The month of Shaʿbān is like clouds. The month of Ramaḍān
is like rain.
-
One of them said, ‘The year is like a tree. The month
of Rajab is like the days of leaves sprouting. The month of Shaʿbān is like the
days of branching. Ramaḍān is the days of gathering, and the believers are the
gatherers.’
-
It
would be appropriate for the one who has blackened his record[13]
with sins to whiten it with repentance in this month, and whoever has wasted
his life so far in frivolity should seize the opportunity in this month to
rectify what remains of it…
Whiten your
black record in Rajab
With righteous deeds that will save
you from the Fire
One of the
Sacred Months has come
If one calls on Allah therein he
will not be rejected
How good is
the slave who purifies his deeds therein
And refrains from vile deeds and
suspicion
So seizing the
opportunity to do good deeds in this month availing oneself of this time to do
acts of obedience has an immense virtue…
O slave,
turn in repentance and seize Rajab
For indeed my pardon for the one who
repents is necessary
In these
months the doors are open
For those who repent, flee towards
Us
Dismount
your riding beasts at the gates of Our mercy
With a good opinion, for everyone
obtains what they seek
We have showered
our compassion upon them
Showerings of good acceptance; the
one who covers the distance will be successful
Sources:
·
Al-Majmūʿ by Imam an-Nawawī
·
Al-Mughnī by Imam Ibn Qudāmah
·
Mushkil
al-Āthār
·
Al-Muṣannaf by Imam ibn Abī Shaybah
·
Mukhtasar
al-Jāmiʿ fī as-Sīrah, by al-Ānisah Samīrah
az-Zāyid
·
Laṭāʾif al-Maʿārif fīmā limawāsim al-ʿām min al-Waẓāʾif by Abu al-Faraj [Imam ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī]
And all praise be to Allah, Lord of all
Creation.
[This article is also available from the English Naseem al-Sham site]
Related Posts:
The 27th of Rajab, and Tawassul
[This article is also available from the English Naseem al-Sham site]
Related Posts:
The 27th of Rajab, and Tawassul
[1] Ar. al-aẓhar
[2] Ar. al-nasīʾ, please see Sūrat at-Tawbah 9:37
[3] (tn): i.e. ʿĪd al-Fiṭr,
which follows the month of Ramaḍān
[4] (tn): i.e. ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā,
which follows Ḥajj and is followed by the days of tashrīq
[5] (tn): i.e. a ḥadīth in which the end
of the chain of transmission is missing after the Follower (tābiʿ).
[6] Ar. as-Salaf
[7] (tn): The author is speaking
specifically about zakāt an-naqd, or zakāt on money, which is 2.5% of
one’s monetary savings after one lunar year has passed on the condition that
the wealth was above a certain amount for that period of time. Please see Reliance
of the Traveller, section h4, for further details or at-Taqrīrāt
as-Sadīdah: Qism al-ʿIbādāt, p.410-411.
[8] Ar. al-isrāʾ wa al-miʿrāj
[9] (tn): as referred to in Sūrat al-Kawthar (108)
[10] Ar. sidrat al-muntaha, as
mentioned in Sūrat an-Najm 53:14
[11] (tn): i.e. His Ummah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace, is of two categories: the ummah of daʿwah
and the Ummah of istijābah, or the Ummah of those who are called and the
Ummah of those who respond. The former includes everyone from the time of the
Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to the
establishment of the Hour. The latter, and this is the important bit, includes
everyone who believes in Allah alone, does not associate partners with him, and
believes in the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
even if they lived before his time, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
and followed a previous prophet. This is because it was part of their theology,
regardless of the age they lived in, to believe in the Messenger of Allah, may
Allah bless him and grant him peace.
[12] Ar. sayyid al-mursalīn, rasūl
rabb il-ʿālamīn wa qāʾid al-ghurr al-muḥajjalīn
[13] Ar. ṣaḥīfah, i.e. his page on which his deeds are written
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