The Virtues of the Month of Rajab
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Is there a basis in the Sunnah for performing 'Umrah in Rajab,And the saying of some people: the Rajab 'Umrah, and is it superior to the 'Umrah in Ramadan, or inferior to it, or is there something else?
I say first: The month of Rajab is one of the four sacred months, which are: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. The prohibition of these months was known even in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah), so they would prohibit fighting in them, to the extent that a man might find the killer of his father in these months and not touch him. The Islamic Shari'ah came to confirm this, so Allah prohibited fighting in these four months. The reason the Quraysh prohibited these four months was that the three months of Hajj are Dhu al-Qa'dah, which is the month before Hajj, Muharram, which is the month after Hajj, and Dhu al-Hijjah, which is the month of Hajj. So they prohibited fighting in them so that people going to Hajj and returning from it would be safe. In Rajab, they would perform 'Umrah, and for that reason they prohibited fighting in it. However, the Sunnah did not come with the recommendation (mustahabb) of performing 'Umrah in Rajab.Rather, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [That it was a month in which the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah) would perform 'Umrah, so Islam abrogated it] meaning: it abrogated the recommendation (mustahabb) of performing 'Umrah in it, and some of the Salaf used to perform 'Umrah in it, until Abdullah ibn 'Umar said: [That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed 'Umrah in the month of Rajab] But Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: [You have erred] and she said: [The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform 'Umrah except in the months of Hajj] He performed four 'Umrahs in the months of Hajj: the 'Umrah of Hudaybiyyah, the 'Umrah of Qada', the 'Umrah of al-Ja'ranah, and the 'Umrah of his Hajj. So Abdullah ibn 'Umar remained silent.
And on this basis, we say: Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) erred in thinking that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) performed 'Umrah in Rajab, but it is narrated from some of the Salaf that they used to perform 'Umrah in it. So if one performs 'Umrah without believing that it is a Sunnah, there is nothing wrong with it.And as for us saying: It is not one of the recommended practices (sunnah) attached to the month. No, the 'Umrah was not reported in any month except in the months of Hajj and in the month of Ramadan.
Second: On this occasion, I would like to say to the brother questioner: There are those who single out Rajab for fasting, so they fast the entire month of Rajab, and this is a religious innovation (bid'ah) and not a Sunnah. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) even entered his home and found his family had collected a measure of water, preparing to fast in Rajab.So he broke the measures and said: [Do you want to make Rajab like Ramadan?] And 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to hit people when he saw them fasting until he would put their hands in food in Rajab. So there is no virtue in fasting in Rajab; rather, it is like the other months. Whoever is accustomed to fasting on Mondays and Thursdays should continue, and whoever is accustomed to fasting on the white days (the 13th, 14th, and 15th) should continue, but there is no specific fasting for it.
Third: In some Islamic countries, there is a prayer on the first Friday night of Rajab between Maghrib and 'Isha' called the Prayer of al-Raghayib, consisting of twelve rak'ahs. This also has no validity, and its hadith is fabricated (mawdu') and falsely attributed to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).The Shaykh al-Islam said: It is fabricated and falsely attributed by the consensus of the people of knowledge of hadith.
So there is no specific prayer in Rajab, neither on its first Friday night, nor on the night of its middle. The month of Rajab is like other months in terms of prayers.
Fourth: Visiting the Prophet's Mosque: Some people believe that visiting the Prophet's Mosque in Rajab has a special merit, and they come to it from every direction.And they call this visit: The Rajab visit. This is also a religious innovation (bid'ah) with no basis, and the predecessors did not speak about it, not even after the three centuries. Because it appears that it occurred very late, it is a religious innovation (bid'ah). But if one visits Madinah in Rajab, not because it is the month of Rajab, there is no blame on him. However, if one believes that visiting the Prophet's Mosque in Rajab has a special merit, he has erred and gone astray, and he is among the people of innovation (ahl al-bid'ah) in this matter.
Fifth: Many people believe that the Ascension (al-Mi'raj) that occurred for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to the heavens was in Rajab, on the night of the 27th of it. This is a mistake. They believe it was on the night of the 27th and they celebrate on that night.And thus they have erred in two ways: The first aspect: from the historical perspective, it has not been established, and no one of the previous scholars said: that it was in Rajab.Rather, they said: That it was in Rabi' al-Awwal.And some said: In Ramadan.And the correct view is: That it was in Rabi' al-Awwal.
The second aspect: Celebrating it: Even if we assume for the sake of argument that it is the night of the 27th of Rajab, celebrating it is a religious innovation (bid'ah); because they celebrate it and believe it to be a religion and a means of drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So it is among the innovations (bid'ah) and it is not permissible to celebrate it; due to its lack of validity from the historical perspective, and its lack of prescription (mashru') from the perspective of worship. It is very regrettable that some Muslims celebrate this night and suspend work on its morning, and perhaps heads of state attend. This is among the errors in which Muslims have lived for a long time.
And it is obligatory (wajib) for students of knowledge, after the Sunnah has become clear, and praise be to Allah, to clarify to the people. The people are close; many of these people do not celebrate this celebration except out of love for Allah and His Messenger. And if this is the motive for this celebration, then as soon as the truth is clarified to them, and they are truly seeking the truth, they will return to the truth.
I say first: The month of Rajab is one of the four sacred months, which are: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. The prohibition of these months was known even in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah), so they would prohibit fighting in them, to the extent that a man might find the killer of his father in these months and not touch him. The Islamic Shari'ah came to confirm this, so Allah prohibited fighting in these four months. The reason the Quraysh prohibited these four months was that the three months of Hajj are Dhu al-Qa'dah, which is the month before Hajj, Muharram, which is the month after Hajj, and Dhu al-Hijjah, which is the month of Hajj. So they prohibited fighting in them so that people going to Hajj and returning from it would be safe. In Rajab, they would perform 'Umrah, and for that reason they prohibited fighting in it. However, the Sunnah did not come with the recommendation (mustahabb) of performing 'Umrah in Rajab.Rather, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: [That it was a month in which the people of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance (jahiliyyah) would perform 'Umrah, so Islam abrogated it] meaning: it abrogated the recommendation (mustahabb) of performing 'Umrah in it, and some of the Salaf used to perform 'Umrah in it, until Abdullah ibn 'Umar said: [That the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) performed 'Umrah in the month of Rajab] But Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: [You have erred] and she said: [The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not perform 'Umrah except in the months of Hajj] He performed four 'Umrahs in the months of Hajj: the 'Umrah of Hudaybiyyah, the 'Umrah of Qada', the 'Umrah of al-Ja'ranah, and the 'Umrah of his Hajj. So Abdullah ibn 'Umar remained silent.
And on this basis, we say: Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) erred in thinking that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) performed 'Umrah in Rajab, but it is narrated from some of the Salaf that they used to perform 'Umrah in it. So if one performs 'Umrah without believing that it is a Sunnah, there is nothing wrong with it.And as for us saying: It is not one of the recommended practices (sunnah) attached to the month. No, the 'Umrah was not reported in any month except in the months of Hajj and in the month of Ramadan.
Second: On this occasion, I would like to say to the brother questioner: There are those who single out Rajab for fasting, so they fast the entire month of Rajab, and this is a religious innovation (bid'ah) and not a Sunnah. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) even entered his home and found his family had collected a measure of water, preparing to fast in Rajab.So he broke the measures and said: [Do you want to make Rajab like Ramadan?] And 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to hit people when he saw them fasting until he would put their hands in food in Rajab. So there is no virtue in fasting in Rajab; rather, it is like the other months. Whoever is accustomed to fasting on Mondays and Thursdays should continue, and whoever is accustomed to fasting on the white days (the 13th, 14th, and 15th) should continue, but there is no specific fasting for it.
Third: In some Islamic countries, there is a prayer on the first Friday night of Rajab between Maghrib and 'Isha' called the Prayer of al-Raghayib, consisting of twelve rak'ahs. This also has no validity, and its hadith is fabricated (mawdu') and falsely attributed to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).The Shaykh al-Islam said: It is fabricated and falsely attributed by the consensus of the people of knowledge of hadith.
So there is no specific prayer in Rajab, neither on its first Friday night, nor on the night of its middle. The month of Rajab is like other months in terms of prayers.
Fourth: Visiting the Prophet's Mosque: Some people believe that visiting the Prophet's Mosque in Rajab has a special merit, and they come to it from every direction.And they call this visit: The Rajab visit. This is also a religious innovation (bid'ah) with no basis, and the predecessors did not speak about it, not even after the three centuries. Because it appears that it occurred very late, it is a religious innovation (bid'ah). But if one visits Madinah in Rajab, not because it is the month of Rajab, there is no blame on him. However, if one believes that visiting the Prophet's Mosque in Rajab has a special merit, he has erred and gone astray, and he is among the people of innovation (ahl al-bid'ah) in this matter.
Fifth: Many people believe that the Ascension (al-Mi'raj) that occurred for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to the heavens was in Rajab, on the night of the 27th of it. This is a mistake. They believe it was on the night of the 27th and they celebrate on that night.And thus they have erred in two ways: The first aspect: from the historical perspective, it has not been established, and no one of the previous scholars said: that it was in Rajab.Rather, they said: That it was in Rabi' al-Awwal.And some said: In Ramadan.And the correct view is: That it was in Rabi' al-Awwal.
The second aspect: Celebrating it: Even if we assume for the sake of argument that it is the night of the 27th of Rajab, celebrating it is a religious innovation (bid'ah); because they celebrate it and believe it to be a religion and a means of drawing near to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So it is among the innovations (bid'ah) and it is not permissible to celebrate it; due to its lack of validity from the historical perspective, and its lack of prescription (mashru') from the perspective of worship. It is very regrettable that some Muslims celebrate this night and suspend work on its morning, and perhaps heads of state attend. This is among the errors in which Muslims have lived for a long time.
And it is obligatory (wajib) for students of knowledge, after the Sunnah has become clear, and praise be to Allah, to clarify to the people. The people are close; many of these people do not celebrate this celebration except out of love for Allah and His Messenger. And if this is the motive for this celebration, then as soon as the truth is clarified to them, and they are truly seeking the truth, they will return to the truth.