The Virtues of Rajab

The Month of Rajab By Muhammad Allie Khalfe

Compiled using various authentic works of hadith as well as the lectures by Sh Ahmad Hendricks at the Zawiyah Institute.

We are now in the high month of Rajab and this month in terms of sacredness is like the month Hajj and Ramadan and for that reason, says the ulama (scholars), ‘there are certain duties we are advised to do in this particular month.’

We are in the only month which the Rasul described as Shahrullah, The month of Allah and the next month Sha’ban, said the Rasul, Shahri (is my month) wa Ramadan Sharul ummati (and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah).

Says the Ulama, because this is the month of Allah, it is the duty of every Muslim to make Istighfar (to ask Allah for forgiveness) and this istighfar, says the ‘ulama, is for you to set your record straight with Allah (in this month).

The first point is to make Istighfar as in this month as in this month, it is increased to 70 times more rewarding than in other months. Your istighfar is doubled and tripled to 70 times more than in the previous month.

Allah says,

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْراً فِي كِتَـبِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَت وَالاٌّرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلاَ تَظْلِمُواْ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَقَاتِلُواْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَآفَّةً كَمَا يُقَـتِلُونَكُمْ كَآفَّةً وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

36. 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.

Al-Bukhari recorded in his Sahih that Abu Bakrah said that the Messenger of Allah said during the Farewell Hajj,

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْراً فِي كِتَـبِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَت وَالاٌّرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلاَ تَظْلِمُواْ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَقَاتِلُواْ الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَآفَّةً كَمَا يُقَـتِلُونَكُمْ كَآفَّةً وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ «إِنَّ الزَّمَانَ قَدِ اسْتَدَارَ كَهَيْئَتِهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ اللهُ السَّمَواتِ وَالْأَرْضَ السَّنَةُ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا، مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ، ثَلَاثٌ مُتَوَالِيَاتٌ: ذُو الْقَعْدَةِ وَذُو الْحِجَّةِ وَالْمُحَرَّمُ، وَرَجَبُ مُضَرَ الَّذِي بَيْنَ جُمَادَى وَشَعْبَان

(The division of time has returned as it was when Allah created the Heavens and the earth. The year is twelve months, four of which are sacred: Three are in succession, (they are:) Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab of (the tribe of) Mudar which comes between Jumada (Ath-Thaniyah) and Sha'ban.) This Hadith testifies to the continued sanctity of these months until the end of time.

It’s an order from Allah to maintain 12 months. just as a footnote, The Rasul (Peace be upon him) therefore told the jahilliya, ‘your tampering with time is an increase of your kufr’. They would increase their amount of months to 13 and then 14. The entire mankind has 12 months and this is what Allah decreed as we seen in the Quran.

Allah says,

﴿مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ﴾

(of them four are sacred). When they asked the Rasul (Peace be upon him) what the four sacred months are, he (Peace be upon him) replied, ‘Dhul-Qa`dah before the hajj month, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram the following year and one stands alone and this is Rajab.

Allah says,

﴿ذلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ﴾

(That is the right religion), that is the Straight Law, requiring implementing Allah's order concerning the months that He made sacred and their true count as it was originally written by Allah. Allah said,

﴿فَلاَ تَظْلِمُواْ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ﴾

(so wrong not yourselves therein) during these Sacred Months do not do what is haram your sins will be multiplied.

Do not commit sins or acts of injustice in this month as it is as holy as if one is standing in the haram (sacred mosque in Makkah) and therefore this month is called al-Shahrul Haram. And if you commit sins in this month then it is doubled and tripled as well. The sin is magnified and is bigger than in other months.

The good side to this is that a simple istighfar is also more rewarding than in other months.

The Ulama say that of the mujarrabat (tried, tested and recommended by the ‘Ulama), which is highly recommended in this month is to do the following:

It is recommended to recite every night before one goes to sleep and every morning when one wakes up, to recite everyday 70 times in this month of Rajab, ‘Allahumma r-Hamni, Allahuma gh-firli, Allahuma tub’alay, meaning O Allah, be Merciful towards me, forgive me and accept my tauba (repentance).

One who does this successfully, ‘Allah will make his flesh haram (forbidden) for the jahannam’s fire’.

This is the month of setting the record straight with Allah as it is Allah’s month and the scholars recommend that we do this by increase our istighfar during this month.

سَيِّدُ الْاِسْتِغْفَارِ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْعَبْدُ: اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إلَّا أَنْتَ، مَنْ قَالَهَا فِي لَيْلَةٍ فَمَاتَ فِي لَيْلَتِهِ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّــةَ، وَمَنْ قَالَهَا فِي يَوْمِهِ فَمَاتَ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّــة

Ibn Marduwyah collected the Hadith that Al-Bukhari reported from Shaddad bin Aws, who stated that Allah's Messenger said:

«سَيِّدُ الْاِسْتِغْفَارِ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْعَبْدُ: اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إلَّا أَنْتَ، مَنْ قَالَهَا فِي لَيْلَةٍ فَمَاتَ فِي لَيْلَتِهِ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّــةَ، وَمَنْ قَالَهَا فِي يَوْمِهِ فَمَاتَ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّــة» سَيِّدُ الْاِسْتِغْفَارِ أَنْ يَقُولَ الْعَبْدُ: اللَّهُمَّ أَنْتَ رَبِّي، لَا إِلهَ إِلَّا أَنْتَ، خَلَقْتَنِي وَأَنَا عَبْدُكَ، وَأَنَا عَلى عَهْدِكَ وَوَعْدِكَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُ، أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعْتُ، أَبُوءُ لَكَ بِنِعْمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ، وَأَبُوءُ بِذَنْبِي، فَاغْفِرْ لِي فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ إلَّا أَنْتَ، مَنْ قَالَهَا فِي لَيْلَةٍ فَمَاتَ فِي لَيْلَتِهِ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّــةَ، وَمَنْ قَالَهَا فِي يَوْمِهِ فَمَاتَ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّــة

(The master of supplication for forgiveness is for the servant to say: `O Allah! You are my Lord, there is no deity worthy of worship except You. You have created me and I am Your servant. I am on Your covenant, as much as I can be, and awaiting Your promise. I seek refuge with You from the evil that I have committed. I admit Your favor on me and admit my faults. So forgive me, for none except You forgives the sins.' Whoever said these words at night and died that same night will enter Paradise. Whoever said it during the day and died will enter Paradise.)

Below are some ahadith on the virtues of Rajab:

رجب شهر عظيم يضاعف الله فيه الحسنات

Rajab is a tremendous month in which Allah multiplies the good deeds.

وأخرج البيهقي عن أنس رضي الله عنه قال

قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم "من صام يوما من رجب كان كصيام سنة، ومن صام سبعة أيام غلقت عنه سبعة أبواب جهنم، ومن صام ثمانية أيام فتحت له ثمانية أبواب الجنة، ومن صام عشرة أيام لم يسأل الله عز وجل شيئا إلا أعطاه، ومن صام خمسة عشر يوما نادى مناد من السماء قد غفرت لك ما سلف فاستأنف العمل قد بدلت سيئاتكم حسنات، من زاد زاده الله. وفي رجب حمل نوح عليه ا

سلام في السفينة فصام نوح عليه السلام وأمر من معه أن يصوموا، وجرت بهم السفينة ستة أشهر إلى آخر ذلك لعشر خلون من المحرم

And whoever fasts from it fifteen days a caller will call out from heavens “Verily you have been forgiven whatever is past, so renew your good actions, for indeed your transgressions have been transformed into virtuous deeds.” And whoever does more, Allah gives to him even more. And in Rajab Allah carried Nuh (as) in the ark and he fasted and ordered all those with him to do so. And the ark sailed with them for six months until the first ten days of Muharram.

صوم أول يوم من رجب كفارة ثلاث سنين، والثاني كفارة سنتين، والثالث كفارة سنة، ثم كل يوم شهرا

The fast of the first day of Rajab is repentance for three years and the [fasting] second day is repentance for two years and the [fast of] third day is repentance for a year and then each [remaining] day is [repentance for] a month.

التخريج (برموز السيوطي): أبو محمد الخلال في فضائل رجب عن ابن عباس

التخريج (مفصلا): أبو محمد الخلال في فضائل رجب عن ابن عباس

Ibn `Abd al-Razzāq narrates that Ibn `Umar (rad) said:

مس ليال لا ترد فيهن الدعوة‏‏أول ليلة من رجب وليلة النصف من شعبان وليلة الجمعة وليلة الفطر‏ ‏وليلة النحر

There are five nights in which invocation (du`a) is not rejected: the first night of Rajab, the night of mid-Sha`ban, the night of Jum`a, and the night of [the `Eid of] Fitr and the night of [the `Eid of] Sacrifice. Al-Musannaf 4:317.

Another of the Mujarrab is to recite 35 times during the last Jumua of Rajab, while the Imam is busy with the khutba, to recite softly the following, ‘Ahmad Rasulullah, Muhammad Rasululullah’.

Ahmad is the name of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in the Jannah as indicated by the following hadith, ‘ Al-Bukhari collected in his Sahih from Jubayr bin Mut`im, who said, "I heard the Messenger of Allah say,

إِنَّ لِي أَسْمَاءً: أَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، وَأَنَا أَحْمَدُ، وَأَنَا الْمَاحِي الَّذِي يَمْحُو اللهُ بِهِ الْكُفْرَ،وَأَنَا الْحَاشِرُ الَّذِي يُحْشَرُ النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدَمَيَّ، وَأَنَا الْعَاقِب

(I have names. I am Muhammad and Ahmad. I am Al-Mahi through whom Allah will eliminate disbelief. I am Al-Hashir who will be the first to be resurrected, with the people being resurrected Hereafter. I am also Al-`Aqib (i.e., there will be no Prophet after me).''

This is recorded and advised by Sayid ‘Ali al-Ajhuri who is considered if the great Wali/Awliya of Makkah and he was of the earlier ‘Ulama of Makkah. Says Sayid ‘Ali al-Ajhuri, ‘When we tried this and gave it to the group to practise, we discovered that the one who posseses wealth, he does not lose it. His wealth remains protected.’

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, ‘On my Mi’raj, I saw a river in the Jannah of which the water tasted sweeter than honey and the smell of it was better than musk and it was colder (for the desert Arab, coldness means coolness or blessing) than ice. The prophet (peace be upon him) then asked Jibril (peace be upon him), ‘O Jibril, who is this river for?’ Jibril (peace be upon him) replied, ‘Man Sama yauman min Rajab, saqahullahu min dhalika n-Nahr’, meaning, ‘the one who fasts one day during the month of Rajab, this river is especially for them and Allah will let them alone drink from this river’.

And Allah knows best.