The Blessings of the Sacred Months

The Blessings of the Sacred Months

Let us advance our piety (taqwa) and good deeds by obeying Allah’s entire commands and omitting all the forbidden.

The month of Rajab is one of the sacred months in Islam. Allah subhanahu wata’ala says:

“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve (lunar) months in the register of Allah (from) the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous (who fear Him).”

[At-Tawbah, 9: 36]

In Islam, there are four months called the sacred months (Months of Haram) as mentioned in the verse. These are Dzulqa’idah, Dzulhijjah, Muharram and Rajab. These months are sacred because fighting and war were prohibited in them since the pre-Islamic era. History recorded a number of important incidents that occurred in the month of Rajab, among which were:

1 – Isra’ and Mi’raj - according to some reports, during this incident, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam traveled from Makkah to Bayt al-Maqdis in one night and then was brought up to the seventh heaven to meet Allah subhanahu wata’ala, during which the command for the five daily prayers were communicated to him.

2 – The first migration to Abyssinia by the earliest Muslims such as Uthman bin Affan radhiallahu and his wife Ruqayyah, the daughter of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam. The purpose of this migration is to safeguard and protect their belief (Aqeedah) and safety from the persecution inflicted by the non-believers in Makkah at that time

3 – The battle of Tabuk in the 9th year of Hijrah. The expedition was lead by Rasulullah to prevent the Romans from attacking the Muslim land. However, the Roman army retreated and abandoned the border towns because they were frightened with the Muslim army.

Other important events that happened in this noble month include the re-conquering of Bayt al-Maqdis from the Christian army by Salehuddin Al-Ayubi in the year 538 H. Imam As-Shafi’e, one of the great scholar of Islam, was born in the year 150 H.

Some of us will increase our acts of charity (Sadaqah) for the special merits, unlike any other months.

However, it should be informed that the Muslim scholars agree that most of the hadiths that contain excessive and disproportionate merits pertaining to the month itself are either weak or fabricated. Nevertheless, the month of Rajab is included in the sacred months, and there are authentic reports encouraging us to enhance our acts of worship in the sacred months, without specifying the rewards.

Therefore, we should increase our prayer, fasting, giving in charity and so on. Allah alone knows the rewards for our acts of worship. Thus, it is incumbent upon us to increase our acts of worship for Him alone in the sacred months, as well as in other months.

Indeed, there are many Quranic verses and Hadith that teach us to increase our good deeds, regardless of the month.

In conjunction with the arrival of Rajab, there are many recommended acts to be performed, among which are:

1 – To fast on Monday and Thursday or most of Rajab.

We are encouraged to intensify our fast in the month of Rajab including other months as stipulated in the Hadith Qudsi:

“Allah said, 'All the deeds of the son of Adam are for them, except fasting, which is for Me, and I will give the reward for it.”

 [Bukhari]

'Uthman b. Hakim al-Ansari said: I asked Sa'id b. Jubair about fasting In Rajab, and we were then passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said: I heard Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with both of them) as saying:

“The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe fast (so continuously) that we (were inclined) to say that he would not break (them) and did not observe them so continuously) that we (were inclined to say) that he would not observe fast.”

 [Muslim]

2 – To increase Sadaqah especially to the poor and needy.

Hakim bin Hizam reported that Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wasallam said:

“…The upper (giving) hand is better than the lower (taking) hand.”

 [Bukhari]

3 –To increase the remembrance of Allah through Zikir, by thanking Him, glorifying Him and so on.

Allah says in Al-Qur’an:

 “Unquestionably, by the remembrance of Allah, hearts are assured.”

[Ar-Raad,13: 28]

These are among the acts of worships that we can and should practice during the month of Rajab and in other months. If performed sincerely, it will help us to become a stronger believer and prevent us from being involved in immoral acts or any social problem.

However, we, young and old, often neglect these noble practices. Consequently, we are controlled by our lusts, which then drive us to commit immoral acts. Recent social problems such as rape, killing, burglary, excessive entertainment and so on are due to hearts devoid of piety. These immoral acts do not only involve the young, but also older and mature people.

Is it not an abomination for us when a rape case was reported to involve a grandfather and his own grandchild or a father with his own child? Is it not a disgrace when research revealed that most of those involved with drugs are Muslims? Where did we are to deliver us to this point?

As Muslims, we should not forget our Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam advice when he said,

 “Fasting is shield”

[Muslim].

Fasting shields us from immoral acts. We should also remember when Allah says,

“Unquestionably, with the remembrance of Allah hearts are assured”

[Ar-Ra’d, 13:28]

These are the promises of Allah and His Messenger that we should believe in, be certain of and practice. We should revise and rethink of the importance of the recommended (Sunnah) acts in educating our souls and building perfect characters.

With the advent of Rajab, we should help educate our youngsters and ourselves to increase our acts of worship and good deeds so that we will become a true believer of Allah subhanahu wata’ala.

We hope that our deeds in this month are performed with sincerity and will be a catalyst for us to gain the pleasure of Allah.

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.“

[Al-Zalzalah, 99: 7 -8]

[Excerpted from Khutbah Jumaat delivered on 26 June 2009 at Masjidil Darul Ehsan Subang Jaya, Selangor]

Mi’raj and Fasting on the 27th of Rajab

By Yusuf Al-Qaradawi

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

It should be noted, first of all, that the exact date of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj is not known. There is no evidence to support the saying that it happened on 27th of Rajab.

Even if 27th of Rajab is the day of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj, there is no way to say that we have to fast that day, since we cannot innovate fasting on our own without having evidence from the sources of Syari`ah supporting it.

However, if a person customarily fasts on Mondays and Thursdays and 27th of Rajab falls on one of those two days, then there is nothing wrong in fasting on that day.

Elaborating on this issue, an eminent Muslim scholar Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi states:

Among the prohibited types of fasting is any kind of fasting people initiate on their own without any Syari`ah text or evidence. An example of this is the fasting on the 27th of Rajab thinking that it is the day that followed the night of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj.

Some people would fast on that day as a token of gratitude and thankfulness to Allah for the blessing of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj. It is really important for a Muslim to prove thankful in the remembrance of every event that brought blessings to the Muslim Ummah. These events are many indeed.

However, this thankfulness does not mean that a Muslim has to fast. Almighty Allah reminds Muslims of so many blessings He has given to them. Allah says: “O ye who believe! Remember Allah’s favor unto you when there came against you hosts, and We sent against them a great wind and hosts ye could not see.” [Al-Ahzab 33: 9]. However, Almighty Allah did not ask them to fast and they never did.

In his book Zad Al-Ma`ad, Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote that Ibn Taimiyyah said, “It is not recorded that any Muslim attributed any merit or privilege to the night of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj. None of the Companions ever did so. That is why we cannot tell when exactly Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj happened.”

Ibn Al-Qayyim wrote, “There is no clear evidence of the exact month when it happened, or the exact date of it. There are, in fact, so many reports in this regard and none of them is decisive. There is no specific ritual pertaining to it.”

It is thus clear that there is no clear evidence that the night of Al-Israa’ and Al-Mi`raj is on the 27th of Rajab, despite of the common belief that it happened that day.

May Allah Almighty Guide us to the right path.

®Islam Online

Fasting in the month of Rajab

Is there any special virtue in fasting during the month of Rajab?

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

All the praise is due to Allah, the Lord of Al-‘Alamin. And May peace and blessings be upon the Prophet SAW, his household and the companions.

There two components that need to be look into issue of Rajab:

1. The Sacred month of Rajab

The month of Rajab is one of the sacred months of which Allah says:

“Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein” [At-Tawbah, 9:36]

The sacred months are: Rajab, Zulkaedah, Zulhijjah and Muharram.

Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Zulkaedah, Zulhijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which comes between Jamadil Akhir and Sya’ban. [Al-Bukhari (4662) and Muslim (1679)]

These months are called sacred for two reasons:

1. It is forbidden to go to war unless is unless initiated by the enemy

2. The transgression of the sacred limits therein is worse than at other times.

Hence Allah has forbidden us to commit sins during these months, as He says:

“wrong not yourselves therein” [At-Tawbah, 9:36]

Although committing sins is haram and forbidden during these months and at other times, in these months it is more forbidden.

Al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said (p. 373):

“In the phrase “wrong not yourselves therein”, the pronoun may be understood as referring to twelve months. Allah states that He has made them a measure of time for His slaves, which they may use for worshipping Him, and thank Allah for His blessings, and they serve the interests of His slaves, so beware of wronging yourselves therein.

The pronoun may also be understood as referring to the four sacred months, and this forbids them to wrong themselves in those months in particular, as well as it being forbidden to do wrong at all times, because it is more forbidden at this time, but it is worse at this time than at others.”.

2. Fasting in month of Rajab.

With regard to fasting the month of Rajab, there is no sahih hadith to indicate that there is any special virtue in fasting all or part of this month.

What some people do, singling out some days of Rajab for fasting, believing that they are better than others, has no basis in syari’ah.

But there is a report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) which indicates that it is mustahabb to fast during the sacred months (and Rajab is one of the sacred months). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Fast some days of the sacred months and not others.” [Narrated by Abu Dawud, 2428; but classified as dha’if by al-Albani in dha’if Abi Dawud].

Even if this hadith were sahih, it indicates that it is mustahabb to fast during the sacred months. So if a person fasts during Rajab because of this, and he also fasts in the other sacred months, there is nothing wrong with it. But the singling out Rajab for fasting is not right.

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmu’ Al-Fatawa (25/290):

“As for fasting in Rajab in particular, the ahadith concerning that are all dha’if (weak), and in fact mawdu’ (fabricated). The scholars do not rely on any of them. They are not among the dha’if ahadith which have been narrated concerning virtues; rather most of them are fabricated and false. In al-Musnad and elsewhere there is a hadith which says that the Prophet s.a.w enjoined fasting the sacred months, namely Rajab, Zulkaedah, Zulhijjah and Muharram, but this has to do with the fasting during all of them, not just Rajab”.

Ibn Al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“Every hadith which mentions fasting in Rajab and praying during some of its nights is false and fabricated.” [Al-Manaar Al-Munif, P. 96]

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said in Tabyeen Al-‘Ajab (p. 11)

There is no sahih hadith that would count as evidence which speaks of the virtue of the month of Rajab, or that speaks of fasting this month or part of it, or of spending any particular night of it in prayer.

Shaikh Sayyid Sabiq (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Fiqh al-Sunnah (1/282):

“Fasting in Rajab is no better than fasting in any other month, except that it is one of the sacred months. There is no report in the sahih Sunnah to suggest that there is anything special about fasting in this month. Whatever has been narrated concerning that is not fit to be quoted as evidence.”

Shaikh Ibn ‘Uthaimin (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about fasting on the twenty-seventh of Rajab and spending that night in prayer. He replied:

“Fasting on the twenty-seventh of Rajab and spending that night in prayer is a bid’ah (innovation), and every bid’ah is a going astray.”

[Majmu’ Fatawa Ibn ‘Uthaimin, 20/440.]

Hence there is no authentic hadith from the Prophet SAW or from the sahabah to indicate that there is any particular virtue in fasting prescribed for Rajab.

The fasting that is prescribed in Rajab is the same as that prescribed in other months, with the possible options namely: fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, and the three days of Al-Beed (the mid three days of the lunar month), or fasting on the alternate days (known as the fast of Prophet David a.s), and fasting Sirar al-Shahar which some of the scholars said that Sirar Al-Shahar refers to the beginning of the month.

[Via  Islam QA]

Al-Qur’an on the Sacred Months.

Allah Almighty Says: “Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve (lunar) months in the register of Allah (from) the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion (i.e. way), so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous (who fear Him)” [Al-Tawbah 9: 36]

It is with the wisdom of Allah that He favored some months over others, like favoring the month of Ramadaan over all other months, because it is the month of mercy, the month of Al-Qur’an, the month of forgiveness and freeing of people from the Fire. It is a month which people glorified during the pre-Islamic period as well, and after Islam it became even more glorified.

Moreover, the month of Muharram (which means forbidden in Arabic) was called that because the Arabs used to forbid fighting during it. Safar (which means zero in Arabic) was given this name because the Arabs used to loot all the property of the enemy after defeating them in battle (i.e. they left nothing behind). Rabee’ Al-Awwal (which means graze in Arabic) because they used to graze their cattle during this month. Jumaada (which means solid in Arabic) was given this name because water used to freeze during this month. Rajab (which means remove in Arabic) was given this name because the Arabs used to remove the heads of their spears and refrain from fighting. Sha’baan (which is anything positioned between two things in Arabic) was given this name because it comes between Ramadaan and Rajab. Ramadaan (which means heat in Arabic) was given this name because of the hot temperature and excessive heat of the sun during this month. Syawwal (which means raise in Arabic) was given this name because she camels would raise their tails when they became pregnant. Dzul-Qa’edah (which means sitting in Arabic) was given this name because it was the month during which they would sit and stop fighting. Dzul-Hijjah (which refers to Hajj in Arabic) was given this name because it was the month during which they performed Hajj.

In the abovementioned verse, Allah informs us that since He created the Heavens and earth, and created days and nights, and made the sun and the moon, each float in an orbit, as a result of which the darkness of nights and the light of days occur. It was from that time that Allah had set the months to be twelve, and He, Almighty, informed us that He, Almighty, designated four of them to be sacred.

We must respect the sanctity of these sacred months, by adhering to the commandments of Allah, and rejecting that which the people of the pre-Islamic period were upon, like delaying the restrictions of these months or changing their sequence. It is for this reason that the Prophet s.a.w said in his farewell pilgrimage: “O People! Time has gone back to how it was at the time Allah created the Heavens and the Earth. A year has twelve months, four of which are sacred, three consecutive, Dzul-Qa’edah, Dzul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab, which comes between Jumaada and Sha’baan.” [Al-Bukhari]

The words (which mean) “…when He created the Heavens and earth…” [Al-Tawbah, 9: 36] are to clarify that the decree of Allah took place very early on, and that He set the months, named them and sequenced them when He created the Heavens and the earth, then He revealed this upon His Prophets within the divined Books.

The verse is informing us that the ruling of these months will remain (names, sequence and sacredness), and the changes made by the disbelievers to the sequence would have no effect. Moreover, whatever the disbelievers had changed could not change what Allah had decreed.
This verse also indicates that it is compulsory to base acts of worship and Islamic rulings on these months, and not the ones the Christians use. Therefore, it is not fit for a Muslim to prefer using these Roman or Christian months over these Arabic (named) months.

They are: Dzul-Qa’edah, Dzul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab which is between Jumaada Al-Akhirah and Sha’baan. It was also called Rajab of Mudhar, because the tribe of Mudhar used to adhere to its sacredness, while another tribe by the name of Rabee’ah Ibn Nizar used to change sacredness of Rajab to Ramadaan. In order to lift this confusion the Prophet s.a.w said: “Rajab, which comes between Jumaada and Sha’baan”.

Allah Says in the same verse (which means): “…that is the right religion” meaning, this Shari’ah (Islamic law) and obedience therein, is the right and straight path. Then Allah continues Saying that : “Do not wrong (oppress) yourselves therein” [Al-Tawbah, 9: 36] which is referring to all months of the year but the sacred months hold a special position which makes oppressing oneself greater, just as Allah Says : “no sexual relation (with spouse), no sinning, nor unjust dispute” [Al-Tawbah, 9: 36] and this certainly does not indicate that one can sin other than the time of Hajj but it is to reflect the greatness of sinning during its rituals.

Do not wrong (oppress) yourselves by fighting and committing sins, because when Allah honors something for one reason, it becomes that much honored, but when He honors for two or more reasons, then sacredness becomes more, and punishment for disobedience is multiplied accordingly. For example, one who obeys Allah during the sacred months in the sacred area will receive more reward than obeying Allah during other months, and the one who obeys Allah during months other than the sacred months outside the sacred area will receive less reward than he who obeys Allah inside the sacred area. Allah gave an indication to this in His Saying : “O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should commit a clear immorality – for her the punishment will be doubled two fold, and ever is that for Allah, easy.” [Al-Ahzab, 33:30]
__________________________________________________________________________________________________ Excerpted with modification from Islam Web published on Wednesday 13 September 2006