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Rajab is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. It is considered one of the four sacred months in Islam, during which warfare and fighting are prohibited. Rajab is also a time for spiritual reflection and devotion, and many Muslims choose to fast or perform additional acts of worship during this month.
There is a divine competition that takes place every year and reaches its peak on the Night of Destiny (Laylat al-Qadr), and after the Night of Destiny until the day of Eid is a supplementary period to the competition for those who have not joined it to join it. Then the rewards are distributed on the day of Eid.
This divine cycle begins with the sighting of the crescent of the month of Rajab.
Thus It is necessary to stand on some of the secrets of this blessed month that Allah gives its lights to the people of Rajab (those who make the most of it, as the narration refers to them al-Rajabiyyun), with the blessings of the event that took place in this month like the start of revelation (Mab’ath) and the birth of the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib.
The month of Rajab is an unknown month, and because we are ignorant of it, we treat it like other months. However, this month has a special significance, as does the month of Sha’ban and the month of Ramadan. Together, these three months have a distinct character that can be easily observed from the narrations about them.
One of the recommended actions for the first night of the month of Rajab is to frequently remember the upcoming months of Sha’ban and Ramadan, as the character of these months is similar, and the cycle throughout them is the same. While all days of the year should be days of worship, there are certain days and nights that hold more significance. Therefore, as we approach this month, let us be mindful of its importance and greatness.
The question is: What is the purpose of this divine cycle that begins with the first night of the month of Rajab?
Answer: The goals are three:
- The first objective of the divine cycle that commences with the first night of the month of Rajab is to provide an opportunity for the sinners to repent. Sin can impede an individual’s ability to truly repent. However, by performing even a small act of righteousness during this month, a person may be able to shed a significant amount of their sins and become eligible for God’s forgiveness. If one repents sincerely, God Almighty will accept their repentance with open arms.
- Giving the negligent ones catch up: Perhaps there are those who always carry worry in their heart about the fact that they did not do enough throughout the year, in terms of recommended acts and fell behind. This month is the time for them to catch up.
The month of Rajab has arrived, a time of bountiful mercy from the Divine. It marks the start of a singular opportunity for those who have fallen behind in their devotion to catch up. Just as one may be guided in the material world to a particular field of work, earning substantial sums daily and overcoming years of idleness and loss, so too does this blessed month offer a chance for a qualitative investment in the pursuit of divine reward.
- Those who work for the hereafter be granted precedence. The reality is when it comes to the material world, we do not need encouragement. We tire ourselves for this world willingly. Regrettably, we are often in need of little encouragement to work towards our temporal pursuits as our worldly desires consume us. In our haste to secure our temporal well-being, we too often neglect our spiritual pursuits, sacrificing our faith in the process and ultimately losing both our worldly and spiritual pursuits. Thus this month is an opportunity for us to work.
The Greatness of the Month of Rajab
The month of Rajab holds great significance in the eyes of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, and the infallible Imams, peace be upon them. They said that “Rajab is the great month of Allah, and that no other month of sanctity and virtue comes close to it,” and that it is a time of supplication, seeking forgiveness, and repentance. The Prophet Muhammad (May God bless him and his family) embraced Islam on the twenty-seventh of Rajab. It also marks the birth of the four Imam Ali, Imams al-Baqir, Imam al-Hadi, and Imam al-Jawad (peace be upon them) and other solemn occasions. Thus, the greatness of Rajab is rooted in the solemn occasions that took place within it, and its sanctity, greatness and virtue are further reinforced by the desirability of supplication and the virtue of seeking forgiveness and repentance. The divine mercy that is bestowed upon humanity during its nights and days should be utilized in obedience and worship to God Almighty.
Imam Al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Rajab is the month of forgiveness for my community, so increase in it the act of seeking forgiveness, for He is the Forgiving and Merciful. Rajab is also called the ‘month of outpouring’ because, during this month, mercy is outpoured upon my community, so take advantage of it by frequently saying ‘I seek forgiveness from Allah and repent to Him.”
Regarding the reward for obedience and worship during Rajab, the Prophet of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Indeed, Allah has appointed in the seventh heaven a angel called the Caller. When the month of Rajab enters, this angel calls out every night until morning: ‘Good news for those who remember [Allah], good news for those who obey [Allah].’ Allah says: ‘I am with those who sit with Me, I am with those who obey Me, I am with those who seek forgiveness from Me. This month is My month, the servant is My servant, and mercy is My mercy. Whoever calls upon Me in this month, I will answer them. Whoever asks of Me, I will give them. Whoever seeks guidance from Me, I will guide them. And I have made this month a rope between Me and My servants, so whoever holds on to it will be connected to Me.'”
From the light of this hadith, the greatness and virtue of this month can be inferred as it is a month of remembrance, obedience, seeking forgiveness, mercy, and supplication. It is a month of answers and guidance, and a month of holding on to the rope of Allah. This defines the responsibilities of the righteous servants during this honorable month.
What are these responsibilities and obligations that should be fulfilled?
Our duties and responsibilities towards the month of Rajab:
If the All-Mighty has bestowed us with good, mercy, and guidance in the month of Rajab, it is only fitting that we reciprocate it to Him in a manner that is befitting of His rights over us, His blessings, virtues, existence, generosity, and the connection we have with Him in this honorable month.
This reciprocation should not be viewed as something that we take pride in, but rather it is the least that should be done to please Him and to attain the eternal bliss and eternal rewards that He has promised to His servants on the Day of Judgment.
So, what can we understand as our rights and responsibilities towards the Lord? And what are the most important tasks that the servant should do in order to fulfill the duty of obedience and gratitude for the blessings?”
First: Supplication
Allah, the Exalted, says in His Noble Book: “Invoke Me, I will respond to you. Surely, those who are too proud to worship Me will enter Hell, humiliated.” {Surah Ghafir, verse 60}
Supplication is a form of worship that a person engages in, in all situations. It is the speech of the created to the Creator, it reflects the depth of the connection between the servant and his Lord, and it reflects the constant state of dependency within the human being towards Allah, the Exalted, and the deep feeling of need and desire for what is with Him.
If supplication is the means for the servant to attain what is with Allah and a key to reaching the realm of His mercy, then it is necessary to approach it with a pure heart that does not see anything other than Allah, the Exalted, and to commit not to approach disobedience and sins. Therefore, one should not expect the supplication to be responded to while committing sins, for how can one expect good while committing evil?
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: “There was a man from the Children of Israel who supplicated to Allah, the Exalted, to grant him a son for three years, but when he saw that Allah was not responding to him, he said: ‘O Lord, am I too distant for You to hear me, or too close for You to answer me?’ Then, an angel came to him in a dream and said: ‘You have been supplicating to Allah for three years with a bad tongue, a dirty heart, and an impure intention. So, abandon your bad manners, purify your heart, and improve your intentions.’ The man did this for a year and he was granted a son.”[1]
And He (peace be upon him) said: “Leaving a prohibited morsel of food is more beloved to Allah than a voluntary prayer of a thousand rak’ahs.”[2]
Secondly, the Fear of Allah:
Indeed, the realization of the greatness of God, the contemplation of His power and blessings, and the awareness of the horrors of the Day of Judgment and what awaits the faithful, breeds sorrow, pain, and fear of God. The month of Rajab, in which the individual strives to increase their communication with the Creator, is the true catalyst for the fear of God. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said in a hadith of the warnings, “And whoever’s eyes shed tears out of fear of God, will be given a palace in paradise made of pearls, surrounded by gold and precious stones, which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no heart has ever imagined.”[3]
Thirdly, Remembrance of Allah
The act of remembering God, the All-Mighty, is highly encouraged during this month. As stated in the Noble Quran, “Remember Me, and I will remember you.” (Qur’an 2:152) The angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) also conveyed to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) that God has bestowed upon the nation of Islam a unique privilege of being able to remember Him at all times[4]. This act of remembrance, known as dhikr, serves as a constant communication between the believer and God without the constraints of time or place. Furthermore, it serves as a means of purifying the soul by erasing the negative actions committed throughout the day.
Fourthly, Attaining Proximity to God Almighty.
In the month of Rajab al-Asab, God Almighty opens the doors of supplication to His servants, providing them with an opportunity to move away from the enticements of Satan and towards the vastness of the Divine. One of the key tasks that we must undertake during this month is to strive to attain closeness to God, Glorified be He, for He is near and responsive to the supplications of those who call upon Him and does not respond to those who question Him.
As we reflect upon our spiritual journey in this month, let us take inspiration from the words of the Commander of the Faithful and the Master of the pious, Imam Ali bin Abi Talib (peace be upon him), as he supplicated to God Almighty in the prayer of Kumayl:
“I have come to You, my God, after my neglect and self-indulgence, seeking Your forgiveness, repentant, remorseful, broken and resigned, seeking Your pardon, submitting, and acknowledging my faults…”
As much as a person endeavors to draw closer to God Almighty, they will find in return that God draws closer to them, for He is the one who commanded us not to turn away a beggar from our doors, and not to expel them. This is reflected in the supplication of Imam Ali bin Al-Hussein (peace be upon him): “Lord…You have commanded us not to return to a beggar from our doors, and we have come to You, begging and needy, and we have begged at Your yard and at Your door. We ask for Your blessing, Your favor, and Your giving. So be kind to us and do not disappoint us…”[5]
These are some minimum duties and responsibilities a servant must undertake toward the favored benefactor. This is the path of the righteous, their ornament, their attributes, and the door to salvation and victory on a day when neither money nor children will benefit except those who come to God with a sound heart.
In this holy month, let our supplication be that of Imam Zain al-Abidin (peace be upon him) in the supplication of Abu Hamzah al-Thamali: “O God, join me with the righteous of those who have passed, and make me among the righteous of those who remain, and take me on the path of the righteous, and help me with what you help the righteous for themselves…”
The Virtue of the Month of Rajab
1- The sacred month of Rajab is a training course in which one should participate in preparation for the month of God Almighty.
2- The month of Rajab is the last sacred month of the year, given that the first month of the year is the month of Ramadan.
3- The month of Rajab is a great month of blessing. The Jahiliyyah used to glorify it, and Islam came to glorify it.
4- The month of Rajab is the deaf month, because what is usually heard in wars is not heard during it.
5- The month of Rajab is called the pouring month because God pours out mercy upon His servants during it
6- The month of Rajab has a great status because it includes the appointed of the Messenger of Mercy, Muhammad, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, and the birth of Ali ibn Abi Talib, God’s guardian, peace be upon him.”
On the authority of Imam Abi al-Hassan, peace be upon him: “Rajab is a great month in which God multiplies the good deeds and erases the bad ones.”
Preparatory Steps for Entering the Month of Rajab
1- Review the book Mafatih al-Jinan, chapter on the deeds of the month of Rajab.
2- Reading the observations of the month of Rajab from the book of al-Muraqabat by al-Malki al-Tabari.
3- Strict observance of prayer at the beginning of the time.
4- Encourage relatives, neighbors, and colleagues and urge them to fast.
5- Reviewing and improving the approach to dealing with relatives, neighbors, and co-workers, starting tomorrow.
6- Forgiving those you wronged during the past year.
7- Removing rancor from the heart towards relatives, neighbors and co-workers, and clearing the intention.
8- Seeking help from God and pleading with the Ahul Bait, peace be upon them for success in obtaining the pleasure of God Almighty in this month.
On the authority of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family: “In Paradise, there is a palace that only one who fasts in Rajab can enter.”
General Action to Be Performed in Rajab:
First: Fasting
1. On the authority of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family: “Indeed, whoever fasts a day from Rajab out of faith and in anticipation of reward, he will incur the greatest pleasure of God, and his fasting on that day will extinguish the wrath of Allah, and one of the gates of fire will be closed for him. And he does not complete his reward with anything from the world without good deeds if he devotes it to God, and he has ten supplications answered in the evening.”
2. On the authority of Abi al-Hassan Musa, peace be upon him, he said: “Rajab is a river in Paradise that is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Whoever fasts a day in Rajab, Allah will give him water from that river.”
Second: An Alternative to Fasting for Those Who Are Unable to Do So
It was narrated on the authority of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family, that he was emphasizing the importance of fasting in the month of Rajab. He was asked: O Prophet of God, whoever is unable to fast in Rajab due to weakness or ailment, what do they have to do to obtain what you described? He said: He gives a loaf of bread as alms every day, and by the one in whose hand is my soul, whoever gives this to charity every day will receive what I have described and more because if all creatures, all of them from the people of the heavens and the earth gathered to estimate his reward, they would not have reached a tenth of what he receives in the heavens of virtues and ranks. They said: O Messenger of Allah, whoever is not able to give alms, what should he do in order to obtain what you have described? He said: “God is glorified every day from the days of Rajab until the end of the month. They should say this glorification a hundred times:
سُبْحَانَ الْإِلَهِ الْجَلِيلِ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَا يَنْبَغِي التَّسْبِيحُ إِلَّا لَهُ سُبْحَانَ الْأَعَزِّ الْأَكْرَمِ سُبْحَانَ مَنْ لَبِسَ الْعِزَّ وَ هُوَ لَهُ أَهْل
Subhan al-ilah al-jalil subhan man la yanbaghi al-tasbih iilaa lah subhan al-a’azzi al-akram subhan man labisa al- ‘izza wa lahu al-ahl.
Glory be to the venerable God, Glory be to Him who should not be glorified except for Him, Glory be to the Mighty, the Most Generous, Glory be to He who clothed Himself with glory and whose people are worthy.
Third: Prayer Every Night
And this prayer is two rak’ahs, as it was reported on the authority of the Messenger of God, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him and his family: Whoever prays sixty rak’ahs in Rajab, two rak’ahs each night of it, recites in each rak’ah Surah Fatiha once, and reads, “Surah Kafirun” three times, and “Surah Ikhlas” once, and when he says the salam from both of them, he raises his hand and say:
laa ‘ilah ‘illaa allah wahdah la sharika lah, lah almulk walahu alhamd, yuhyi wayumit wayumitu wayuhyi, wa huwa hayyun la yamut bi yadihi alkhayr, wa huwa ala kuli shay’in qadir wa’ilayh almasir, wala hawla wala quwwata ‘illaa billaah al’ali alazim, allahuma salli ‘alaa muhammadin wa al muhammad alnabiyyi al’umi
“There is no god but God alone, He has no partner, sovereignty belongs to him, and praise is to him. He gives life and causes death and causes death and gives life, and He is alive and does not die. In His hand is goodness, and He is powerful over all things, and to Him is destiny. Oh Allah, send your prayers on Muhammad and his family.”
He then must wipe his hands over his face, for Allah will accept his supplications and gives him the reward of 60 pilgrims and sixty Umrah”.
General A’mal for the Month of Rajab
1. Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) has reported the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) as saying: Rajab is the month of imploring for forgiveness for my people; so, you should implore forgiveness repeatedly in this month much more than you do in other months, for Almighty Allah is forgiving and merciful. This month is described as the advantageous month because mercy is poured on my people during it so heavily. You should thus repeat very much the following imploration prayer:
أستغفر الله و اسأله التوبة
I ask Allah for forgiveness and pray to Him to accept my repentance.
2. It is recommended to fast on three days in the month of Rajab: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. It has been narrated that one who fasts on these three days in one of the Sacred Months will be awarded with the reward of nine-hundred-year worship.
3. If one is incapable of fasting during the month, recite the following instead 100 times each day in the month of Rajab:
سبحان الإله الجليل
Glory be to the All-majestic God
سبحان من لا ينبغي التسبيح إلا له
Glory be to Him other than Whom none should be glorified.
سبحان الأعز آلأكرم
Glory be to the All-honorable and All-dignified.
سبحان من لبس ألعِزَّ وهو له أهل
Glory be to Him Who has dressed Himself with grandeur that fits none but Him.
4. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is reported as saying: Whoever repeats the following imploration for forgiveness 100 times in Rajab and immediately gives alms after it, Almighty Allah will conclude his life with mercy and forgiveness. Also, whoever repeats it 400 times, will be given the reward of one hundred martyrs:
أستغفر آلله الذي لا إله إلا هو
I implore the forgiveness of Allah. There is no god save Him
وحده لا شريك له
the One and Only Who has no partner,
وأتوب إليه
and I repent before Him.
5. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is also reported to have said: Whoever repeats this litany 1000 times in Rajab, Almighty Allah will decide for him 100,000 rewards and award him 100 houses in Paradise:
لا إله إلا لله
There is no god save Allah.
6. A Hadith reads that whoever repeats the following imploration for forgiveness 70 times in the morning and 70 times in the evening on each day in Rajab, he will be admitted by Almighty Allah and if he dies in Rajab, hellfire will not touch him on account of the blessings of Rajab:
أستغفر آلله وأتوب إليه
I implore the forgiveness of Allah and I repent to Him.
After this imploration is repeated seventy times, it is recommended to raise the hands towards the sky and say:
اللهم آعفر لي وتب علي
O Allah, (please do) forgive me and accept my repentance.
7. It is recommended to implore Almighty Allah for forgiveness in the following form one thousand times in Rajab so that He will forgive:
أستغفر الله ذا الجلال والإكرام
I implore Allah, the Lord of majesty and honor,
من جميع الذنوب والآثام
to forgive my all sins and offenses.
8. One who recites Surah Tawheed 100 times on Fridays in Rajab will enjoy, on the Resurrection Day, light that draws him toward Paradise.
9. It has been narrated that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said, “One who recites Surah al-Tawheed 100 times at one night in Rajab will be decided to have fasted for one hundred years for the sake of Almighty Allah Who will also decide for him one hundred palaces (in Paradise) in the vicinity of one of the prophets.”
10. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is also reported as saying that Almighty Allah will forgive all the sins of those who offer a ten unit prayer, at one night in Rajab, reciting in each unit Surah al-Fatiha once and repeating Surah al-Tawheed three times.
11. In ‘Zad al-Ma’ad,’ `Allamah alMajlisi has mentioned that Imam `Ali Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) reported the following from the Noble Prophet (s): If one repeats the following surahs and invocations three times each day and each night in the months of Rajab, Sha’ban, and Ramadhan, he will have all his sins forgiven even if they are as many as raindrops, tree leaves, sea foam, etc: (1) Surah of al-Fatiha, (2) Ayat al-Kursi, (3) Surah al-Kafirun, (4) Surah al-Tawheed, (5) Surah al-Falaq, (6) Surah al-Nas, (7) the following invocation:
سبحان الله
All glory be to Allah;
والحمد لله،
all praise be to Allah;
ولا إله إلا الله،
there is no god save Allah;
والله أكبر،
Allah is the Greatest;
ولا حول ولا فوة إلا بالله العلي العظيم
and there is no might, and no strength save with Allah, the All-high, the All-great.
اللهم صل على محمد وآل محمد
O Allah: send blessings upon Muhammad and the household of Muhammad.
اللهم اغفر للمؤمنين
والمؤمنات.
O Allah: (please do) forgive the believing men and women.
12. The following invocation, four hundred times:
أستغفر الله واتوب إليه
I seek the forgiveness of Allah, and I repent before Him.
[1] Wasa’il al-Shia, al-Hurr al-Amili, vol. 7, pg. 85, vol. 3.
[2] Eddt Aldaaei,Iabn fahd alhali, Page 129.
[3] Wasa’il al-Shia, Vol. 11, Chapter 15, Vol. 1
[4] Mustadrak al-Wasail, al-Muhaddith al-Nuri, vol. 5, pg. 286
[5] Bihar Al-Anwar, vol. 46, p. 104
Great job! As-Salaamu Alaykum Warhamotullahi Taalah Wabarakatuuh!