In the name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him and all his family and companions.
The Islamic calendar is composed of twelve months, four of which are sacred. The sacred months, so called because it was prohibited, even pre-Islam, to fight and shed blood during these months. The sacred months of Dhul-Qi’dah, Dhul Hijjah, and Muharram are consecutive while Rajab occurs in isolation of the other three months. The month of Rajab is one of the four sacred months that Allah has revealed in the Qur’an.
Since the beginning of time, fighting has been forbidden during the sacred months. The sequence of the sacred months protected pilgrims to the Ka’bah both before the advent of Islam and during its early days. This rule existed in pre-islamic period and after advent of Islam it was supported by the verses of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. They were divinely designed to allow pilgrims safe passage to and from Makkah during the Hajj season.
Meanwhile Rajab, the seventh month of the lunar year, stands apart from the other sacred months. It is thus called ‘Rajab al-Fard’ or ‘Rajab the Separate One’. Allah made it sacred in order to preserve people’s safety during ’Umrah, the minor pilgrimage.
The fact that the month of Rajab is considered one of the most sacred months has made it possible for those who come to the Ka’bah to perform Umrah. The fast of the month of Rajab has no advantage over the supererogatory fasts observed in other months. Only the fact that this month is one of the sacred months is its virtues.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani said: “There is no authentic hadith that indicates the virtue of the month of Rajab, the virtue of fasting in it, and the virtue of praying such and such rak’ah on a certain night of this month”
(Fiqh Sunnah, vol. 1, p. 453).
So, it is unfounded that the saying like “This month has such and such a virtue, and if one fasts, it will be like this, and this night one should pray so many rakahs, one should stay awake, and only recite du’a of this meaning”. It is not confirmed by the hadiths of the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him.
However, as one of the months of Allah, it is not useless to perform the usual prayers, supererogatory prayers and supererogatory fasts, and to supplicate to Allah and recite the supplications they wish.
As for establishing the month of Haram as the basis, it should be considered that the months in which war is forbidden — Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab — should be the basis for good .During these months wars ceased even in the time of ignorance. Even the evil Arab tribes those fighting for decades, could restrain themselves as the months went by. Even if the son saw his father’s killer, he wouldn’t say a word to him during those months.
The proclamation of four months in a year as a month without war was a great foundation for world peace. Allah states in the Qur’an that this month is one of the sacred months.
“ يَٰأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تُحِلُّوا۟ شَعَٰئِرَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا ٱلشَّهْرَ ٱلْحَرَامَ وَلَا ٱلْهَدْىَ وَلَا ٱلْقَلَٰئِدَ وَلَآ ءَآمِّينَ ٱلْبَيْتَ ٱلْحَرَامَ يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرِضْوَٰنًا “
[ Surah al Maidah, 2 ]
“O you who have believed, do not violate the rites of Allah or [the sanctity of] the sacred month or [neglect the marking of] the sacrificial animals and garlanding [them] or [violate the safety of] those coming to the Sacred House seeking bounty from their Lord and [His] approval.”
[ Surah al Maidah, 2 ].
The “forbidden month” in the verse refers to the months of Rajab, Dhu’l-Qa’da, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram. Allah forbade fighting during these months. In these four months, if a war is waged, it will be to change the ruling of Allah and to consider what is haraam as halal. Consequently, this is a great sin.
Prepared on the basis of the Hijri-Lunar Calendar.
