Merits of Month of Rajab Starting Tues InshAllah

[Sufi Med]

The Specialties and Benefits of the Month of Rajab

'Rajabun Shahrullah' - 'Rajab is the month of Allah'

Starting Tues June 23 2009



'Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'baana wa bal-lig-naa shah-
ra ramadhaana.'

'O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let
us reach the month of Ramadhan.'

Dua to recite throughout the month of Rajab,Shaban Ramadhan

'Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'baana wa bal-lig-naa shah-
ra ramadhaana.'

'O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let
us reach the month of Ramadhan.'



The beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon
him said: 'The fast of the first day of Rajab is repentance for 3
years and the fasting of the second day is repentance for 2 years and
the fast of third day is repentance for 1 year and then each remaining
day -of Rajab- is repentance for 1 month.'

'Whoever fasts the 1st day of Rajab it will be equivalent to the fast
of 1 year; and whoever fasts 7 days in it, the 7 gates of Hell will be
closed for him; and whoever fasts 10 days from Rajab, a caller will
call out from the sky, "Ask and you will be given!" '

Note: Read 30 rakah on 1st 15th and 30th of Rajab pray 10 rakat nafil
namaz in 2 rakat salam. In each rakat after Alhamdo pray Surah
Kaferoon 3 times and Surah Ikhlas (Qul-huwalla) 3 times each has its
dua -see pages 15

1- Fast -1st day of Rajab have Ghusl- bath for cleansing all sins -
pray 10 rakat nafil namaz in 2 rakat salam. In each rakat after
Alhamdo pray Surah Kaferoon 3 times and Surah Ikhlas (Qul-huwalla) 3
times. After completing the salaat read dua below -

Dua for 1st Rajab: "La Ilaha illallaho wahdahu la sharika lahu lahul-
mulko walahul-hamdo yoh-yi wa yo mito wahuwa hay-yil-la yamuto
biyaaadie-hil -khair wahuwa ala kulle shai-een kadir, Allahumma la man-
a. le maa aat-taa, wa la mua-tiya, le maa man-aata, wa layunfeo
zuljadde min-kal jaddo.

2- Fast 1st Friday night (Thursday night in Islam) Night of wishes
laylat al-ragha'ib -

In the evening between Maghrib and `Isha, perform 12 units (Rak'at) of
prayer, in two's (i.e. two at a time). In each unit recite: 3 times
Sura-al-Qadr & then 12 times (Qul huwallahu) followed with dua - read
below full details see pages 10,11,14, 17

3-Fast -15th day of Rajab Ghusl- bath -for cleansing all sins- pray 10
rakah like 1st and with Dua : "Illahan-wahedan, ahadan samadan wa
faradaow wa witran lam yattakhiz sahebataow wa la waladan."

4- Fast -27th Mi'raj Night Special Duas go pages 12, 13,21 Mi'raj
Dua's Page 27

5- Fast -30th day of Rajab Ghusl- bath -for cleansing all sins - Pray
10 rakah like 1st day with Dua - as day of Rajab: "Allahumma sallai
ala Sayidina Mohammadiuw wa all hittaherin, wa la hawla kuwwata ilia
billa-hil Aliyil Azim. "

After reciting the above 30 rakah, pray for whatever your
requirements. Insha-Allah these will be answered, and on the day of
resurrection, there will be 70 trenches between you and Hell and each
of these trenches will be so wide it would take 500 years to cross
one. In addition each rakat has the reward of 1000 rakats.

Everyday read 'Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'baana wa bal-
lig-naa shah-ra ramadhaana.' see top for arabic 'O Allah, make the
months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let us reach the month
of Ramadhan.'

Reference to Fasting in Rajab -If someone has fasted for three days
during the sacred months, on a Thursday, a Friday and a Saturday,
Allah will credit him with the worshipful service [ibadah] of 900
years!

Fasting in Rajab ones drinks from a River of Paradise called Rajab
Only for those who observed fasting in Rajab also a palace for Only
those whose frequently fasted in Rajab.

Grave punishment will be stopped if one fasts only day of Rajab

In order to enter Ramadhaan in the best possible manner, one has to
prepare himself in the months of Rajab and Shabaan. It has been said
that Rajab is the month to sow seeds (good actions), Shabaan is the
month in which we should water those seeds (with tears of sorrow) and
Ramadhaan is the month in which we reap the harvest.
Rajab is the Month of God - also Dua of Wali Abbas

If support accompanies someone, then that person is always successful.
All of the present company have that support. If not, you would never
be found in such an association. Why come? You might just as well go
on as other people, happy with their material lives and their
pleasures. But that Light which is in your heart draws you here.
Without support, it will avail all of us nothing to wear certain
colors, or turbans, or dervish cloaks, day and night. The important
thing is support from God. Were it not to accompany us, we would never
accomplish anything.

Ahead of us begins a very important month in the Islamic calendar, the
holy month of Rajab al-Haram. It stands alone out of the four months
which God has declared sacred Rajab, Dhul-Qida, Dhul-Hijja, and
Muharram. It also opens the series of three holy months culminating in
Ramadan: Rajab, Shaban, and Ramadan. During these three months
everyone must prepare and keep himself, as much as possible, away from
low traits, bad manners and sins.

The Prophet (s) said, 'Rajab is the month of God, Shaban is my month
and Ramadan is the month of my Community.' God gave us twelve months
in the year, eleven of which are ours and one of which belongs to God.
What rewards God will give his servants in His month, no one knows,
not even the Prophet (s). The work of prophets and angels stops in the
month of Rajab. They are not allowed to know what rewards God is going
to give His community. It is in the hands of the Lord, Almighty God.
In the following month, Shaban, no one is permitted to know what
rewards the Prophet (s) will give his Community except the Prophet (s)
and God. What is accumulated of the rewards in Rajab and Shaban will
be written for you and become known to everyone in Ramadan. That is
why it is the month of the Community. These three months are therefore
very important months in the understanding of the Sufi orders.

In the month of Rajab, the Prophet (s) went through the Night Journey
and Ascension. During this month one must keep oneself away from all
kinds of bad manners and behavior. One of the most important days of
the year is the first day of the 'month of God.' All seclusions
commence at the beginning of the month of Rajab. The most important
seclusion that Sufi masters have performed in their lives always fell
in that month. It is a holy month. If you do something more (for God)
in that month, you are going to be rewarded with a reward known to no
one except God. In that month, God's Oceans of Mercy, Love and Rewards
are going to be opened for His Community and His servants.

All saints wait to see what rewards God is going to grant human beings
at this time of year. All saints on this planet, from East to West,
from North to South, expect to see something happen in this world
during these three special months. Everyone of us must therefore
behave themselves in these coming three months especially.

Look at the mercy that God sends in the month of Rajab. If you did
something wrong, do not turn away, as if to run away from God. Turn to
your Lord. He will forgive you. It is very important because no one
knows what God is going to give to His servants not even the two
angels appointed to write a person's deeds, who ride on the shoulders
of every human being. Everything in that month comes through God and
no one knows what God will put into his or her scale for the least
good manner or act of worship done for Him.

In the time of the Prophet (s) there lived a notorious highway robber.
He used to frequent the streets after midnight. If he found someone
walking alone at night in the street, he caught him, robbed him,
sometimes beat him or killed him, and then returned home. No one was
able to catch that highwayman. The Prophet (s) used to curse that
highwayman in his time, saying, 'That is an evil person. I will never
pray for him and I will not bury him in the graveyard of the Muslims.'

After many years, the highwayman passed away. Because the Prophet (s)
used to curse him, the children dragged his body through the streets
of Madinah and threw him into a dry well. As soon as they had thrown
him into the well, God spoke to the Prophet (s) and said, 'O my
beloved Prophet, today one of my saints has passed away. You must go
and wash him, clean him, cover him, pray for him and bury him.' The
Prophet (s) was astonished because all his life he had cursed that
person. Now that he had passed away, God told him that he was a saint.
How could he be a saint? But no one can interfere with God's
knowledge, not even the Prophet (s). If God wants to make a thief a
saint, no one can ask, 'Why?' We must accept. That is why according to
Sufi teachings and the teachings of the Naqshbandi Order, you have to
look at everyone as being better than you. You do not know if God is
going to raise that person's level higher than your level who knows?
No one can know. Therefore no one can interfere. Do not look down at
people as if you were superior to them. You do not know whether that
person, in God's eyes, is a saint or not. Who knows? Always regard
people as being at a higher level than yourself. Show them respect and
be humble towards them. Do not show ego and pride.

God's Mercy is so great that you are forbidden to look at what people
are doing on the outside. You must not call them crazy or criticize
their bad manners. Leave them alone. They have a Lord to judge them.
Look at yourself. Make yourself behave well. Do not interfere with
anyone else. It is not your job to correct anyone else. Your job is
only to correct yourself. Correct yourself and leave everyone else to
their Lord. This is the true understanding and teaching of Sufism
leave everyone to their Lord and change yourself. If you teach your
ego not to interfere with anyone, then you are going to find yourself
living in happiness, because when you look at people, you will only
see servants of the same Lord as yours and, therefore, God will
sometimes forgive them what they are doing. Do not say, 'You are
committing wrong by drinking, womanizing, doing this and doing that.
Leave everyone to his or her Lord. Teach people in general. Do not
focus in on someone and be specific.

God told the Prophet (s), 'O Messenger of God, take him and purify
him.' The Prophet (s) immediately called Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (s) and
said, 'O Abu Bakr, we have to go and bury the highwayman who died.'
Abu Bakr (s) said, 'O Messenger of God, you said that you did not want
to bury that person in a Muslim grave for he is not Muslim!' The
Prophet (s) said, 'No! Let alone ordinary Muslims. God informed me
today that that person was a saint!'

What did that thief do in his life to become a saint? He killed,
robbed and stole all his life. The Prophet (s) went into the well,
took that person's body out with his own hands and with his
Companions, carried him to his house. He cleaned him, washed him,
wrapped him in a shroud, prayed for him, then took him from the his
mosque to the Baqi cemetery, a distance of fifteen minutes' walk. It
took the Prophet (s) more than two hours to move from the mosque to
the cemetery. All the Companions were astonished at the way the
Prophet (s) was walking. He had performed ablution for the dead with
his own hands on that man, washed him and prayed for him. Now that he
was taking him to his grave, he was walking on tiptoes. 'O Messenger
of God,' they asked him, 'Why are you walking on tiptoes?' He said,
'God ordered all saints from East to West, all angels from the seven
heavens and all spiritual beings to be present and follow the bier of
that saint. There are so many of them filling the way that I cannot
find a place to put my feet. Never in my life was I so surprised as I
am today.'

After they buried him, the Prophet (s) did not speak with anyone but
quickly returned to his house trembling and shivering. He sat with Abu
Bakr as-Siddiq (s) asking himself what that saint had done, a robber
all his life, to merit such a high degree of respect from God. Abu
Bakr (s) said, 'O Messenger of God, I feel ashamed to ask about what I
saw today. It was so astonishing.' The Prophet (s) answered, 'O Abu
Bakr (s), I am even more surprised than you. I am waiting for Gabriel
(s) to come and inform me of what has happened.'

When Gabriel (s) came, the Prophet (s) said, 'O Gabriel what is the
matter?' He answered, 'O Prophet, do not ask me. I am also astonished!
Yet do not be astonished. God can do what no one can do. He is telling
you to ask that man's daughter what he did in his life.'

The Prophet (s) immediately went in person with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (s)
to the house of that burglar. Nowadays, ministers and secretaries of
state, no, even a manager in a company treats everyone else as if they
were beggars at his door. They show neither respect nor humility. The
Prophet (s), disregarding his power and status as a perfect human
being, as the beloved of God, humbly went to that saint's house to ask
his child what her father had done in his life. He said, 'O my
daughter, please tell me how your father lived.' She told him, 'O
Messenger of God, I am very ashamed before you. What am I going to
tell you? He was a killer, a thief. I never saw him do anything good.
He robbed and stole day and night, except for one month during the
year. When that month came, he would say, 'This is the month of God,'
because he heard you say, 'Rajab is the month of God, Shaban is the
month of the Prophet and Ramadan is the month of the Community.' So he
said, 'I do not care for the month of the Prophet (s) or the month of
the Community, only for the month of my Lord. Therefore, I am going to
sit in my room and close it and perform seclusion during this month.'

The Prophet (s) asked her, 'What kind of seclusion did he do?' She
told him, 'O Messenger of God, one day he was out in the street
looking for someone to rob. He found an old man of seventy or eighty
years of age. He beat him until he was unconscious and robbed him. He
found a small piece of folded paper in his pocket. He opened it and
found a prayer inside. He liked that prayer very much. Every year when
the month of Rajab--the month of God--came around, my father used to
sit and read that prayer day and night, weeping and reading, except
when he wanted to eat or perform ablution. After the month was over he
would get up and say, 'The month of God is finished. Now for my
pleasure,' and go back to robbing and stealing for eleven more
months.'

The supplication used by that man is a very important supplication
which all are advised to recite three times a day during the month of
Rajab. (This Dua known as the dua of Wali Abbas can found below in
Arabic)

Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said that this supplication purifies you from all
your sins and leaves you as pure as a newborn child. It is a very
famous supplication in Sufi orders. When the Prophet (s) asked the
daughter to bring him the paper, he kissed it and rubbed this paper
over his body. I advise all of you not to forget about that
supplication, but practice it during this coming month. Keep reciting
it and God will give you as He Wills, according to your intention.

God told the Prophet (s), 'O my beloved Prophet, that person came and
repented to me in the most precious month of the year. For that
reason, because he sacrificed at least one month of the year for Me, I
have forgiven him all his mistakes and I have changed all his sins
into laudable deeds. As he had many sins, now he has many rewards. He
became a great saint.' Because of one prayer, God made him a saint, a
person who never worshipped the Lord as he should have, by coming to
such associations as this to listen. You have a merciful God, a loving
God. What do you think He will give you in return? Do you think that
He is going to leave you in difficulties?

For every step that you took to come to such a meeting, God will take
away from you one sin and give you ten rewards. Whoever came two
hours' driving, let them compute how many steps they made. Do not miss
such associations because you cannot get such rewards when you
worship. Your five prayers are an obligation upon you but such
associations are not an obligation. They are voluntary. Therefore if
you attend, you are going to be rewarded with a very weighty reward.
That is why these associations are very important. They will show you
the shortest way to reach the Divine Presence. They will show you the
shortest way to reach your reality.

With very little practice, by reciting something which saints recited,
you can progress very quickly. Do not come to the Divine Presence
riding a donkey. Come to the Divine Presence on a rocket. You will
arrive much faster. Your ego is a donkey. Do not follow your ego.
Leave it for it will never take you anywhere except in slow motion.
The spirit will move with very quick motion. Why? Because the spirit
is something related to God. That Light is coming from our Lord. Look
at the speed of light: 300,000 kilometers per second. Do you think
that your spirit runs slower or faster than the speed of light? Of
course it is faster.

You use your mind extremely fast. What about your heart? Now they are
trying to reach everywhere quickly on earth using planes. What about
the airplane of your heart? Do not underestimate what God has created
in you and in every human being. No one can understand how the spirit
works.

Why does one pass away the instant someone shoots a bullet through
them? Who takes that secret away? Why does someone pass away when they
are fatally ill? The spirit is always training to run away and break
free from the cage of the body. When it finds a way, it will run away
and go back to its origin. When you free your spirit yourself through
your power over your own ego, at that time you gain control of the
power of the spirit and it cannot run away. At that time you can
acheive incredible powers through your spirit.

It was not long ago when you could find saints everywhere using such
powers that no one today can replicate. There was a saint who could
use his belt to make a phone call to people living very far way. He
would do so in the presence of hundreds of people sitting around him.
How could one send a message to so-and-so who lived three or four
hours away by car? That saint would simply lift the end of his belt,
put it to his ear, and say, 'Hello? Mr. So-and-so, please come over.
We are waiting for you!' After three or four hours, that person would
knock at the door and enter and tell everyone that he had received a
call from the shaykh telling him to come over.

There are so many things saints can do because their ego is under
their control. When your spirit controls the ego, you can do
everything. When the ego controls your spirit, you can do nothing. You
have to always be a garbage container for human beings. Do not be
afraid to carry their burdens. Carry and move. If you carry, God will
give you more power. If you do not carry their burdens, you are never
going to have that Light in your heart. You have to be a carrier of
burdens.

There was one saint, a grandshaykh of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain
named Bayazid al-Bistami, who said to his Lord, 'O my Lord! Make my
body as large as Your hell and put me alone inside it. Let everyone
else stay outside. I sacrifice myself for the benefit of Your innocent
people. They are innocent because they have their egos weighing them
down. If they did not have their egoes, they would have been like
angels.' Everyone of us has an ego. It is that ego that controls us
and makes us behave badly.

All of you must be examples in society. This will be the cause for
people to come to our associations, simply by observing you and
appreciating your good manners and exemplary behavior. When they see
you acting badly, how will they want to attend these associations?
They will never come.

How does one acquire good manners? By leaving bad temper and anger. Do
not show anger, whether in your house or outside your house. Do not
pay attention if your wife shouts at you. Let her shout. What can
happen? Finally she will get tired and stop. The same goes for men!
You are going to bark and bark but she will pay no attention. Finally
you will get fed up and be quiet. But satan never causes one to be
angry without the other being angry too. Fighting follows. Therefore
when one shouts, the other must not listen. This technique must be
applied outside among the community as well. Try to control your
anger.

One day I was with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim in Madinah. At that time,
Mawlana Shaykh used to take many pilgrims from Cyprus with him on the
pilgrimage. He took them to a merchant to buy some prayer beads. After
all the pilgrims had bought beads, Mawlana Shaykh asked for a set of
beads for himself. The merchant showed him some beads. Mawlana Shaykh
Nazim said to him, 'What do you think, can you give me a discount.'
The merchant reacted with the worst kind of invective. There is not a
single curse that he did not use against Mawlana. Mawlana did not even
open his mouth. He his anger completely. Afterwards, when we moved out
to the street, we saw someone coming to the Shaykh with a set of beads
in his hands, identical to the ones he had asked to purchase. He gave
them to the Shaykh with the words, 'This is a gift from me,' and no
one knew who he was nor where he came from. He disappeared as fast as
he had appeared.

When you keep your anger down, and God will reward you. Do not try to
take your rights by force. God said in the Quran, 'Whoever forgives
and makes peace will receive his reward from his Lord' [42:40]. That
is better than taking your reward by force through the courts, for
instance.

Prepare yourself in the month of Rajab not to miss any prayers. If you
happen to miss prayers during the day, try to perform them at night
when you come home before sleeping. Try to recite 'Allah' 1500 times a
day in your heart. If you prefer to recite it by tongue, do so. Also
recite 100 times a day, 'Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali
Muhammadin wa sallim' (O God, send blessings and peace upon Muhammad
and upon the Family of Muhammad). God willing, this will give you
power during this month and will prepare you for the month of Shaban
which has other duties which we will describe in time, God willing.

Do not think that this world will last much longer or that we have
many years ahead of us. We beleive the Last Days of this world may be
very close at hand. We ask success from God through the Opening
Chapter of the Quran, al-Fatihah.


Dua of Wali Abbas will be added read 3 times a day Arabic prescribed
by Shaykh Nazim Ali Haqqani to read


Dua of Wali Abbas will be added read 3 times a day English and
transliteration prescribed by Shaykh Nazim Ali Haqqani

Dua of the Wali Abbas to read 3 times everyday in Rajab

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem

Allahuma innee istaghfiruka min kulli maa tubtu lahu ilayka thumma
'udtu feeh. wa istaghfiruka min kulli maa 'aradtu bihi wajhika wa-
khaalatanee feehi maa laysa feehi ridaak. wa istaghfiruk li-ni`am
allatee taqawwaytu biha `ala ma`aseeyatik. wa istaghfiruka min aadh-
dhunub allatee laa ya`lamahu ghayruka wa laa yattali`u `alayha ahadu n
siwaak wa laa yasa`uha illa rahmatika wa la tunjee minha illa
maghfiratuka wa hilmuka. laa ilaha illa-Anta, subhaanak! innee kuntu
min adh-dhaalimeen.

Allahuma innee istaghfiruka min kulli dhulmin dhalamtu bihi `ibadaka.
Fa ayyaama `abdin min `ibaadik aw `amatin min 'imaa'ika dhalamtu fee
badanihi aw `irdihi aw maalih fa `atihi min khazaa'inik allatee laa
tanqus. Wa as'aluka an tukrimanee bi rahmatika allatee wasi`at kulla
shay wa laa t`uheenanee min `adaabik wa ta`teeayanee maa as'aluka fa-
innee haqeequn bi-rahmatik ya arham ur-Raahimeen. Wa salla-Allahu `ala
Sayiddina Muhammadin wa `ala alihi wa sahbihi ajma`een. wa laa hawla
wa laa quwatta illa billah il-`Alee ul-'Aadheem

In the name of Allah, the All-Beneficent, the All-Merciful

O Allah, I ask forgiveness of You for everything for which I repented
to You then returned to. And I ask forgiveness of You for everything I
displeased You with and all that concerns me with which You are
displeased. And I ask forgiveness of You for the favors which I used
for increasing my disobedience towards You. And I ask forgiveness of
You for the sins which no one knows except You and no one sees except
You and nothing encompasses except Your Mercy and nothing delivers
from except Your forgiveness and clemency. There is no god except You
alone. You are the Most High, and I was one of the [self] oppressors!

O Allah, I ask forgiveness of You for the injustice I committed
against Your servants. Whatever of Your male or female servants whom I
have hurt, physically or in their dignity or in their property give
them of Your bounty which lacks nothing. And I ask You to honor me
with Your mercy which encompasses all things. Do not humble me with
Your punishment but give me what I ask of You, for I am in great need
of Your mercy, O Most Merciful of the merciful. May Allah send
blessings upon Muhammad and upon all his companions. There is no power
and no might except in Allah the High, the Exalted.





======================================================

Excerpt from Seal of the Saints by Shaykh Muhayyidun Ibn Arabi
Chapter 7 The Highest Degree of Walaya

....The next category, the name and nature of which are somewhat
surprising, is the category of the rajabiyyun or 'men of Rajab', who
number forty. They are so named because 'the spiritual state ( hal )
which corresponds to their station (maqam) is manifest in them only in
Rajab, from the moment of the appearance of the end of the lunar
month.

They then lose this state until the month of Rajab the following
year....In some of them there survives throughout the year something of
what they perceived (through intuitive unveiling) in the month of
Rajab, while in others nothing of it survives at all. Shaykh 'Ibn
Arabi tells of the visit he paid one of them at Dunaysir in
Mesopotamia. This person, who is in the Durra fakhira as al-Khatari,
had the singular gift......

====== = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = == = = = = = = = = = = = = =
=
The First Day and Night of the First Friday of Rajab - Night of
wishes" (laylat al-ragha'ib)

As for the night of the first Friday of the month of Rajab or its
first night, both known as the "Night of wishes" (laylat al-ragha'ib)
during which is performed the salat al-ragha'ib.

(please note: Thursday Night in Islam is actually Friday, we start
from Maghrib & finish at maghrib the following night so- the whole of
Friday thus starts is -Thursday night to Friday night, the day is Asr
to Asr there is no concept in Islam that the day starts at 12.00am
this is a western non-muslim belief or understanding. Fajr then is our
3rd prayer beginning of the day. The text is translated into english
without footnotes. Which can be found in the book version, also Sunday
is our First day in Islam not Monday - Wusta footnote found at bottom)
How to Perform the Prayer Fast on the first Thursday of Rajab.

........" It is most important, however, that none of you should
neglect the First Friday in Rajab, for it is the night that the angels
call the Night of [the Granting of] Wishes [Lailat ar-Ragha'ib]. This
is because, by the time the first third of the night has elapsed,
there will not be a single angel still at large in the heavens, nor in
any region of the earth bar one. They will all be gathered together in
the Ka'ba and the area immediately surrounding it. Allah (Exalted is
He) will condescend to notice that they have assembled there, and He
will say: "My angels, ask Me for whatever you wish!" Their response to
this will be: "Our Lord, the request we wish to make is that You grant
forgiveness to those who faithfully keep the fast in Rajab," whereupon
Allah (Exalted is He) will tell them: "That I have already done!"

Then Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

" No one will go unrewarded if he fasts during the daytime on
Thursday, the first Thursday in Rajab.

In the evening between Maghrib and `Isha, perform 12 units (Rak'at) of
prayer, in two's (i.e. two at a time). In each unit recite: Once Sura-
al-Fateha; three times Sura-al-Qadr; and 12 times Sura-al-Tawhid (Qul
huwallahu).



After the 12 units (rakats) are over, recite 70 times:

Salawat (while sitting) : "Allahumma Salli `Ala Muhammad, Annabiyyil
Ummiyyi, Wa `Ala Aalihi"

Tasbih (in Sajdah): "Subbuhun Quddusun, Rabbul Mala`ikati Warruh"

All-Glorious, All-Holy,n Lord of the Angels and of the Spirit!



Istighfar (while sitting):

"Rabbigh-Fir, War-ham, Watajawaz `Amma Ta'alamu, Innaka antal `aliyyul
A`a-zam"

My Lord, forgive and have mercy m pardon that which You well know, for
You are the Mighty, the Supreme

Tasbih (again in Sajdah): "Subbuhun Quddusun, Rabbul Mala'ikati
Warruh"

All-Glorious, All-Holy, Lord of the Angels and of the Spirit!

Then seek your needs, they will be granted, Inshallah.
Reward for praying 12 rakah on first night

Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said:

" By Him in whose Hand is my soul [wa 'lladhi nafsi bi-yadih], I
assure you that no servant [of His], whether manservant ['abd] or
maidservant [ama], will ever perform this particular salat-prayer
without Allah forgiving all the sins of which that individual has ever
been guilty, even if they are like the flecks of foam upon the ocean,
as numerous as all the grains of sand, as heavy as the mountains, and
as many as the drops of rain and the leaves on all the trees. On the
Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama], he will be allowed to intercede
on behalf of seven hundred members of his family."

On the first night that worshipful servant spends in his grave, the
reward for this salat-prayer will come to visit him [in the shape of a
human being], with a cheerful face and an eloquent tongue. "O my dear
friend," it will say to him, "rejoice in the good tidings, for I am
here to tell you that you have been delivered from every severe
affliction!" This will prompt the servant to exclaim: "Who are you? By
Allah, I swear that I have never seen a man with a better-looking face
than yours. Never have I heard a form of speech more charming than
your way of speaking, and never have I smelled a fragrance more
delightful than that of your perfume." So then it will tell him: "O my
dear friend, I am the reward for that salat-prayer, the one you
performed on whichever night it was, in whichever month it was, in
whichever year it was. I have come here tonight in order to fulfill
your request, to entertain you in your solitary state, and to banish
your loneliness from you. Later on, when the trumpet is sounded, I
shall provide you with shade to protect your head from the scorching
heat on the Fields of the Resurrection ['Arasat al-Qiyama]. So rejoice
in the good tidings, for you will never be deprived of the blessing
that comes from your Master [Mawla]."

30 rakah - are read in units of 2 with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad" 3 times,
and Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" 3 times for
every rakah, to read 10 on first night -10 in middle -10 at the end of
the month see below for full details see page 15

......Allah (Exalted is He) relents toward His Prophets [anbiya'],
because in it He rescues His saints [awliya'] from the hands of their
enemies, and because anyone who fasts during this month becomes
entitled to receive three things from Allah (Exalted is He). The first
and second of these are forgiveness for all the sins he has previously
committed, and impregnable virtue ['isma] for the remainder of his
life. As for the third, he will be safe from thirst on the Day of the
Greatest Review [Yawm al-'Ard al-Akbar]."....

..Ibn `Abd al-Razzaq narrates in his Musannaf (4:317) that Ibn `Umar
said:

There are five nights in which invocation (du`a) is not turned back:
the night of Jum`a, the first night of Rajab, the night of mid-
Sha`ban, and the two nights of `Eid.

The beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon
him said: 'The fast of the first day of Rajab is repentance for 3
years and the fasting of the second day is repentance for 2 years and
the fast of third day is repentance for 1 year and then each remaining
day -of Rajab- is repentance for 1 month.'

'Whoever fasts the 1st day of Rajab it will be equivalent to the fast
of 1 year; and whoever fasts 7 days in it, the 7 gates of Hell will be
closed for him; and whoever fasts 10 days from Rajab, a caller will
call out from the sky, "Ask and you will be given!" '

'Rajab is a tremendous month in which Allah multiplies the good deeds.
So whoever fasts a day from Rajab it is as if he fasted a year; and
whoever fasts seven days of it the seven gates of Hell are closed to
him; and whoever fasts eight days from it the eight gates of Paradise
are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten days from it will not ask
Allah something except that Allah will grant it. And whoever fasts
from it fifteen days a caller will call out from heavens "Verily you
have been forgiven whatever is past, so renew your good actions, for
indeed your transgressions have been transformed into virtuous deeds."
And whoever does more, Allah gives to him even more. And in Rajab
Allah carried Noah/Nuh alaihi salaam peace be upon him in the ark and
he/Noah fasted and ordered all those with him to do so. And the ark
sailed with them for six months until the first ten days of Muharram/
first month of islamic calender.'
Fasting in Rajab and Merit of Fasting During the 27th Day of Rajab

As for the name ash-Shahru'l-Mutahhir [The Purifying Month], it is so
called because it purifies [yutahhiru] the person who fasts in the
course of it, ridding him of his sins and offenses.

Relevant in this context is another traditional report related to us
by Shaikh Imam Hibatu'llah ibn al-Mubarak as-Saqati (may Allah bestow
His mercy upon him). According to this report, Allah's Messenger
(Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

The month of Rajab is a glorious month indeed. If someone has fasted
for one day in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He) will record it in his
credit column as the fast of a thousand years.

If someone has fasted for two days in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He)
will record it in his credit column as the fast of two thousand years.

If someone has fasted for three days in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He)
will record it in his credit column as the fast of three thousand
years.

If someone has fasted for seven days in Rajab, all the seven gates of
Hell [Jahannam] will be locked to make sure that he stays out of it.

If someone has fasted for eight days in Rajab, al the eight gates of
the Garden of Paradise will be held open for him, so that he may enter
by whichever gate he chooses.

If someone has fasted for fifteen days in Rajab, all his bad deeds
will be replaced by good deeds, and a crier will call out from heaven
above: "Allah has now forgiven you, so use the opportunity to set
about good work anew!"
Traditional Reports Concerning the Sacred Month of Rajab

According to a report transmitted by 'Ikrima, on the authority of Ibn
'Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father), the
Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

Rajab is Allah's month, Sha'ban is my month and Ramadan is the month
of my Community.

Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) is also
reported as having said:

In the Garden of Paradise there is a river called Rajab, whiter than
milk and sweeter than honey. If someone has fasted for one day during
the month of Rajab, Allah will let him quench his thirst by drinking
from that river.

Anab ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him) is reported as
having said: "In the Garden of Paradise there is a palace that no one
may enter, with the exception of someone who makes a frequent practice
of fasting during the month of Rajab."

According to another traditional report, also transmitted on the
authority of Anas [ibn Malik] (may Allah be well pleased with him),
Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

If someone has fasted for three days during the sacred months, on a
Thursday, a Friday and a Saturday, Allah will credit him with the
worshipful service [ibada] of nine hundred years!
The Merit of Fasting During the 27th Day of Rajab

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

If someone keeps the fast on the 27th day of Rajab, he will be
credited with the same reward as that which is earned by fasting for
sixty months.

It was on the 27th day of Rajab, we are told, that Gabriel first came
down to invest the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with
his Messenger-ship [Risala].

According to this next report, likewise conveyed to us by Sheikh
Hibatu'llah, Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace)
once said:

Rajab contains a very special day and a very special night. If someone
fasts during that day, and keeps vigil throughout that night, he will
be entitled to a reward like the one that would be earned by a person
who fasted for a hundred years, and who keeps vigil throughout all the
nights in that period.

The reference must be to the 27th of Rajab, that being the day on
which our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was first
dispatched to embark upon his mission.

Sheikh Hibatu'llah (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him) has informed
us on good traditional authority, Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him
and give him peace) once said:

Rajab is one of the sacred months and its days are inscribed on the
sixth gate of Heaven. So, if a man has fasted during one day of this
month, and if he has kept his fast completely clean through obedient
devotion [taqwa] to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), the heavenly
gate will acquire the faculty of speech, and the day itself will also
acquire the faculty of speech, and the two of them will say: "O Lord,
forgive him!" But if he has failed to make his fast complete through
obedient devotion to Allah (Exalted is He), they will make no such
plea for him to be forgiven. They will say, or he will be told by some
other voice: "Your own lower self [nafs] has betrayed you!"

note:- Wusta- Middle. Salatul Wusta refers to the middle prayer, which
is the 'Asr prayer (the third of the five compulsory daily prayers),
for those whose day begins at dawn. However, some say it refers to the
Fajr prayer. This is because the Muslims follow a lunar calendar: the
first day of a new lunar month is only determined when the new moon is
sighted shortly after sunset. Therefore the Muslim day begins at
Maghreb, and the first prayer of that new day is Maghreb, which makes
the third (middle) prayer Fajr.

References Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq Vol.3 by
Master of Sufis Shaykh 'Abdul Qadir Jilani

=== == == = = = = = == = = = = == = = = = = = = = =


Traditional prayers of supplication (ad'iya ma'thura) that are
particularly appropriate on the first night of Rajab.

When the worshipper has duly performed his salat on the first night
of Rajab, he is recommended to offer the following Du'a:



"O Allah, to You the applicants apply this night, to You the aspirants
aspire, and for Your gracious bounty and beneficence the seekers look
in hope. You have special favors [nafahat] to bestow this night, and
prizes and gifts and presents. You will bestow them upon whomever You
choose from among Your servants, and You will withhold them from those
who are not ready to receive Your providential care ['inaya]. Well,
here am I, Your servant who is sorely in need of You, hoping for Your
gracious bounty and beneficence! If it pleases You, O my Master [Ya
Maulaa-ya], to bestow Your Grace this night upon one of Your
creatures, and if You will be so generous as to grant him a favor out
of Your kindness, then bless Sayyidina Muhammad and his family, and
let me enjoy Your Superabundance and Beneficence, Ya
Rabbal-'Aalameen!"



Hazrat Babul-'Ilm, 'Ali bin Abu Talib (karramallah wajhah) would
devote himself entirely to worship during four nights of the year,
namely: The first night of Rajab; the Night of the Fastbreaking
[Lailat al-Fitr]; the Night of the Sacrifices [Lailat al-Adha]; and
the night of the middle of Sha'ban. Here is the prayer of Du'a he used
to offer on those nights:



"O Allah, bless Sayyidina Muhammad and his family, those Lanterns of
Wisdom [masabih al-hikma], Masters of Grace [mawali 'n-ni'ma] and
Mines of Virtue [ma'adin al-'isma]! Let them be my protection against
all evil. Do not take me by surprise or unawares. Do not cause the
outcome of my life's work to be nothing but disappointment and regret.
May it please You to view me with favor, for Your forgiveness is
granted to the wrongdoers and I am one of the wrongdoers. O Allah,
forgive me that which cannot do You any harm, and grant me that which
cannot bring You any benefit. You are the One whose Rahmah is all-
embracing, the One whose Hikmah is incomparable, so grant me the
blessings of comfort and composure, security and good health,
thankfulness, well-being, and taqwa. Instill patience and honesty in
me and in your Awliya. Let ease [yusr] be Your gift to me, and do not
let it come with difficulty ['usr] attached. Extend these same
blessings to my wife and children, to my brothers in You, and to all
those Muslim men [Muslimin] and Muslim women [Muslimat], those
believing men [mu'minin] and believing women [mu'minat], who have
helped me to become the man I am today."

Reference:- On the excellent qualities of the holy month of Rajab
Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq by Shaykh Syed
Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani ( Radhi Allahu Anhu)

30 rakah - are read in units of 2 with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad" 3 times,
and Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" 3 times for
every rakah, to read 10 on first night -10 in middle -10 at the end of
the month full reference below
Some traditional reports concerning the special blessings bestowed by
Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) upon those who perform the prayer
[salat] during the holy month of Rajab.

It was just after the new moon had appeared to mark the beginning
of Rajab, as Shaikh Imam Hibatullah ibn al-Mubarak as-Saqati
(Rahmatullah 'alayh) has informed us on good traditional authority,
that the Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) turned to
Hazrat Salman al-Farsi (Radhiyallahu 'anhu) and said:



O Salman, Allah will surely erase all the sins from the record of any
believing man [mu'min], and of any believing woman [mu'minah], who
performs thirty rak'ah in the course of this month, reciting in each
cycle Surah al-Fatiha and the Surah that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu
Ahad"1 three times, and the Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-
kaa-firoon"2 three times. That man or woman will be granted the same
reward as a person who has fasted throughout the entire month. He or
she will be treated as one of those who continue to perform the salat
[al-musallin] right through to the following year, and will be
credited every day with a deed as noble as that of one of the Martyrs
of the Battle of Badr [Shahid min Shuhadaa-e Badr].



For every day of fasting [in Rajab], the 'ibadah of an entire year
will be recorded in favor of the believer concerned, whose credit will
be enhanced by a thousand degrees. If the believer keeps the fast
throughout the whole of this month, as well as performing this
particular salat-prayer [i.e., the aforementioned thirty rak'ahs of
prayer], Allah will deliver that man or woman from the Fire of Hell
and declare that he or she is entitled to enter the Garden of
Paradise, therein to dwell in the vicinity of Allah Subhanahu wa
Ta'ala.

Sayyidina Jibril ('Alayhis-Salaam) informed me of this, and then he
went on to say: "O Muhammad, this a clear sign to mark the distinction
between you true believers, on the one hand, and the mushrikeen and
munafiqeen on the other, because the munafiqeen do not perform that
prayer."

Having heard these words addressed to him by the Nabi (Sall Allahu
alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim), Hazrat Salman (Radhiyallahu 'anhu)
responded by saying: "O Messenger, tell me exactly how I must perform
that particular salat-prayer, and exactly when I must perform it."

"O Salman," said Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi
wa Sallim):

"on the first day of the month you must perform ten rak'ahs. In each
rak'ahs you must recite Surah al-Fatiah one time only, then the Sura
that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad" three times, and then the Surah
that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" three times. When you
have pronounced the final salutation [sallamta], you must raise your
hands and say:



There is no god except Allah, Alone. No partner has He. To Him belongs
the kingdom and to Him belongs the praise. He brings to life and
causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is
in His Hand, and He is Powerful over all things. O Allah, no one can
withhold what You have given, and no one can give what You have
withheld, nor will the worldly fortune of the possessor of such
fortune profit him, if he does not obtain the fortune that comes from
You [in the hereafter].



Then you must rub your face with your hands, for at this point you
will have completed the first set of ten rak'ahs.

In the middle of the month you must perform another ten rak'ahs of the
salat-prayer. In each rak'ah you must again recite Surah al-Fatihah
one time only, then the Surah that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad"
three times, and then the Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-
firoon" three times. When you have pronounced the final salutation
[sallamta], you must raise your hands as you did before, but this time
you must say:

There is no god except Allah, Alone. No partner has He. To Him belongs
the kingdom and to Him belongs the praise. He brings to life and
causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is
in His Hand, and He is Powerful over all things. (I worship Him) as
God, Single, One, Everlasting, Alone, Unique. He takes unto Himself
neither female consort nor son.

Then you must rub your face with your hands, for at this point you
will have completed the second set of ten rak'ahs.

At the end of the month you must perform the third and final set of
ten rak'ahs of salat, and in each rak'ah you must again recite Surah
al-Fatihah one time only, then the Surah that begins with "Qul
HuwAllahu Ahad" three times, and then the Surah that begins with "Qul
Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" three times. When you have pronounced the
final salutation [sallamta], you must raise your hands as before, but
this time you must say:

There is no god except Allah, Alone. No partner has He. To Him belongs
the kingdom and to Him belongs the praise. He brings to life and
causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is
in His Hand, and He is Powerful over all things. May Allah bless
Sayyidina Muhammad and the pure members of his family. There is
neither any power nor any strength except with Allah, the Most High,
the Almighty.


You should then ask for whatever you need, whereupon He will surely
give a positive response to your Du'a. Allah will interpose seventy
ditches between you and Hell [Jahannam], and each of those ditches
will be as wide as the distance that separates this earth from heaven
above. For every rak'ah of salat-prayer you have performed, He will
credit you with a million rak'ahs. He will also inscribe on your
record an exemption from the Fire of Hell and a permit to cross the
Narrow Bridge [sirat]."



Hazrat Salman (Radhiyallahu 'anhu) is reported as having said: "As
soon as the Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) had
finished speaking, I sank to the ground in humble prostration, weeping
as I sought to express my gratitude to Allah (Exalted is He) for what
I had just been privileged to hear."



Endnotes 1.Surah al-Ikhlaas 2.Surah al-Kaafiroon

Reference:- On the excellent qualities of the holy month of Rajab
Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq by Shaykh Syed
Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani ( Radhi Allahu Anhu)

Traditional reports in which great emphasis is placed on the special
merit of fasting on the first Thursday in Rajab, and of performing the
prayer [salat] during the first Friday night [Jumu'ah] of that month.



The following report has been conveyed to us by Shaikh Imam Abu-l-
Barakat Hibatu'llah ibn al-Mubarak as-Saqati (Rahmatullah 'alayh), who
cites good traditional authority in support of its authenticity:
Allah's Messenger (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said:

Rajab is Allah's month, Sha'ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month
of my Ummah.



Someone then asked him: "O Messenger of Allah, what do you mean
exactly, when you say that Rajab is Allah's month?" So he (Sall Allahu
alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) explained:

[I call it Allah's month] because it is specifically associated with
forgiveness, because in it the shedding of blood is brought to a halt,
because in it Allah (Exalted is He) relents toward His Ambiya, because
in it He rescues His Awliya from the hands of their enemies, and
because anyone who fasts during this month becomes entitled to receive
three things from Allah (Exalted is He). The first and second of these
are forgiveness for all the sins he has previously committed, and
impregnable virtue ['isma] for the remainder of his life. As for the
third, he will be safe from thirst on the Day of the Greatest Review
[Yawm al-'Ard al-Akbar]."



At this point a feeble old man stood up and said: "Ya Rasulullah, I am
physically incapable of fasting through the whole of the month," so
Rasulullah (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) went on to say:

Fast during the first day of the month and during the day that comes
in the middle of it, and also during the very last day of the month,
for then you will be given the same reward as someone who has fasted
through the whole of the month, since one good deed is equal in value
to ten of the same kind.

It is most important, however, that none of you should neglect the
first Friday in Rajab, for it is the night that the Malaa-ika call the
Night of Wishes [Lailat ar-Ragha'ib]. This is because, by the time the
first third of the night has elapsed, there will not be a single angel
still at large in the heavens, nor in any region of the earth bar one.
They will all be gathered together in the Ka'bah and the area
immediately surrounding it. Allah (Exalted is He) will condescend to
notice that they have assembled there, and He will say: "My angels,
ask Me for whatever you wish!" Their response to this will be: "Our
Rabb, the request we wish to make is that You grant forgiveness to
those who faithfully keep the fast in Rajab," whereupon Allah (Exalted
is He) will tell them: "That I have already done!"

Then Rasulullah (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) said:

No one will go unrewarded if he fasts during the daytime on Thursday,
the first Thursday in Rajab, and if he then performs twelve extra
rak'ahs during the period between Maghrib and 'Isha, i.e., during the
first segment ['atama] of the night of Friday. In each rak'ah, he must
recite Surah al-Fatihah one time only, then the Surah that begins with
"Innaa anzalnaa-hu fee layla-til-qadr"1 three times, and the Sura that
begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad"2 twelve times. The twelve rak'ahs
must be divided into sets of two, with a salutation [taslima] to mark
the conclusion of each pair. When he has completed his salat-prayer,
he must invoke blessings upon me, by repeating seventy times:



O Allah, bestow blessings anda peace upon Muhammad, the Holy Nabi, and
upon his family.

He must then perform sajdah, repeating seventy times while he is in
sajdah:

All-Glorious, All-Holy Rabb of the Angels and of the Spirit!



Then he must raise his head and repeat seventy times:

My Rabb, forgive and have mercy and pardon that which You well know,
for You are the Mighty, the Supreme.



Then he must bow down low for the second time and repeat the words he
uttered during the first sajdah. Finally, while he is still in sajdah,
he should ask Allah to grant his personal request, for that request
will surely be fulfilled.



Allah's Holy Messenger (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) also
said:

By Him in whose Hand is my soul, I assure you that no servant [of
His], whether manservant ['abd] or maidservant [ama], will ever
perform this particular salat-prayer without Allah forgiving all the
sins of which that individual has ever been guilty, even if they are
like the flecks of foam upon the ocean, as numerous as all the grains
of sand, as heavy as the mountains, and as many as the drops of rain
and the leaves on all the trees. On the Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-
Qiyama], he will be allowed to intercede on behalf of seven hundred
members of his family.

On the first night that worshipful servant spends in his grave, the
reward for this salat-prayer will come to visit him [in the shape of a
human being], with a cheerful face and an eloquent tongue. "O my dear
friend," it will say to him, "rejoice in the good tidings, for I am
here to tell you that you have been delivered from every severe
affliction!" This will prompt the servant to exclaim: "Who are you? By
Allah, I swear that I have never seen a man with a better-looking face
than yours. Never have I heard a form of speech more charming than
your way of speaking, and never have I smelled a fragrance more
delightful than that of your perfume." So then it will tell him: "O my
dear friend, I am the reward for that salat-prayer, the one you
performed on whichever night it was, in whichever month it was, in
whichever year it was. I have come here tonight in order to fulfill
your request, to entertain you in your solitary state, and to banish
your loneliness from you. Later on, when the trumpet is sounded, I
shall provide you with shade to protect your head from the scorching
heat on the Fields of the Resurrection ['Arasat al-Qiyama]. So rejoice
in the good tidings, for you will never be deprived of the blessing
that comes from your Master [Maula].

Endnotes 1 Surah al-Qadr 2 Surah al-Ikhlaas

Reference:- On the excellent qualities of the holy month of Rajab
Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq by Shaykh Syed
Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani ( Radhi Allahu Anhu)

==============================================================




Fasting the Month of Rajab -by Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani



Fasting the months of Rajab and Sha`ban as a nafila or supererogatory
worship is recommended, with the intention of following the Sunna of
the Prophet (s) by which the merit of this fast has clearly been
established.

`Abd al-Rahman al-Jazai'ri in his book al-Fiqh `ala al-madhahib al-
arba` (Islamic law according to the Four Schools) in the chapter
entitled "Fasting Rajab, Sha`ban and the Rest of the Holy Months"
states:



Fasting the months of Rajab and Sha`ban is recommended (mandub) as
agreed upon by three of the Imams, while the Hanbalis differed in that
they said fasting Rajab singly is disliked, except if one breaks the
fast during it then it is not disliked. Regarding the holy months Dhul
Qi`da, Dhul-Hijja, Muharram, and Rajab fasting them is recommended
according to three of the Imams, while the Hanafis differed in that
they said what is recommended in the Holy months is to fast three days
from each of them, which are Thursday, Friday and Saturday.(1:557)


The First Day and Night of the First Friday of Rajab

[Excerpted from the Encyclopedia of Islamic Doctrine, Shaykh Muhammad
Hisham Kabbani, As-Sunna Foundation of America, 1996]

As for the night of the first Friday of the month of Rajab or its
first night, both known as the "Night of wishes" (laylat al-ragha'ib)
during which is performed the salat al-ragha'ib, its observance was
disapproved by Imam Nawawi in his Sharh al-muhadhdhab and Fatawa as
based on invalid (batil) evidence, and this is also the position of al-
`Izz ibn `Abd al-Salam. However, the hafiz Ibn al-Salah disagreed with
al-`Izz and considered praiseworthy the performance of Salat al-
ragha'ib, while `Ali al-Qari said in his Asrar al-marfu`a regarding
this:

The hadith: salat al-nahar `ajma' (Prayer in the daytime is silent),
even if invalid (batil), nevertheless its meaning is true. The same
holds about the hadiths of the prayers they have mentioned concerning
honored days and exalted nights such as salat al-ragha'ib -- the most
famous example being the prayer of mid-Sha`ban -- because the hadiths
concerning them (i.e. the prayers) are not forged but merely weak.30

Finally, Ibn `Abd al-Razzaq narrates in his Musannaf (4:317) that Ibn
`Umar said:

There are five nights in which invocation (du`a) is not turned back:
the night of Jum`a, the first night of Rajab, the night of mid-
Sha`ban, and the two nights of `Eid.


Hadith on the Benefits of Rajab



Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha`bān is my month and Ramadān is the
month of my Nation.[1]



Az-Zamakhshari said: [Muharram's] distinction among the sacred months
is due to `Āshūra. The best of the months for the voluntary fast is
Muharram, then Rajab then the rest of the sacred months and then
Sha`bān.



The Prophet , when he entered the month of Rajab would say, "O Allah
bless us in our Rajab and Sha`ban and cause us to reach Ramadan!" And
on the night of Jum`ah he used to say, "This is the night of beauty
and day of brightness."[2]



Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that Abdullah ibn Nameer narrated
and ibn Nameer narrated from his father that `Uthmān ibn Hakeem al-
Ansaari narrated, "I asked Sa`eed ibn Jubayr about the fast of
Rajab, what was his opinion on it. He said, 'Ibn `Abbās narrated that
the Prophet used to fast until we said he would never break fast, and
he used to break fast until we said he will never fast [again.]'"[3]

Also narrated by `Uthmān ibn Hakeem from Muhammad ibn Ubayd.



The fast of the first day of Rajab is repentance for three years and
the [fasting] second day is repentance for two years and the [fast of]
third day is repentance for a year and then each [remaining] day is
[repentance for] a month.[4]



Abi Sa`eed related:

Rajab is one of the four forbidden months, [in which fighting is
prohibited]. Its days are written on the Gates of the sixth heaven.
When a man fasts one of its days and renews his fast with the fear and
consciousness of Allah, Allah makes that gate to speak and makes that
day to speak, saying, "O our Lord forgive him!"



And if he does not complete or perfect his fast with fear of Allah,
they do not ask forgiveness for him and it is said, "your own self has
betrayed you!"[5]



From Ibn `Umar that the Prophet said:

Whoever fasts the first day of Rajab it will be equivalent to the fast
of one year; and whoever fasts seven days in it, the seven gates of
Hell will be closed for him; and whoever fasts ten days from Rajab, a
caller will call out from the sky, "Ask and you will be given!"[6]



Abu Dharr related that the Prophet said:

Whoever fasts the a day of Rajab it will be equivalent to the fast of
one month; and whoever fasts seven days in it the seven gates of Hell
will be closed for him; and whoever fasts ten days from it, Allah will
change all of his evil deeds into good ones; and whoever fasts from it
eighteen days a caller will call out: Allah the Exalted has forgiven
you; therefore renew your good deeds. [7]



Anas related that the Prophet said:

Rajab is a tremendous month in which Allah multiplies the good deeds.
So whoever fasts a day from Rajab it is as if he fasted a year; and
whoever fasts seven days of it the seven gates of Hell are closed to
him; and whoever fasts eight days from it the eight gates of Paradise
are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten days from it will not ask
Allah something except that Allah will grant it. And whoever fasts
from it fifteen days a caller will call out from heavens "Verily you
have been forgiven whatever is past, so renew your good actions, for
indeed your transgressions have been transformed into virtuous deeds."
And whoever does more, Allah gives to him even more. And in Rajab
Allah carried Nuh in the ark and he fasted and ordered all those with
him to do so. And the ark sailed with them for six months until the
first ten days of Muharram...[8]



Khalid az-Zeeyaat said:

It has reached us that on the first of Rajab Allah Nuh set sail in
the ark and he fasted and ordered all those with him from Jinn and
mankind to do so saying: Fast this day for verily whoever among you
fasts it, will be brought far from the Fire the distance of one year's
travel; and whoever fasts seven days of it the seven gates of Hell are
closed to him; and whoever fasts eight days from it the eight gates
of Paradise are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten days from it will
not ask Allah something except that Allah will grant it. And whoever
fasts from it fifteen days a caller will call out from heavens "Verily
you have been forgiven whatever is past, so renew your good actions,
whatever is past is forgiven." And whoever does more, Allah gives to
him even more. Nuh fasted in the ark Rajab, Sha`ban, Ramadan,
Shawwal, Dhul-Q`idah and Dhul-Hijjah and ten days of Muharram. Then
the ark came to rest on `Āshūra and Nuh said to all those who were
with him from Jinn and humankind, "Fast this day."[9]



Saeed ibn Abi Rushd related that the Prophet said:

Rajab is a tremendous month in which Allah multiplies the good deeds.
So whoever fasts a day from Rajab it is as if he fasted a year; and
whoever fasts seven days of it the seven gates of Hell are closed to
him; and whoever fasts eight days from it the eight gates of
Paradise are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten days from it will
not ask Allah except that Allah will grant it. And whoever fasts from
it fifteen days a caller will call out from heavens "Verily you have
been forgiven whatever you have done in the past, so renew your good
actions." And whoever does more, Allah gives to him even more. And in
Rajab Allah carried Nūh in the ark for six months, the last of them
being the day of `Āshūra, in which it landed on the mountain of Judee,
and Nūh fasted along with all those with him as well as the animals,
in thanks to Allah...[10]



Ibn `Abd al-Razzāq narrates that Ibn `Umar said:

There are five nights in which invocation (du`a) is not rejected: the
first night of Rajab, the night of mid-Sha`ban, the night of Jum`a,
and the night of [the `Eid of] Fitr and the night of [the `Eid of]
Sacrifice..[11]



Muhammad ibn Hātim informed us that Hibbān said that we were informed
by Abdallāh from Shu`bah from Anas ibn Sirreen who said, I heard Abd
al-Mālik ibn Abi al-Minhāl convey from his father that the Prophet
ordered them to fast the three "white" days. He said, "It is
[equivalent] to fasting the entire month."[12]



Qays ibn 'Abbaad said, "The tenth of Rajab is the day that Allah
blots out or confirms what He pleases." [a reference to Quran, 13:39]
[13]



Qays ibn 'Abbaad said:

To Allah belongs the command on the tenth night of every sacred month.
As for the tenth of the [month of] sacrifice, that is the Day of
Sacrifice. As for the tenth of Muharram, that is the day of `Āshūra.
As for the tenth of Rajab, in it [Allah revealed about it] "Allah doth
blot out or confirm what He pleaseth." [13:39]

He said, "I forgot what he said regarding Dhul Qa`idah."[the fourth
sacred month][14]



Click Here for more about the sacred month of Rajab

________________________________________

[1] Abul-Fath ibn Abi Fawaris in his Amalee from al-Hasan (mursalan).
Related by ad-Daylami and others from Anas (marfu`an) and Abi Shaykh
from Abu Hurayrah and Abu Sa`eed (marfu`an) with the wording, "Verily
the month of Ramadan is the month of my Nation." However Ibn al-Jawzi
in his Mawdu`at (Forgeries) related it through many different ways,
as did al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Kitab tabayyin al-`ajab feemaa warada fee
rajab.

[2] Related by Ibn Asakir, al-Bazaar and at-Tabarani in al-Awsat, and
by al-Bayhaqi in Shu`ab al-Iman from Anas, who graded it weak.

[3] Related in Sahih Muslim.

[4] Abu Muhammad al-Khalal in Virtues of Rajab, from Ibn `Abbās.

[5] Abu Muhammad al-Hassan ibn Muhammad al-Khalal.

[6] Abu Na`eem and Ibn Asakir.

[7] Al-Khateeb.

[8] Related by al-Bayhaqi from Anas.

[9] Related by Ibn Asakir.

[10] Related by At-Tabarani.

[11] Al-Musannaf 4:317.

[12] An-Nisa'ee. The "white" days are the three days in the middle of
the month: 13th, 14th, 15th, so-named for the brightness due to the
full moon in their nights.

[13] Related by Ibn Jareer.

[14] Related by Ibn Mundhir and Ibn Abi Haatim and Bayhaqi in Shu`ab
al-Iman.




The Spiritual Significance of the Miraculous Night Journey and
Ascension of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him



By Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani



Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem

Glory be to him who made his servant to go on a night from the sacred
mosque to the far-distant mosque of which we have blessed the
precincts, so that we may show to him some of our signs; surely he is
the hearing, the seeing. [17: 1]



Allah (swt) has revealed this as the first verse of quran's chapter al-
isra, the night journey, which is also known as the chapter of the
children of israel or the chapter of glorification (subhan). In it
allah mentions the night journey (al-isra') in which he called the
prophet (saws) to his divine presence.]



As Allah began the Holy Qur'an in the Opening chapter al-Fatiha, with
the words "Al-Hamdu Lillah - Praise be to Allah," He similarly opens
Surat al-Isra (17:1), the chapter of the Night Journey, with "Subhana
- Glory be to Allah." Allah is glorifying Himself saying, "Subhana
alladhi asra'" which means "Glory to Me, the One who brought the
Prophet on the Night Journey calling him to My Divine Presence."

Reaching beyond comprehension of the human mind, Allah is not just
reminding us about this event. Rather, He is glorifying Himself in
regards to it, whereby He transported the Prophet (s) almost
instantaneously from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa followed by the the
Prophet's (s) Ascension, traversing in an incredibly short span of
time the worldly domain of this universe and beyond, transcending the
laws of physics.



There is no scientific, worldly way to comprehend how the Prophet (s)
moved across the globe and was then carried to Allah's Divine
Presence: such a journey is beyond the scope of imagination. Therefore
Allah I glorifies Himself saying, "Yes it happened! Glory to Me Who
can do this! I am beyond these laws and systems. I am the Creator of
all systems."



ANGELIC PREPARATION FOR THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY



Malik bin Anas (r) related that the Prophet (s) said, "I was lying in
the Hijr (of the Sacred Mosque of Makka) when someone [the archangel
Gabriel (as)] came to me and cut open my chest from throat to belly.
He removed my heart and cleaned it with the water of the well of
Zamzam before putting it back in its place. Then he brought me a white
creature called al-Buraq by whose means I was lifted." Another
narration relates that the two archangels "Gabriel and Mika'il (as)
came to the Prophet (s) when he was laying down in al-Hijr [of the
Sacred Mosque in Makka] and carried him to the well of Zamzam. They
laid him down on his back and Gabriel (as) opened his chest from top
to bottom, despite which there was no bleeding. He said to Mika'il
(as), 'Get me water from Zamzam,' which he did. Gabriel (as) took the
Prophet's (s) heart and washed it thrice before putting it back. He
filled it with faith and wisdom. Then he closed his chest and they
took him out from the door of the masjid to where the Buraq was
waiting."



Archangel Gabriel could have removed the Prophet's heart miraculously
by means of a small opening or without opening his chest at all. Yet
we see in this Tradition of the Prophet (s) a hint of how to perform
open heart surgery. This same technique of opening the entire chest
cavity is used by heart surgeons today.



PERFECTION OF SERVANTHOOD



How did Allah describe the one whom He brought on the Night Journey?
He describes him (s) as "His servant" - `abdi hi. Abu Qasim Sulayman
al-Ansari said that when the Prophet (s) reached the highest levels
and most distinguished stations. Allah revealed to him, "With what
shall I honor you?" The Prophet said, "By relating me to You through
servanthood (`ubudiyya)." This is why Allah revealed this verse of the
Holy Qur'an honoring the Prophet (s) by the title "His servant" when
describing the Night Journey. Allah did not grant such an honor to
Moses (as). Rather He said, "And when Moses came to Our appointed
tryst..." [7:143] referring to Moses (as) by his name. Instead of
saying, "Glory be to Him Who made Muhammad to go..."Allah honored the
Prophet (s) by referring to him as `abdihi, "His servant." Another
subtle inference from Allah's use of the term "`abdihi", - His servant
(a construct in the absent form or third person) is the meaning that,
'He called the Prophet (s) to a void where there was nothing except
His Own Presence.' More miraculous than calling the Prophet (s) to His
Presence was His bringing the Prophet's (s) body and soul, which exist
in time and place, to where there is no time and place, no 'where' and
no 'when'. Allah brought His sincere servant, our master Muhammad (s),
from a physical form of this worldly life to the completely abstract
Divine Presence.



STATIONS OF PROXIMITY TO THE DIVINE



The verse goes on to describe the Prophet's movement through countless
stations. Having perfected his character through constant worship,
`ubudiyya, the Sacred Mosque, or Holy Sanctuary, is here an indication
of the Prophet's r having already been elevated beyond all sin.
Allah's description of the Prophet (s) as "`abd" - servant - precedes
His mention of the two mosques: the Sacred Mosque (Masjid al-Haram)
and the Far Distant Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa). Allah did not say His
Servant was taken "from Makka," rather He said, "from the Sacred
Mosque," Masjid al-Haram. "Sacred" means inviolable, no sin being
permitted within its precincts, nor backbiting, cheating, or lying.
There one must be ever mindful of Allah's (swt) Presence.



Masjid al-Haram, represents here a station where those sins which
signify the animal life can never be committed. 'Aqsa' in Arabic means
'the Farthest'. Thus Masjid al-Aqsa here is named as the farthest
mosque in relation to Masjid al-Haram and symbolizes the spiritual
realm. The literal meaning is, 'He brought His servant from Masjid al-
Haram to the mosque at the farthest end.' Symbolically, Allah brought
the Prophet away from that which is forbidden things of this earthly
life, haram, to the place furthest away from it - al-Aqsa. The
furthermost point from the animalistic life is the spiritual
dimension.



The contrast between these 'stations' is further demonstrated by the
famous stone at each of these holy sites. In Masjid al- Haram the
Black Stone is governed by physical constraints, held up in an
encasement, having fallen from heaven and been darkened by the sins of
humanity. At Masjid al-Aqsa the holy stone marking where the Prophet
(s) ascended to the heavens is miraculously suspended in the air,
disregarding the physical law of gravity, seeking to leave the earthly
pull of gravity to soar towards the Divine Presence.



The subtle meaning derived from the order of the words here is that
Allah's one true servant, the Prophet Muhammad (s), began from station
of `ubudiyya, servanthood, for which he was created. This allowed him
to begin from the station of perfected and flawless character
(`ismat), shunning the forbidden and the love of this worldly life (al-
haraam) and move from there to the farthest station, the highest rank
of all creation, as indicated by the station of the farthest mosque,
al-aqsa.



STAGES OF TASAWWUF



In the Science of Purification of the Self, tasawwuf, these stages are
termed Shariah, Tariqat and Haqiqat. The first corresponds to the
realm of physical discipline, whence the seeker moves on the path,
tariqat, with the vehicle of `ubudiyya, worship, and thence ascends to
the station of haqiqat, reality, in which all falsehood vanishes and
the Lordship of Allah is made eminently manifest to the servant.



Allah brought Prophet Muhammad (s) to Masjid al-Aqsa in Palestine from
which most of the prophets hail. There he found all of the prophets
gathered, and they prayed in congregation behind him (s). From there
Allah raised him to the heavens, as if saying, 'O My prophets! I did
not raise any one from Masjid al-Aqsa as I am raising Muhammad (s).'
This was in order to demonstrate to them Prophet Muhammad's (s)
ascendancy - unlike any one of them, he was not restricted by the laws
of this universe.



RISEN BY NIGHT, ILLUMINATING LIKE THE FULL MOON





Allah then lifted him from Masjid al- Aqsa by means of the Ascension
(mi`raj), to His Divine Presence. Why did Allah use the words, 'laylan
- by night'? Why didn't He say, 'naharan - by day'? 'Laylan' here
illustrates the darkness of this world; it becomes illumined only by
the bright moon of the Prophet (s) rising to brighten every darkness.



Subhan alladhee asr'a bi `abdihi laylan. "Glorified be He Who carried
His servant by night..." Look at every word of this holy verse. First
Allah praised Himself in the third person, in absence. Allah then
miraculously moved the Prophet from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa (asra').
Then He referred to the Prophet as "'abd - servant", distinguishing
him through that elevated title as being related to the spiritual
life, not the animal life. The message of Prophet Muhammad (s)
completed and perfected both the physical discipline and jurisprudence
(shari`a) of Moses and the spirituality (rawhaniyya) of 'Isa (as). The
shari`a of Moses (as) relates to the worldly life and the spirituality
of 'Isa (as) relates to the heavenly life. By passing from the worldly
life, represented by the Night Journey, to heavenly life, represented
by the Ascension, the Prophet (s) was carried on these two wings. No
prophet was carried in both these dimensions except our master
Muhammad (s).



PROPHETIC CONVEYANCES



One of the great scholars of Qur'anic exegesis, al-'Ala'i said, "On
the Night of Ascension the Prophet used five different vehicles. The
first was the Buraq, a winged creature which carried him from Makka to
Masjid al-Aqsa. The second was the Ascension by which the Prophet (s)
reached the sky of this world, as-sama' ad-dunya.' There are two
explanations for Mi`raj: one that the Buraq carried the Prophet (s) up
and the second that a ladder descended and raised the Prophet (s) very
rapidly. The third vehicle was the wings of angels taking the Prophet
(s)p to the seventh heaven. The fourth were the wings of Gabriel u
from the seventh heaven to the Furthermost Lote Tree, sidrat al-
muntaha. The fifth vehicle was the carpet (ar-raf raf) to the station
of "two bows-length - qaba qawsayn." [53: 9] "Similarly, the Prophet
(s) stopped in ten different stations: seven heavens and the eighth at
the Furthermost Lote Tree, sidrat al-muntaha. The ninth is where he
heard the sound of the angels' pens writing the actions of human
beings and the tenth level was at the Throne. And Allah knows best."



THE MIRACULOUS ASPECT OF ISRA AND MI`RAJ



All these miraculous events took place on the night of the Night
Journey and Ascension, Laylat al-Isra wal-Mi`raj. The many hadiths
detailing the events of the Night Journey were authenticated by
numerous huffaz (hadith masters) such as Ibn Shihab, Thabit al-Banani,
and Qatada. Allah supports His prophets with miracles (mu`jizat) to be
able to transcend the laws of physics and the constraints of our human
realities. If Allah grants a miracle we should not view it as
something improbable, otherwise we will be like scientists who cannot
understand anything beyond what they perceive.



Scholars differ as to what night this great journey occurred on. Imam
Nawawi said that it took place in Rajab. In Nawawi's ar-Rawda, he
states it occurred ten years and three months after the beginning of
the Prophecy, while Fatawa states it was five or six years after the
onset of revelation. Whatever the case, all scholars concur that the
Night Journey and Ascension took place both in body and spirit.



ABRAHAM'S VISION AND THE SPIRITUAL DIMENSION



Allah said in the Holy Qur'an: "So also did We show Abraham the
kingdom of the heavens and the earth that he might have
certitude." [6: 75-79]



Allah showed the kingdom of heavens and earth to Prophet Abraham (as),
by opening Abraham's spiritual vision (baseera) to see the wonders of
the universe from where he was on earth. Allah showed him what is
beyond the laws of the physical universe through the eyes of his
heart. Yet immediately after this verse Allah has shown Abraham (as)
the glories behind the physical universe, "When the night covered over
him he saw a star. He said 'This is my lord.'" [6:77] In the following
verses Abraham (as) similarly "mistakes" the moon and sun for his
lord: "When he saw the moon rising in splendor he said, 'This is my
lord.' But when the moon set he said, 'Unless my Lord guides me I
shall surely be among those who go astray.' When he saw the sun rising
in splendor he said, 'This is my lord.'" [6: 78] These verses
regarding the stars, moon, and sun are directed to the non-believers.
Allah showed Abraham (as) the Truth and he had reached certitude of
faith.



As a prophet he was also free of sin, and thus could not have
considered other than Allah as his Lord. However, Abraham's u duty was
to convey a heavenly message. Seeking to bring everyone under Allah's
mercy, Abraham (as) attempted to teach his people in a way that would
not cause them to reject his message. Wisely using a process of
elimination, he demonstrated to them that a spiritual dimension
exists. He eliminated the star (something small), then the moon, then
the sun (the biggest heavenly body). Abraham (as) then reaffirms his
true belief in Allah and his turning away from worldly distractions
saying, "But when the sun set he said, 'O my people, I am innocent and
free from the sin of you ascribing partners to Allah. For me I have
set my face firmly and truly towards the One Who created the heavens
and the earth, and I am not one who ascribes partners to
Allah.'" [6:79] The meaning of this demonstration: don't chase the
things of this worldly life, but seek the spiritual dimension which
transcends the laws of the physical universe.



In our time, materialistic scientists and certain narrow-minded
Islamic sects try to negate spirituality, the fourth dimension, which
Allah showed to Abraham (as). Those rejecting the spiritual dimension
of Islam are falling into the same trap as the people of Abraham. The
Prophet (s) said, 'what I fear most for my community is the hidden
shirk (associating partners to Allah).' Hidden shirk is for a person
to be prideful of himself, most easily manifest in rejecting the words
of others.



DISTINCTION OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD'S ASCENDANCY



Prophet Abraham (as) was shown the kingdom malakut, of heavens and
earth. Prophet Moses (as) did not see this kingdom. However he was
able to hear Allah and speak with Allah from Mount Sinai, thus being
known as Kalimullah (the one who spoke with Allah directly). Although
Abraham (as) was granted the ability to see in spiritual dimensions,
and Moses (as) was granted to hear Allah directly, both of these great
prophets' bodies remained on earth, subject to its physical laws.
Prophet Abraham's vision and Prophet Moses' (as) hearing went beyond
the physical by means of the power of the soul, but their bodies did
not move beyond the physical world.



However, Allah caused Prophet Muhammad (s) to move in spiritual
dimensions with his body in complete freedom from physical laws. Allah
called the Prophet "to show him from Our signs..." [17: 1] Allah
showed Abraham the king dom of this universe, but He moved the Prophet
(s) in body and spirit beyond the physical laws of this universe to
show him 'Our signs', ayaatina. This possessive form relating the
Signs as belonging to Allah directly, indicates the greater honor and
knowledge bestowed on the Prophet (s). The kingdom of heavens and
earth shown to Prophet Abraham (as) was the workings of this physical
universe and did not reach Paradise, whereas Allah's signs manifested
to Prophet Muhammad (s) are directly related to Allah and are not asso
ciated with this world.



THE PROPHET'S VISION OF HIS LORD AND PERFECTION OF ONENESS



"Allah revealed to His servant what he revealed. The Prophet's heart
in no way falsified what it saw. Will you then dispute with him about
what he saw? And he saw Him again another time at the Lote-tree of the
utmost boundary, at the Garden of Abode. Behold the Lote-tree was
shrouded with what shrouds. His sight did not swerve or waiver. Indeed
he saw of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest." [53: 10-19]



Imam Nawawi and the late Imam Mutwalli Sha`rawi concur with the major
ity of scholars in interpreting these verses to mean that the Prophet
saw his Lord another time, not that he saw Gabriel u another time, as
some assert. Imam Nawawi relates in his commentary on Sahih Muslim,
"Most of the scholars say that the Prophet saw his Lord with the eyes
of his head - ra'a rabbahu bi 'aynay raasi hi. The Prophet came all
the way to the Divine Throne (`arsh), reached qaba qawsayni (the
distance of two bow's length), and reached the Paradise of Jannat al-
Ma'wa near the Furthermost Lote-Tree (sidrat al-muntaha).





After all this Imam Sha`rawi asks, "What would make the Prophet's
sight swerve? Some say it was Gabriel (as), but the Prophet (s) had
seen Gabriel (as) many times and Gabriel was with him for the duration
of the Night Journey and Ascension. It is irrelevant to say at this
juncture that the Prophet's sight did not swerve or waiver, because if
this was in reference to Gabriel the Prophet had many opportunities to
see him already. Allah doesn't say anything irrelevant which is why I
side with the majority of scholars (including Imam Nawawi) in say ing
that with his physical eyes the Prophet saw Allah (swt)."



"Indeed he saw of the Signs of his Lord, the Greatest." [53:18]



What then could the Greatest Sign be for the Prophet (s) other than
the vision of his Lord? For the Prophet (s) saw all seven levels of
Paradise, then ascended further than any creation before or after, to
"two bows-length". It is stated in hadith that the greatest reward for
believers in the next life will not be the pleasures of Paradise, but
the vision of their Lord every Friday. If the believers, the common
and the special, are going to see their Lord in the afterlife, then
clearly nothing less than that could be "the Greatest Sign" for His
Beloved Prophet Muhammad (s).



"And We granted the vision which We showed you (O Muhammad) but as a
trial for mankind." [17:60]



Regarding this verse, Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's Messenger (s) actually
saw with his own eyes the vision (of all which was shown to him) on
the night of his Night Journey to Jerusalem (and then to the
heavens)..." That is the greatness of Prophet Muhammad. No one saw his
Lord other than Muhammad (s), making him (s) the only true monotheist
(muwahhid). No one except Muhammad (s) achieved a perfect grasp of
Divine Unity - tawhid - everyone else's under standing of tawhid
remains imitated (taqleed).



Prophet Abraham (as) was the father of the prophets and was granted
spiritual vision to see the workings of the universe and Prophet Moses
(as) was granted to speak with his Lord. But Allah moved Prophet
Muhammad with his physical body in defiance of the physical laws of
the universe to the Unseen, a place where there is nothing and no
possibility of any- thing - "la khala wa la mala." Allah took Muhammad
there and revealed to him Himself, in the manner He wished. How this
was we do not know. It is unseen and unknown (ghayb). Thus, as Ibn
`Abbas (r) said, it is a matter to be believed with acceptance, not a
matter to be questioned.



EXPLANATION OF THE IDOL VERSES



"His sight did not swerve or waiver. Indeed he saw the Greatest Signs
of his Lord. Have you seen Lat and 'Uzza (two pagan idols) and the
third one Manat (another idol)?" [53: 17-20]



Why does Allah mention these three false deities, Lat, `Uzza and
Manat, which the polytheistic idolaters of Makka wor shipped,
immediately after mentioning the "Greatest Signs of his Lord" in
53:18? Scholars say that 53:18 shows that Muhammad (s) reached perfect
grasp of Allah's Unity, while the verses 53:19-20 by contrast show
these idols as nothing more than fabrications of their makers. If
"Greatest Signs" [53: 18] referred to Gabriel then it would not follow
to men tion the false idols after it.



Prophet Abraham (as) mentioned a star, the moon and the sun - three
entities of this worldly life - as objects falsely taken as gods
besides God. And in the chapter of the Star (an-Najm), Allah mentioned
al- Lat al-`Uzza and Manat, again three false gods, immediately
describing Prophet Muhammad's seeing his Lord, as explained by most
scholars. Both these revelations reject the false concept of idol-
worship, and subtly stress the false notion of a trinity, which
pervades most forms of idolatry. Oneness is for Allah the Exalted and
Glorious, the One - al-Wahid, the Unique - al-Fard, the Eternal - as-
Samad.



Sending Oil for Al-Aqsa



In a hadith (Prophetic Tradition) one of the Prophet's wives asked
what one should do if they are not able to travel to Masjid al-Aqsa.
He (s) said, "If someone is not able to go let them send lamp oil
there to give light in the mosque. If any of you sends lamp oil to
light the mosque it is as if you had gone and prayed there."



According to this hadith one can send something to the mosque from far
away and attain the reward of one having reached the masjid despite
not going there oneself. This is one of many proofs that intercession
in Islam is accepted.



Allah mentioned in the Holy Qur'an "whenever Zakariya entered the sanc-
tuary to (see) her, he found her with food. He said: O Mariam! whence
comes this to you? She said: It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives to
whom He pleases without measure." [3: 36] Allah then stresses the
importance of this place, "There did Zakariya pray to his Lord..." [3:
37] as one in which prayers are answered, having become holy as
Maryam's place of worship.



Here we see that a place, whether a mosque or a sanctuary, once it
becomes holy, can provide blessings and rewards to those who worship
in it or send lamp oil to it, in the case of Masjid al-Aqsa. This is
for a place, consisting of nothing more than four inan-imate walls,
what then of asking a pious person for his invocation? Such is the
case of the intercession of the Prophet (s).



There is another narration in which the Prophet (s) was asked by Abu
Dharr which was the first masjid placed on earth. The Prophet (s)
replied, "The Sacred Mosque." Then he asked which was next. The
Prophet (s) replied, "Masjid al-Aqsa." Abu Dharr asked how much time
elapsed between the two. The Prophet (s) answered, "Forty years.
Prophet Abraham built the Mosque in Makka, Prophet Jacob (Ya`qub)
founded Masjid al-Aqsa then his son Prophet Solomon (Sulayman)
finished it." Peace be upon them all.

The Blessings of Prayers Said in Jerusalem

The Dajjal (Anti-Christ) would be prevented from entering four places:
the Sacred Mosque in Makka, the Prophet's Mosque in Madina, Masjid al-
Aqsa and Mount Sinai (at-Tur) where Moses used to speak with Allah.

Maymuna (r) said she asked the Prophet (s) about Bayt al-Maqdis (the
holy mosque of Jerusalem). He (s) said, "It is the place of the
Judgment where everyone will be gathered. Travel to it and pray in it
because one prayer in it is like 1,000 prayers anywhere else." In
another hadith the Prophet said, "One prayer in my mosque is like
10,000 prayers elsewhere. One prayer in Masjid al-Haram is like
100,000 prayers elsewhere."
Dua's for 27th Rajab is the Month of God - Isra and Mi`raj

Assalamo Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Devotional performance
should be done with cleanliness, purity of faith, with exclusive
attention i.e. heart and should in the prayers and to understand what
we are praying. It is our duty to worship Allah and also fast
specially on the 27th day. Every devotional act will have spiritual
benefits. This night is the night of Divine mercy and Allah will grant
success and fulfillment of desires to the sincere devotees and also
protect them from haram and Hellfire.

Allah's Messenger (Blessing of Allah and Peace be on him) said that
70,000 angels with trays of divine light on their heads enter the
homes of the inmates who are in devout remembrance of Allah and by the
grace of Allah they empty these trays over the heads of those who
pray.

According to the Tradition, whoever performs devout actions during the
27th night and keeps fast during the 27th day of Rajab, he will be
favoured with great spiritual reward. And if his intention is to gain
Divine pleasure then he shall be honoured to partake meals with
Prophet Hazrat Ibrahim (A-lai-his-sa-laam), on the Day of Judgement.

This night should be celebrated by having sermons and sacred
gatherings. Those holding and attending these gatherings will be
worthy of spiritual rewards.

There are many types pointed out in many books Kitabul Awraad,
Toohfah, Falah-ud-deen, Risala hashriyyah, Ahyaa-ul-uloom, Khoola-sa-
tul Akhyaar, Sirool Asraar, Zaadool Maad, etc.

NAWAAFIL NAMAZ
(To pray on the night of 27th Rajab)

AFTER ISHA

12 raka'at Nafl (2 at a time)
In every raka'at after 'Al-ham-du' Sura Ikhlas' 5 times.
After Namaaz, recite 100 times Darood Sharif for fulfillmant of
desires.

6 raka'at Nafl namaz (2 at a time).
In each raka'at recite 'Al-ham-du' once and 'Qul-hu-wal-lah' 7 times.
After salaam 50 times darood Sharif.

100 Nafl namaz, (2 at a time)
In each raka'at, after 'Al-ham-du' recite 'Qul-hu-wal-lah'. Hastily
recite 100 Darood Sharif. Go in Sajdah and appeal to Allah. Insha
Allah, He will no let you go empty hand.

2 raka'at Nafl Namaaz with intention of presenting it to Allah's
Messenger (Blessing of Allah and Peace be on him). In each raka'at,
after 'Al-ham-du' recite 'Qul-hu-wal-lah' 27 times and in the
Tashahud, after 'At-tah-hi-yaat' recite Darood-e-Ibrahim 27 times.

12 raka'at nafl namaz (2 at a time)
The 1st four raka'ats : In each raka'at recite 'Al-ham-du' once and
Sura Qadr 3 times. After salaam recite 70 times 'LAA I-LAA-HA IL-LAL-
LAA-HUL MA-LI-KUL HAQ-QUL MU-BEEN' .

In the 2nd four raka'ats : in each raka'at recite 'Al-ham-du' once and
Sura Nasr (I-zaa-ja-a nas-rul-lah) 3 times. After salaam recite 70
times ' IN-NA-KA KAV WAA-HI-DI-YUN DA-LI-LUN BI-HAQ-QI IY-YAA-KA NA'-
BU-DU WA IY-YAA-KA NAS-TA-EEN' .

In the 3rd four raka'at : In each raka'at recite 'Al-ham-du' once and
'Qul-hu-wal-lah' 3 times. After salaam recite 70 times Sura 'A-lam
Nash-rah'. Pray for your desires to be fulfilled.

2 raka'at Nafl namaz. In the first raka'at after'Al-ham-du' recite
Sura 'A-lam-nash-rah' once. In the second raka'at after 'Al-ham-du'
recite Sura Li-I-laa-fi Qu-raish'. This prayer will enable you to the
reward of praying with the Aulias.

7. There are many more nafl Namaazz in 10, 20 and 100 raka'ats. Pray
as much as you can.

27TH DAY OF RAJAB

1. After Zuhr Namaaz, 4 raka'at with one sa-laam. In the first
raka'at, after 'Al-ham-du' recite 'Sura Qadr' 3 times. In the second
raka'at, after 'Al-ham-du'-ham-du' recite 'Qul-hu-wal-lah'-hu-wal-lah'
3 times. In the third raka'at, after 'Al-ham-du' recite Sura Falq 3
times. In the fourth raka'at, after 'Al-ham-du' recite Sura Naas 3
times. After salaam, recite Darood Sharif 100 times. All your desires
will be fulfilled.

2. Keep fast of this day . It is worth 100 fasts and prevents the
punishment of the grave and Hellfire . You will receive a drink from
the Rajab river in Paradise.

May Allah accept our invocation and devotional performances and grant
us the spiritual effects in this month of Rajab and Shab-e- Me'raaj.
May Allah grant our supplications (du'aa), Aameen.




HADITHS ON RAJAB

In Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad: Uthman ibn Hakim al-Ansari said: I
asked Sa`id ibn Jubayr about fasting in Rajab, and we were then
passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said: I heard Ibn
`Abbas(r) saying: "The Messenger of Allah (s) used to observe fast so
continuously that we thought he would not break it, and did not
observe it so continuously that we thought he would not observe fast."
Imam Nawawi commented on this in Sharh Sahih Muslim:



"It would appear that the meaning inferred by Sa`id ibn Jubayr from
Ibn `Abbas' report is that fasting in Rajab is neither forbidden nor
considered praiseworthy in itself, rather, the ruling concerning it is
the same as the rest of the months."



Imam Nawawi continues:

"Neither prohibition nor praiseworthiness has been established for the
month of Rajab in itself, however, the principle concerning fasting is
that it is praiseworthy in itself, and in the Sunan of Abu Dawud the
Prophet (s) has made the fasting of the sacred months praiseworthy,
and Rajab is one of them."



Ibn Majah and Ahmad, relate the hadith of a man who repeats:

"I can bear more," [i.e. supererogatory fasting] and to whom the
Prophet (s) finally says: "Fast during the sacred months."



In Abu Dawud and Bayhaqi:

From Mujiba al-Bahiliyya who reported that her father (or uncle) was
told by the Prophet (s) three times: "Fast some and leave some in the
sacred months."



Bayhaqi and Abu Nu`aym relate from `Umer ibn Shibl mawqufan, who said:

"I heard Abu Qilaba say: 'There is a palace in Paradise for those who
fast the month of Rajab.'



Ibn Qudama states in al-Mughni (3:118-119):

"It is disliked that Rajab be singled out for fasting.



Imam Ahmad said:

'If a man fasts during that month, let him break the fast for one day
in it, or several, just so as not to fast it all.'"



Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal said:"Whoever fasts all year round may fast all
of it [i.e. Rajab]. Otherwise, let him not fast all of it but only
some of it so that he will not liken it to Ramadan."



In conclusion, it is definitely allowed to fast Rajab and Sha`ban in
part or in whole, and we say it is recommended, as the clarity of the
intention to follow the Sunna and the knowledge that only the fast of
Ramadan is obligatory, preclude the reprehensibility of those who used
to honor Rajab in rivalry with Ramadan, and Allah knows best.
Hadiths on Rajab 2

1. In Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad: `Uthman ibn Hakim al-Ansari said:
I asked Sa`id ibn Jubayr about fasting in Rajab, and we were then
passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said:

I heard Ibn `Abbas saying: "The Messenger of Allah used to observe
fast so continuously that we thought he would never break it, and at
other times he remained without fasting so continuously that we
thought he would never fast."2



Imam Nawawi commented on this:

It appears that the meaning inferred by Sa`id ibn Jubayr from Ibn
`Abbas's report is that fasting in Rajab is neither forbidden nor
considered praiseworthy in itself, rather, the ruling concerning it is
the same as the rest of the months.



This is also the commentary of Qastallani in al-Mawahib al-laduniyya.3
Nawawi continues:

Neither prohibition nor praiseworthiness has been established for the
month of Rajab in itself, however, the principle concerning fasting is
that it is praiseworthy in itself, and in the Sunan of Abu Dawud4 the
Prophet has made the fasting of the sacred months praiseworthy, and
Rajab is one of them. And Allah knows best.5



It is established, on the one hand, that Ibn `Umar fasted during the
sacred months,6 and on the other, that he fasted all year as shown by
the following hadith.



2. In Muslim, Ibn Majah, and (partly) Ahmad: `Abd Allah, the freed
slave of Asma' the daughter of Abu Bakr, the maternal uncle of the son
of `Ata', reported:

Asma' sent me to Abdullah ibn `Umar saying: "The news has reached me
that you prohibit the use of three things: the striped robe, saddle
cloth made of red silk, and fasting the whole month of Rajab."
Abdullah said to me: "So far as what you say about fasting in the
month of Rajab, how about one who observes continuous fasting? And so
far as what you say about the striped garment, I heard `Umar ibn al-
Khattab say that he had heard from Allah's Messenger: "He who wears a
silk garment, has no share for him (in the Hereafter)." And I am
afraid that stripes were part of it. And so far as the red saddle
cloth is concerned, here is Abdullah's saddle cloth [=his] and it is
red. I went back to Asma' and informed her, so she said: "Here is the
cloak (jubba) of Allah's Messenger," and she brought out to me that
cloak made of Persian cloth with a hem of (silk) brocade, and its
sleeves bordered with (silk) brocade, and said: "This was Allah's
Messenger's cloak with `A'isha until she died, then I took possession
of it. The Apostle of Allah used to wear that, and we washed it for
the sick so that they could seek cure with it."7



Nawawi commented on the above:

Ibn `Umar's reply concerning fasting in Rajab is a denial on his part
of what Asma' had heard with regard to his forbidding it, and it is an
affirmation that he fasted Rajab in its entirety as well as fasting
permanently, i.e. except the days of `Id and tashriq.8 This (perpetual
fast) is his way and the way of his father `Umar ibn al-Khattab,
`A'isha, Abu Talha, and others of the Salaf as well as Shafi`i and
other scholars: their position is that perpetual fasting is not
disliked (makruh).



Ibn Qudama states something similar in al-Mughni concerning perpetual
fasting and adds that the same view is related from Ahmad and Malik,
and that after the Prophet's death Abu Talha fasted permanently for
forty years, among other Companions.9 Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in al-
Khayrat al-hisan similarly relates that Abu Hanifa was never seen
eating except at night.10



Nawawi adds:

In this hadith is a proof that it is recommended to seek blessings
through the relics of the righteous and their clothes (wa fi hadha al-
hadith dalil `ala istihbab al-tabarruk bi athar al-salihin wa
thiyabihim).11



3. Bayhaqi relates in Shu`ab al-iman and Abu Nu`aym in al-Targhib:

Abu `Abd Allah al-Hafiz and Abu Muhammad ibn Abi Hamid al-Muqri said:
from Abu al-`Abbas al-Asamm, from Ibrahim ibn Sulayman al-Barlisi,
from Abdallah ibn Yusuf, from `Amer ibn Shibl who said:

I heard Abu Qilaba say: "There is a palace in Paradise for those who
fast the month of Rajab."12



Bayhaqi comments:

Even if it is mawquf at Abu Qilaba (i.e. not traced back to the
Prophet) who is one of the Successors (d. 104) such as he does not say
such a saying except if it were related to him by someone who had
heard it from him to whom revelation comes (i.e. the Prophet), and
success is from Allah.

Reference link

http://www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/fasting/footfast.htm#7

Full references can be found on links below

http://www.sunnah.org/ibadaat/Rajab/rajab.htm



http://www.deenislam.co.uk/dua/rajab.htm











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