Rajab al- Sharīf and the Night of Raghāib

We are very close to the month of Rajab al- Sharīf, the first of the three blessed months, when the sea of divine mercy gushes, barakah and enlightenment overflows, and the people of the heart attain their purpose. We will reach the first day of Rajab on Monday 23rd January, and the Night of Raghāib on Thursday 26th January.

Allāh Ta‘ālā says in the Qur’ān al-Karīm:

“Indeed, the number of months ordained by Allāh is twelve in the register of Allāh from the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these four are sacred. That is the correct law of Allāh. So do not wrong yourselves during these months.”

The first of the four months worthy of this respect is Rajab al-Sharīf, the month of Allāh Ta‘ālā. Rajab al-Sharīf and Sha‘bān al-Sharīf following it are important as they are the precursors of Ramaḍān, the Sultan of the months, and are months of preparation for it.

Islamic scholars have explained, in various ways, the virtue of Rajab al-Sharīf, which was also appreciated and respected by the past ummahs. 

Some of these are:

The word Rajab is a shortened form of mercy, generosity, and goodness. In other words, Allāh’s mercy descends generously on those who engage in worship, prayer, and dhikr out of respect for this month, and those servants receive abundant blessings.

Hadrat Zun’nun al-Misrī said: “Rajab is the month of planting seeds, Sha’bān is the month of irrigation, and Ramaḍān is the month of harvesting, that is, harvesting the fruits.”

The soil of our spiritual world, which has been exposed to the freezing cold of rebellion and sins for months, begins to warm up with Rajab al- Sharīf. An ākhirah spring air fills our hearts in Sha’bā al-Sharīf. And with the peaceful heat of Ramaḍān al-Sharīf, our spiritual body is warmed, and our heart is filled with the harvest of good deeds for a year.

In Rajab, we should try to be closer to Allāh Ta‘ālā spiritually by giving importance to nāfilah worship together with the farḍ ibādahs. Because with the farḍ, we pay our debt to Allāh. Through nāfilah, we gain closeness to Allāh. In a hadīth al- qudsī, Allāh Subfiānahū wa Ta‘ālā says: 

“My servants save themselves from my punishment by performing the farḍs, and they get closer to me with the nāfilahs.”

We can summarise the nāfilah ibādahs to be performed in this month as follows:

Those who fast on the first day of Rajab are given the reward of fasting for 3 years, those who fast on the second day will be given 2 years, those who fast on the third day will be given 1 year, and for each day of fasting after the third day, the reward of fasting for 1 month is given.

Apart from tahajjud, dufiā and awwābin salāhs, 10 rak’ahs between the 1st and 10th of Rajab, 10 rak‘ahs between the 11th and 20th, and 10 rak‘ahs between the 21st and 30th of Rajab, a total of 30 rak‘ahs of nāfilah salāh should not be neglected. This salāh was narrated by Hadrat Salmān al-Fārisī, the barber of Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam).

Since this month is the month that Allāh Ta‘ālā attributes to Himself, it is necessary to recite Sūrah al-Ikhlās abundantly, as it is about the dhāt of Allāh.

We should read the du‘ā that Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) read a lot in the month of Rajab which comes to this meaning: “O Allāh! Make the months of Rajab and Sha‘bān blessed for us and bring us to Ramaḍān

On the Night of Raghāib, 12 rak‘ahs of HĀJAH SALĀH is performed between Maghrib and Ishā. Explanations about these prayers are available in the Fazilet Calendar.

Happy are those who revive these months and blessed nights!