The month of Rajab is one of the months that has virtues and advantages in the sight of Allah SWT. Rajab is one of the four forbidden months mentioned in the hadith. The other three are the months of Dzulqa’dah, Dzulhijjah, and Muharram. The month of Rajab is the 7th month in the Hijri calendar, it is full of the advantages and love of Allah in it, one of the reasons is because the month of Rajab is close to the holy month of Ramadan.
One of the important events that occur in the month of Rajab is Isra’ Mikraj. This is the journey of the Prophet Muhammad SAW from the Grand Mosque in Mecca to the Aqsa Mosque in Palestine. Then from Masjidil Aqsa to Sidratul Muntaha and happened on the 27th night of Rajab.
The month of Rajab has many advantages and virtues, this is a holy month and is missed by every human being who is thirsty for God’s grace and this month is always waiting for his arrival. Because with the arrival of Rajab, the holy month of Ramadan has approached human life. Allah says in the Surah at-taubah verse 36, which reads:
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ
Meaning:
“Indeed the number of months according to Allah is twelve months, (as) in Allah’s decree when He created the heavens and the earth, of which there are four forbidden months. That is the straight religion, so do not wrong yourselves in that (fourth month) and fight all the polytheists as they fight all of you. And know that Allah is with those who are pious.” (Surat At-Taubah: 36).
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A prominent scholar, Shaykh Nawawi Bantani, al Jawi once said that Sayyidina Umar bin Khattab said: “The glory of the world can be achieved with wealth and the glory of the hereafter can be achieved with good deeds”.
In this glorious month (the month of Rajab), Muslims compete to do various worships to gain glory in the sight of Allah. Among the deeds that are done in the month of Rajab are:
1. Fasting sunnat in the month of Rajab
One of the voluntary acts of worship in the month of Rajab is fasting. This is known as Rajab Fasting. Muslims often talk about the validity of the hadith about the virtues of fasting in the month of Rajab, including about the reward that will be obtained.
Regarding this matter, Shaykh Nawawi al-Bantani said that the hadith that said that the Prophet Muhammad liked to fast and increase worship in the forbidden month (Haram Month), and one of the forbidden months was the month of Rajab. So, as long as there is no special prohibition on worship and fasting in the month of Rajab, then we are good to do it. There is no hadith that forbids fasting in the month of Rajab, and there is nothing for other worship either. So, this can be done and it is good to do because it is included in the general hadith about sunnat multiplying worship in the month of Rajab.
Among the virtues of the month of Rajab are mentioned in the hadith:
وَحَدِيث ابن عباس قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: من صام من رجب يوما كان كصيام شهر و من صام منه سبعة ايام غلقت عنه ابواب الجحيم السبعة ومن صام منه ثمانية ايام فتحت له ابواب الجنة الثمانية ومن صام من عشرة ايام بدلت سيئاته حسنات
It means:
“Whoever fasts a day in Rajab, it is like fasting for a month, if he fasts for 7 days then 7 gates of Hell will be closed for him, if he fasts for 8 days then 8 gates of paradise are opened for him, and if he fasts for 10 days then his sins will be replaced with kind.”
In the book al Haawi li al Fataawi, Imam Suyuthi mentions that the hadith about the virtues and specifics of fasting in the month of Rajab is classified as weak hadith. But in the tradition of the adherents of Ahlusunnah wal Jamaah, and it has been done for a long time by pious scholars, where they agree that practicing weak hadith is permissible in the context of fada’il al-a’mal.
Then, Shaykhul Islam al-Imam al Hafidz al ‘Iraqi in the book al Tabshirah wa al Tadzkirah said: “As for the dha’if hadiths that are not maudhu’ (false), the scholars have allowed it to be easier in the sanad and its transmission without explaining its weakness. , if the hadith is not related to law and creed (a’qidah), but relates to targhib (worship motivation) and tarhib (warning) such as advice, stories, fadha’il al-a’mal and others.”
2. Increase the reading of istighfar
One of the important forms of worship is to multiply asking forgiveness from Allah. The month of Rajab is the best opportunity for us to say istighfar (ask for forgiveness from Allah). It is stated in the treatise of amaliah, that anyone who recites istighfar in the months of Rajab, Sha’ban, and Ramadan every day between the Asr and Maghrib prayers, then Allah commands two of His angels to tear up the records of his bad deeds.
Wahab bin Munabbah said that he had read in Allah’s books that one should pray to Allah SWT in the month of Rajab, in the morning and evening by raising his hands and reading
اَللّٰهُمَّ اغۡفِرۡلِيۡ وَارۡحَمۡنِيۡ وَتُبۡ عَلَيَّ
70 times. Then it is also recommended to read
أَسّتَغۡفِرُ ﷲَ ذَا الۡجَلَالِ وَالۡإِكۡرَامِ, مِنۡ جَمِيۡعِ الذُّنُوۡبِ وَالۡآثَامِ
50 times in the morning and evening.
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In addition, Muslims are also encouraged to read sayyidul istighfar every day. The following is the sound of Sayyidul Istighfar:
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَنۡتَ رَبِّيۡ لَاإِلٰهَ إِلَّا أَنۡتَ خَلَقۡتَنِيۡ وَأَنَا عَبۡدُكَ وَأَنَا عَلَی عَهۡدِكَ وَوَعۡدِكَ مَا اسۡتَطَعۡتُ,أَعُوۡذُبِكَ مِنۡ شَرِّ مَا صَنَعۡتُ, أَبُوۡءُ لَكَ بِنِعۡمَتِكَ عَلَيَّ وَأَبُوۡءُ بِذَنۡبِيۡ فَاغۡفِرۡلِيۡ فَإِنَّهُ لَايَغۡفِرُ الذُّنُوۡبَ إِلَّاأَنۡتَ
In addition, we are also encouraged to multiply prayer readings when the month of Rajab enters. This is as read by the Prophet Muhammad.
اَللّٰهُمَّ بَارِكۡ لَنَا فِيۡ رَجَبَ وَشَعۡبَانَ وَبَلِّغۡنَا رَمَضَانَ
“O Allah, grant us blessings in the month of Rajab and Sha’ban and convey us in the month of Ramadan”
Sayyidina Ali Karamallahu wajhah prayer on the first night of the month of Rajab, as follows:
