Blessings and Significance Of The Holy Month Of Rajab
In Islam, there are events and rituals, some of which are compulsory upon the followers whereas for others the followers can either do them for reward and spiritual gain or they can forego them if they cannot celebrate and perform them. These events and rituals are day and month specific, so there are months in Islamic calendar that are superior to the other months because of the days in them.
One of the prominent months in Islam is Rajab. It is the seventh month of Islamic lunar calendar and holds great significance pertaining to spiritual affiliation of the Muslims with this month. The lines below discuss the major significance of the month of Rajab in Islam.
One Of The Sacred Months:
In Quran, Allah Almighty says:
“Undoubtedly, the number of months with Allah is twelve in the Book of Allah since the day He created heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred. This is the right religion. Therefore, do not wrong yourselves in these months.” (9:36)
In this ayah of Quran, Allah Almighty has mentioned four months that are sacred to Him. In one of the hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) it is found that Rajab is one of those months that is sacred to Allah Almighty. Therefore, this ayah of Quran is a sufficient reason for Muslims to consider Rajab sacred and give it reverence over other Islamic months.
Night Of Isra And Mairaj:
The other major significance that makes Rajab prominent compared to other months of the Islamic calendar is the night of Isra and Shab e Mairaj. In Quran, Allah Almighty says about this night in the following way:
“Praise be to God Who has enraptured His servant by night from the Sacred mosque (Mecca) to the Farthest Mosque (Jerusalem).” (17:1)
In this ayah, Allah Almighty refers to the event of Isra and Mairaj when Allah Almighty ordered Gabriel to take Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Mecca to Jerusalem from where He was then taken to the skies where He met Allah Almighty in person. Therefore, the 27th of Rajab which is the night of Isra and Mairaj is widely revered amongst Muslim and they make special celebrations and prayers on this night.
Fasting:
Although the month of fasting is Ramadan, however, there are other days and months in which Muslims can fast for reward, and Rajab is one of them. The hadith narrated about Prophet (PBUH) with regards, to the month of Rajab is as under:
“Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that Abdullah ibn Nameer narrated and ibn Nameer narrated from his father that `Uthmān ibn Hakeem al-Ansaari narrated, “I asked Sa`eed ibn Jubayr about the fast of Rajab, what was his opinion on it. He said, ‘Ibn `Abbās narrated that the Prophet used to fast until we said he would never break fast, and he used to break fast until we said he will never fast [again.]‘” (Muslim)
From this hadith, it is clear that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would fast in the month of Rajab, therefore, Muslims can also fast in this month to fulfill the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and earn greater blessings and rewards in this month.
Bottom Line:
In a nutshell, Rajab is widely known as one of the sacred months in Islam. It is sacred primarily because Allah Almighty has said it so in Quran, and secondly it is the month in which the event of the night of Isra and Mairaj took place, which is still revered and celebrated by Muslims all over the world with religious zest and spirit.
