Does the month of Rajab have any special merit over the other months? And is 'Umrah in the month of Rajab better?
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The questioner : May Allah reward the honorableThe Shaykh : Does the month of Rajab have any special merit over the other months? And is 'Umrah in the month of Rajab better, or in the month of Sha'ban? Which of the two is reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh : Yes. The month of Rajab is like the other months, but it is one of the sacred months. And the sacred months—you count them for us. What are the sacred months?
The questioner : Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram.
The Shaykh : Four. Good. May Allah reward you. It is like the other sacred months. Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram are three consecutive months. And Rajab is standalone. For this reason, some people call it: Rajab al-Fard (the single Rajab). And in the sacred months, sins are greater than in other months, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[At-Tawbah 9:36]. In the month of Rajab, some of the Salaf used to perform 'Umrah. Some of the Salaf used to perform 'Umrah in it, because it is half the year, half the year. If we drop the first three sacred months: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram, and start from Safar, Rajab becomes the sixth month, half the year. And if we start from Muharram, the month of Rajab becomes the seventh. So they—meaning some of the Salaf—used to perform 'Umrah in this month, so that they would not delay visiting the Sacred House until the Sacred House remains uninhabited at the end of the year and in the middle of the year. As for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), he did not perform 'Umrah in it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed 'Umrah in the months of Hajj. All of the Messenger's 'Umrahs were in the months of Hajj. He did not perform 'Umrah in Ramadan, nor in Rajab. But in Ramadan, it was reported: Mishkat al-Masabih 2509, 2510. As for Rajab, nothing was reported.
Also, some people think that it is recommended to visit the Prophet's Mosque in Rajab, and they call it al-Rajabiyyah. This has no basis. The Salaf and the early generations of the Ummah do not know it. So it is an invented religious innovation that is not from the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Visiting the Prophet's Mosque is prescribed at all times; whenever you go to the Prophet's Mosque to visit it, it is good.
Likewise, some people think that the Night Journey and Ascension (al-Isra' wa al-Mi'raj) took place in Rajab. On which night? On which night? The twenty-seventh. This is wrong. There is no authentic report from the Salaf about this, ever. Even Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) claimed scholarly consensus that the Night Journey and Ascension took place in Rabi' al-Awwal. But the disagreement actually exists; there is no consensus. The historians differed on this in about ten opinions. For this reason, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "All the hadiths regarding this are weak, disconnected, and contradictory, and cannot be relied upon". So the Ascension is not in Rajab; the closest it is to is in Rabi'. This is one point. Second: even if we assume it was in Rajab and on the night of the twenty-seventh, are we allowed to invent a celebration for this night and suspend work the next morning? Absolutely not. This is an ugly religious innovation that was not reported from the Messenger, nor from the Caliphs, nor from the Companions, nor from the Tabi'un, nor from the Imams of the Muslims. So it is a denounced innovation. Some people think that the Night of the Ascension is better than the Night of Decree, and I seek refuge in Allah from that. This is pure error. Therefore, it is obligatory for us, the last of this Ummah, to look at what the Salaf of the Ummah did, the Salaf of the Ummah before the emergence of innovations, and to clarify things for the people. And whoever the truth becomes clear to but does not follow it is in danger, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:[An-Nisa 4:115]. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes. The month of Rajab is like the other months, but it is one of the sacred months. And the sacred months—you count them for us. What are the sacred months?
The questioner : Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram.
The Shaykh : Four. Good. May Allah reward you. It is like the other sacred months. Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram are three consecutive months. And Rajab is standalone. For this reason, some people call it: Rajab al-Fard (the single Rajab). And in the sacred months, sins are greater than in other months, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted:
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.
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْراً فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْAn 'umra in Ramadan is equal to a hajja
أن عمرة في رمضان تعدل حجةAlso, some people think that it is recommended to visit the Prophet's Mosque in Rajab, and they call it al-Rajabiyyah. This has no basis. The Salaf and the early generations of the Ummah do not know it. So it is an invented religious innovation that is not from the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Visiting the Prophet's Mosque is prescribed at all times; whenever you go to the Prophet's Mosque to visit it, it is good.
Likewise, some people think that the Night Journey and Ascension (al-Isra' wa al-Mi'raj) took place in Rajab. On which night? On which night? The twenty-seventh. This is wrong. There is no authentic report from the Salaf about this, ever. Even Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) claimed scholarly consensus that the Night Journey and Ascension took place in Rabi' al-Awwal. But the disagreement actually exists; there is no consensus. The historians differed on this in about ten opinions. For this reason, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "All the hadiths regarding this are weak, disconnected, and contradictory, and cannot be relied upon". So the Ascension is not in Rajab; the closest it is to is in Rabi'. This is one point. Second: even if we assume it was in Rajab and on the night of the twenty-seventh, are we allowed to invent a celebration for this night and suspend work the next morning? Absolutely not. This is an ugly religious innovation that was not reported from the Messenger, nor from the Caliphs, nor from the Companions, nor from the Tabi'un, nor from the Imams of the Muslims. So it is a denounced innovation. Some people think that the Night of the Ascension is better than the Night of Decree, and I seek refuge in Allah from that. This is pure error. Therefore, it is obligatory for us, the last of this Ummah, to look at what the Salaf of the Ummah did, the Salaf of the Ummah before the emergence of innovations, and to clarify things for the people. And whoever the truth becomes clear to but does not follow it is in danger, due to the saying of Allah the Exalted: