Is there any authentic evidence regarding the virtue of Rajab and fasting in it?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Okay, now this question, which might be the third one, I heard one of the brothers, or rather one of the sisters, telling my wife, "Fast on Wednesday and Thursday and..." Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. So she is declaring her a disbeliever. Every year.
The Shaykh : I didn't understand! What are you saying?
The questioner : The hadith about Rajab, Shaykh.
Another questioner : The hadith about Rajab.
The Shaykh : Yes, that's it.
The questioner : Fasting.
The Shaykh : This has no basis. Fasting in Rajab has no basis at all, whether it is one day, three days, or the twenty-seventh of Rajab. What can be said, and this is what we always issue rulings on, is that if a person has a habit of fasting before the month of Rajab enters, and then Rajab comes, he should continue with his habit and not single out Rajab for specific fasting, because this singling out has no basis. And I think you don't need an explanation that singling out a specific time or place for worship is legislation, and no one has the right to do that except by permission from Allah and His Messenger. And nothing has come at all regarding the month of Rajab. It has become known among the later scholars of hadith that they say: "Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab said: Nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab." Nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab, absolutely.
The questioner : Our Shaykh, you said Ibn Rajab!
The Shaykh : Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Yes, that is an addition.
The Shaykh : Nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab.
The questioner : Yes, an addition, Shaykh, to the words or treatise of Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, meaning this.
The Shaykh : No, we are not giving this answer for the sake of the rhyme.
The questioner : Yes, the rhyme.
The Shaykh : "Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab said: Nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab."
The questioner : Is he Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, my Shaykh?
Another questioner : Other than Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He has a treatise titled: Tabyin al-'Ajab fi ma warada fi fadl Rajab (Clarifying the Wonder in What Has Come Regarding the Virtue of Rajab).
The questioner : And likewise, the issue of fasting three consecutive months, does it have a basis?
The Shaykh : Yes, it has no basis.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : This is the fasting of old women.
The questioner : My Shaykh, but in terms of corrections, it is by al-'Asqalani, my Shaykh!
The Shaykh : Ibn Hajar, yes, my brother, we have Ibn Rajab and we have Ibn Hajar.
The questioner : Very good.
The Shaykh : So Tabyin al-'Ajab is by Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab is the Hanbali you asked about; he is the one who says nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab.
The questioner : The saying, yes, but the book is by al-'Asqalani.
The Shaykh : The book is by Ibn Hajar.
The questioner : Al-'Asqalani, may Allah bless you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may He bless you as well. I haven't had any tea or coffee.
The Shaykh : I didn't understand! What are you saying?
The questioner : The hadith about Rajab, Shaykh.
Another questioner : The hadith about Rajab.
The Shaykh : Yes, that's it.
The questioner : Fasting.
The Shaykh : This has no basis. Fasting in Rajab has no basis at all, whether it is one day, three days, or the twenty-seventh of Rajab. What can be said, and this is what we always issue rulings on, is that if a person has a habit of fasting before the month of Rajab enters, and then Rajab comes, he should continue with his habit and not single out Rajab for specific fasting, because this singling out has no basis. And I think you don't need an explanation that singling out a specific time or place for worship is legislation, and no one has the right to do that except by permission from Allah and His Messenger. And nothing has come at all regarding the month of Rajab. It has become known among the later scholars of hadith that they say: "Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab said: Nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab." Nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab, absolutely.
The questioner : Our Shaykh, you said Ibn Rajab!
The Shaykh : Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Yes, that is an addition.
The Shaykh : Nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab.
The questioner : Yes, an addition, Shaykh, to the words or treatise of Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, meaning this.
The Shaykh : No, we are not giving this answer for the sake of the rhyme.
The questioner : Yes, the rhyme.
The Shaykh : "Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab said: Nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab."
The questioner : Is he Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, my Shaykh?
Another questioner : Other than Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : He has a treatise titled: Tabyin al-'Ajab fi ma warada fi fadl Rajab (Clarifying the Wonder in What Has Come Regarding the Virtue of Rajab).
The questioner : And likewise, the issue of fasting three consecutive months, does it have a basis?
The Shaykh : Yes, it has no basis.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : This is the fasting of old women.
The questioner : My Shaykh, but in terms of corrections, it is by al-'Asqalani, my Shaykh!
The Shaykh : Ibn Hajar, yes, my brother, we have Ibn Rajab and we have Ibn Hajar.
The questioner : Very good.
The Shaykh : So Tabyin al-'Ajab is by Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar al-'Asqalani.
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab is the Hanbali you asked about; he is the one who says nothing is authentic regarding the virtue of Rajab.
The questioner : The saying, yes, but the book is by al-'Asqalani.
The Shaykh : The book is by Ibn Hajar.
The questioner : Al-'Asqalani, may Allah bless you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may He bless you as well. I haven't had any tea or coffee.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.