story of rajab

8/6/2019 Story of Rajab

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The Specialties and Benefits of the Month of Rajab'Rajabun Shahrullah' - 'Rajab is the month of Allah'

Starts 26th/27th July 2006

'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.'Rajab Allah's month The Holy Month of Rajab Starts 26th/27th July 2006

NOTE:- Quick guide for Ibadah in month of Rajab to obtain max barakah, more details is alsogive below within text.!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 yearsand the fast of thirdday 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 7days in it, the 7gates of Hell will be closed for him; and whoever fasts 10 days from Rajab, a caller will call outfrom the sky, “Ask andyou will be given!” '

Note: Read 30 rakah on 1st 15th and 30th of Rajab pray 10 rakat nafil namaz in 2 rakat salam. Ineach 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 2rakat salam. In eachrakat after Alhamdo pray Surah Kaferoon 3 times and Surah Ikhlas (Qul-huwalla) 3 times. After completing the salaatread dua below -

Dua for 1st Rajab: "La Ilaha illallaho wahdahu la sharika lahu lahul-mulko walahul-hamdo yoh-yiwa yo mito wahuwahay-yil-la yamuto biyaaadie-hil -khair wahuwa ala kulle shai-een kadir, Allahumma la man-a. lemaa aat-taa, wa lamua-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 ata time). In each unitrecite: 3 times Sura-al-Qadr & then 12 times (Qul huwallahu) followed with dua - read below fulldetails see pages10,11,14, 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-hilAliyil Azim. "After reciting the above 30 rakah, pray for whatever your requirements. Insha-Allah these will beanswered, andon the day of resurrection, there will be 70 trenches between you and Hell and each of thesetrenches will be so wideit 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-raramadhaana.' see top for arabic 'O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let us reach themonth of Ramadhan.'Reference to Fasting in Rajab -If someone has fasted for three days during the sacred months,on a Thursday, aFriday 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 observedfasting in Rajab also

a palace for Only those whose frequently fasted in Rajab.

Grave punishment will be stopped if one fasts only day of RajabIn order to enter Ramadhaan in the best possible manner, one has to prepare himself in themonths of Rajab andShabaan. It has been said that Rajab is the month to sow seeds (good actions), Shabaan is themonth in which weshould water those seeds (with tears of sorrow) and Ramadhaan is the month in which we reapthe 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 presentcompany have

that support. If not, you would never be found in such an association. Why come? You might justas well go on asother 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. Theimportant thing is support from God. Were it not to accompany us, we would never accomplishanything.

Ahead of us begins a very important month in the Islamic calendar, the holy month of Rajab al-Haram. It stands aloneout of the four months which God has declared sacred Rajab, Dhul-Qida, Dhul-Hijja, andMuharram. It also opens the

series of three holy months culminating in Ramadan: Rajab, Shaban, and Ramadan. Duringthese three monthseveryone must prepare and keep himself, as much as possible, away from low traits, badmanners and sins.

The Prophet (s) said, 'Rajab is the month of God, Shaban is my month and Ramadan is themonth of my Community.'God gave us twelve months in the year, eleven of which are ours and one of which belongs toGod. Whatrewards God will give his servants in His month, no one knows, not even the Prophet (s). The



work of prophets andangels stops in the month of Rajab. They are not allowed to know what rewards God is going togive His community. Itis in the hands of the Lord, Almighty God. In the following month, Shaban, no one is permitted toknow what rewardsthe Prophet (s) will give his Community except the Prophet (s) and God. What is accumulated of the rewards in Rajaband Shaban will be written for you and become known to everyone in Ramadan. That is why it isthe month of theCommunity. These three months are therefore very important months in the understanding of theSufi orders.

In the month of Rajab, the Prophet (s) went through the Night Journey and Ascension. During thismonth one mustkeep oneself away from all kinds of bad manners and behavior. One of the most important daysof the year is the firstday of the 'month of God.' All seclusions commence at the beginning of the month of Rajab. Themost importantseclusion that Sufi masters have performed in their lives always fell in that month. It is a holymonth. If you do

something more (for God) in that month, you are going to be rewarded with a reward known to noone except God. Inthat month, God's Oceans of Mercy, Love and Rewards are going to be opened for HisCommunity and His servants.All saints wait to see what rewards God is going to grant human beings at this time of year. Allsaints on this planet,from East to West, from North to South, expect to see something happen in this world duringthese three specialmonths. Everyone of us must therefore behave themselves in these coming three monthsespecially.

Look at the mercy that God sends in the month of Rajab. If you did something wrong, do not turnaway, as if to run

away from God. Turn to your Lord. He will forgive you. It is very important because no one knowswhat God is going togive to His servants not even the two angels appointed to write a person's deeds, who ride on theshoulders of everyhuman being. Everything in that month comes through God and no one knows what God will putinto his or her scale

In the time of the Prophet (s) there lived a notorious highway robber. He used to frequent thestreets after midnight. If he found someone walking alone at night in the street, he caught him, robbed him, sometimesbeat him or killed him,and then returned home. No one was able to catch that highwayman. The Prophet (s) used tocurse that highwayman

in his time, saying, 'That is an evil person. I will never pray for him and I will not bury him in thegraveyard of theMuslims.'

After many years, the highwayman passed away. Because the Prophet (s) used to curse him, thechildrendragged his body through the streets of Madinah and threw him into a dry well. As soon as theyhad thrown him intothe well, God spoke to the Prophet (s) and said, 'O my beloved Prophet, today one of my saintshas passed away.



You must go and wash him, clean him, cover him, pray for him and bury him.' The Prophet (s)was astonishedbecause all his life he had cursed that person. Now that he had passed away, God told him thathe was a saint. Howcould he be a saint? But no one can interfere with God's knowledge, not even the Prophet (s). If God wants to make athief a saint, no one can ask, 'Why?' We must accept. That is why according to Sufi teachingsand 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 toraise that person's level higher than your level who knows? No one can know. Therefore no onecan interfere. Do notlook down at people as if you were superior to them. You do not know whether that person, inGod's eyes, is a saintor not. Who knows? Always regard people as being at a higher level than yourself. Show themrespect and be humbletowards 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 judgethem. Look at yourself.Make yourself behave well. Do not interfere with anyone else. It is not your job to correct anyoneelse. Your job is onlyto correct yourself. Correct yourself and leave everyone else to their Lord. This is the trueunderstanding andteaching of Sufism leave everyone to their Lord and change yourself. If you teach your ego not tointerfere withanyone, then you are going to find yourself living in happiness, because when you look at people,you will only seeservants of the same Lord as yours and, therefore, God will sometimes forgive them what theyare 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 calledAbu Bakr as-Siddiq (s) and said, 'O Abu Bakr, we have to go and bury the highwayman whodied.' Abu Bakr (s) said,'O Messenger of God, you said that you did not want to bury that person in a Muslim grave for heis not Muslim!' TheProphet (s) said, 'No! Let alone ordinary Muslims. God informed me today that that person was asaint!'What did that thief do in his life to become a saint? He killed, robbed and stole all his life. TheProphet (s) went

into the well, took that person's body out with his own hands and with his Companions, carriedhim to his house. Hecleaned him, washed him, wrapped him in a shroud, prayed for him, then took him from the hismosque to the Baqicemetery, a distance of fifteen minutes' walk. It took the Prophet (s) more than two hours to movefrom the mosque tothe cemetery. All the Companions were astonished at the way the Prophet (s) was walking. Hehad performed ablutionfor the dead with his own hands on that man, washed him and prayed for him. Now that he wastaking him to



his grave, he was walking on tiptoes. 'O Messenger of God,' they asked him, 'Why are youwalking on tiptoes?' Hesaid, 'God ordered all saints from East to West, all angels from the seven heavens and allspiritual beings to bepresent and follow the bier of that saint. There are so many of them filling the way that I cannotfind a place to put myfeet. 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 housetrembling andshivering. He sat with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (s) asking himself what that saint had done, a robber allhis life, tomerit such a high degree of respect from God. Abu Bakr (s) said, 'O Messenger of God, I feelashamed to ask aboutwhat I saw today. It was so astonishing.' The Prophet (s) answered, 'O Abu Bakr (s), I am evenmore surprised thanyou. 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, 'OProphet, do not ask me.

I am also astonished! Yet do not be astonished. God can do what no one can do. He is telling youto ask that man'sdaughter what he did in his life.'

The Prophet (s) immediately went in person with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (s) to the house of thatburglar. Nowadays,ministers and secretaries of state, no, even a manager in a company treats everyone else as if they were beggars athis door. They show neither respect nor humility. The Prophet (s), disregarding his power andstatus as a perfecthuman being, as the beloved of God, humbly went to that saint's house to ask his child what her father had donein his life. He said, 'O my daughter, please tell me how your father lived.' She told him, 'O

Messenger of God, I amvery ashamed before you. What am I going to tell you? He was a killer, a thief. I never saw himdo anything good. Herobbed and stole day and night, except for one month during the year. When that month came, hewould say, 'This isthe month of God,' because he heard you say, 'Rajab is the month of God, Shaban is the monthof the Prophet andRamadan 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 closeit and performseclusion 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 wasout in the street looking for someone to rob. He found an old man of seventy or eighty years of age. He beat him untilhe was unconscious and robbed him. He found a small piece of folded paper in his pocket. Heopened it and found aprayer 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 hewanted to eat or



perform ablution. After the month was over he would get up and say, 'The month of God isfinished. Now for mypleasure,' 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 recitethree times a dayduring the month of Rajab. (This Dua known as the dua of Wali Abbas can found below inArabic)Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said that this supplication purifies you from all your sins and leaves youas pure as a newbornchild. It is a very famous supplication in Sufi orders. When the Prophet (s) asked the daughter tobring him the paper,he kissed it and rubbed this paper over his body. I advise all of you not to forget about thatsupplication, butpractice it during this coming month. Keep reciting it and God will give you as He Wills, accordingto your intention.God told the Prophet (s), 'O my beloved Prophet, that person came and repented to me in themost precious month of the year. For that reason, because he sacrificed at least one month of the year for Me, I haveforgiven him all his

mistakes and I have changed all his sins into laudable deeds. As he had many sins, now he hasmany rewards. Hebecame a great saint.' Because of one prayer, God made him a saint, a person who never worshipped the Lord as heshould have, by coming to such associations as this to listen. You have a merciful God, a lovingGod. What do youthink 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 andgive you tenrewards. Whoever came two hours' driving, let them compute how many steps they made. Do notmiss suchassociations because you cannot get such rewards when you worship. Your five prayers are an

obligation upon youbut such associations are not an obligation. They are voluntary. Therefore if you attend, you aregoing tobe rewarded with a very weighty reward. That is why these associations are very important. Theywill show you theshortest 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 theDivine Presence riding a donkey. Come to the Divine Presence on a rocket. You will arrive muchfaster. Your ego is adonkey. Do not follow your ego. Leave it for it will never take you anywhere except in slow

motion. The spirit will movewith very quick motion. Why? Because the spirit is something related to God. That Light is comingfrom our Lord. Lookat the speed of light: 300,000 kilometers per second. Do you think that your spirit runs slower or faster than the speedof light? Of course it is faster.

You use your mind extremely fast. What about your heart? Now they are trying to reacheverywhere quickly on earthusing planes. What about the airplane of your heart? Do not underestimate what God has created



in you and in everyhuman being. No one can understand how the spirit works.

Why does one pass away the instant someone shoots a bullet through them? Who takes thatsecret away? Why doessomeone pass away when they are fatally ill? The spirit is always training to run away and breakfree 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 spirityourself through your power over your own ego, at that time you gain control of the power of the spirit andit 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 todaycan replicate. Therewas a saint who could use his belt to make a phone call to people living very far way. He woulddo so in the presenceof hundreds of people sitting around him. How could one send a message to so-and-so who livedthree or four hoursaway by car? That saint would simply lift the end of his belt, put it to his ear, and say, 'Hello? Mr.

So-and-so, pleasecome over. We are waiting for you!' After three or four hours, that person would knock at the door and enter and telleveryone 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 spiritcontrols the ego,you can do everything. When the ego controls your spirit, you can do nothing. You have to alwaysbe a garbagecontainer for human beings. Do not be afraid to carry their burdens. Carry and move. If you carry,God will give youmore 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 tohis Lord, 'O my Lord! Make my body as large as Your hell and put me alone inside it. Leteveryone else stay outside. Isacrifice myself for the benefit of Your innocent people. They are innocent because they havetheir egos weighingthem down. If they did not have their egoes, they would have been like angels.' Everyone of ushas an ego. It is thatego 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 byobserving you and appreciating your good manners and exemplary behavior. When they see youacting badly, howwill 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 houseor outside your house. Do not pay attention if your wife shouts at you. Let her shout. What canhappen? Finally shewill get tired and stop. The same goes for men! You are going to bark and bark but she will pay



no attention. Finallyyou will get fed up and be quiet. But satan never causes one to be angry without the other beingangry too. Fightingfollows. Therefore when one shouts, the other must not listen. This technique must be appliedoutside among thecommunity as well. Try to control your anger.

One day I was with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim in Madinah. At that time, Mawlana Shaykh used totake many pilgrims fromCyprus with him on the pilgrimage. He took them to a merchant to buy some prayer beads. After all the pilgrims hadbought beads, Mawlana Shaykh asked for a set of beads for himself. The merchant showed himsomebeads. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said to him, 'What do you think, can you give me a discount.' Themerchant reactedwith the worst kind of invective. There is not a single curse that he did not use against Mawlana.Mawlana did noteven open his mouth. He his anger completely. Afterwards, when we moved out to the street, wesaw someonecoming to the Shaykh with a set of beads in his hands, identical to the ones he had asked to

purchase. He gave themto the Shaykh with the words, 'This is a gift from me,' and no one knew who he was nor where hecame from. Hedisappeared 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 theQuran, 'Whoever forgives and makes peace will receive his reward from his Lord' [42:40]. That isbetter than takingyour 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 prayersduring the day, try to

perform them at night when you come home before sleeping. Try to recite 'Allah' 1500 times aday in your heart. If youprefer to recite it by tongue, do so. Also recite 100 times a day, 'Allahumma salli ala Muhammadinwa ala aliMuhammadin wa sallim' (O God, send blessings and peace upon Muhammad and upon theFamily 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. Webeleive 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 English and transliteration prescribed byShaykh Nazim AliHaqqani

Dua of the Wali Abbas to read 3 times everyday in RajabBismillah ir-Rahman ir-RaheemAllahuma innee istaghfiruka min kulli maa tubtu lahu ilayka thumma 'udtu feeh. wa istaghfirukamin kulli



maa 'aradtu bihi wajhika wa-khaalatanee feehi maa laysa feehi ridaak. wa istaghfiruk li-niàmallateetaqawwaytu biha àla maàseeyatik. wa istaghfiruka min aadh-dhunub allatee laa ya`lamahughayrukawa laa yattaliù àlayha ahadu n siwaak wa laa yasaùha illa rahmatika wa la tunjee minha illamaghfiratukawa hilmuka. laa ilaha illa-Anta, subhaanak! innee kuntu min adh-dhaalimeen.Allahuma innee istaghfiruka min kulli dhulmin dhalamtu bihi ìbadaka. Fa ayyaama àbdin minìbaadik awàmatin min 'imaa'ika dhalamtu fee badanihi aw ìrdihi aw maalih fa àtihi min khazaa'inik allateelaa tanqus.Wa as'aluka an tukrimanee bi rahmatika allatee wasiàt kulla shay wa laa tùheenanee minàdaabik wata`teeayanee maa as'aluka fa-innee haqeequn bi-rahmatik ya arham ur-Raahimeen. Wa salla-Allahu àlaSayiddina Muhammadin wa àla alihi wa sahbihi ajmaèen. wa laa hawla wa laa quwatta illa billahil-Àleeul-'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. AndI ask forgiveness of You for everything I displeased You with and all that concerns me with which You are displeased.And I askforgiveness of You for the favors which I used for increasing my disobedience towards You. And Iask forgiveness of You for the sins which no one knows except You and no one sees except You and nothingencompasses except Your Mercy and nothing delivers from except Your forgiveness and clemency. There is no god exceptYou alone. You arethe 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 femaleservants whom I have hurt, physically or in their dignity or in their property give them of Your bounty which lacksnothing. And I ask You to honor me with Your mercy which encompasses all things. Do nothumble me with Your punishment but give me what I ask of You, for I am in great need of Your mercy, O Most Mercifulof the merciful. MayAllah send blessings upon Muhammad and upon all his companions. There is no power and nomight except in Allahthe High, the Exalted.

Excerpt from Seal of the Saints by Shaykh Muhayyidun Ibn Arabi….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 ) whichcorresponds to their station (maqam) is manifest in them only in Rajab, from the moment of the appearance of the endof the lunar month.They then lose this state until the month of Rajab the following year….In some of them theresurvives throughout theyear something of what they perceived (through intuitive unveiling) in the month of Rajab, while inothers nothing of itsurvives at all. Shaykh ‘Ibn Arabi tells of the visit he paid one of them at Dunaysir in



Mesopotamia. This person, who isin 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 "Nightof 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 maghribthe following nightso- the whole of Friday thus starts is -Thursday night to Friday night, the day is Asr to Asr there isno concept in Islamthat the day starts at 12.00am this is a western non-muslim belief or understanding. Fajr then isour 3rd prayer beginning of the day. The text is translated into english without footnotes. Which can be found inthe 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, bythe time the firstthird of the night has elapsed, there will not be a single angel still at large in the heavens, nor inany region of theearth bar one. They will all be gathered together in the Ka'ba and the area immediatelysurrounding it. Allah (Exaltedis He) will condescend to notice that they have assembled there, and He will say: "My angels, askMe for whatever youwish!" Their response to this will be: "Our Lord, the request we wish to make is that You grantforgiveness to thosewho faithfully keep the fast in Rajab," whereupon Allah (Exalted is He) will tell them: "That I havealready 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 inRajab.In the evening between Maghrib and Ìsha, perform 12 units (Rak'at) of prayer, in two's (i.e. two ata time). In each unitrecite: Once Sura-al-Fateha; three times Sura-al-Qadr; and 12 times Sura-al-Tawhid (Qulhuwallahu).

After the 12 units (rakats) are over, recite 70 times:Salawat (while sitting) : "Allahumma Salli Àla Muhammad, Annabiyyil Ummiyyi, Wa Àla Aalihi"Tasbih (in Sajdah): "Subbuhun Quddusun, Rabbul Malaìkati Warruh"All-Glorious, All-Holy,n Lord of the Angels and of the Spirit!

Istighfar (while sitting):

"Rabbigh-Fir, War-ham, Watajawaz Àmma Ta'alamu, Innaka antal àliyyul Aà-zam"My Lord, forgive and have mercy m pardon that which You well know, for You are the Mighty, theSupreme

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 nightAllah'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 allthe sins of whichthat individual has ever been guilty, even if they are like the flecks of foam upon the ocean, asnumerous as all thegrains of sand, as heavy as the mountains, and as many as the drops of rain and the leaves onall the trees. On theDay of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama], he will be allowed to intercede on behalf of sevenhundred members of hisfamily."

On the first night that worshipful servant spends in his grave, the reward for this salat-prayer willcome to visit him [inthe shape of a human being], with a cheerful face and an eloquent tongue. "O my dear friend," itwill say to him,"rejoice in the good tidings, for I am here to tell you that you have been delivered from everysevere affliction!"This will prompt the servant to exclaim: "Who are you? By Allah, I swear that I have never seen aman 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: "Omy dear friend, I amthe reward for that salat-prayer, the one you performed on whichever night it was, in whichever month it was, inwhichever year it was. I have come here tonight in order to fulfill your request, to entertain you inyour solitary state,and to banish your loneliness from you. Later on, when the trumpet is sounded, I shall provideyou with shade toprotect your head from the scorching heat on the Fields of the Resurrection ['Arasat al-Qiyama].So rejoice in thegood 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 themonth see below for full details see page 15

......Allah (Exalted is He) relents toward His Prophets [anbiya'], because in it He rescues Hissaints [awliya'] from thehands of their enemies, and because anyone who fasts during this month becomes entitled toreceive three thingsfrom Allah (Exalted is He). The first and second of these are forgiveness for all the sins he haspreviously 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 theGreatest Review [Yawm al-'Ard al-Akbar]."....

..Ibn Àbd al-Razzaq narrates in his Musannaf (4:317) that Ibn Ùmar said:There are five nights in which invocation (duà) is not turned back: the night of Jumà, the firstnight of Rajab,the night of mid-Sha`ban, and the two nights of Èid.

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 yearsand the fast of thirdday 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 7days in it, the 7gates of Hell will be closed for him; and whoever fasts 10 days from Rajab, a caller will call outfrom the sky, “Ask andyou will be given!” '

'Rajab is a tremendous month in which Allah multiplies the good deeds. So whoever fasts a dayfrom Rajab it is asif he fasted a year; and whoever fasts seven days of it the seven gates of Hell are closed to him;and whoever fastseight days from it the eight gates of Paradise are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten days fromit will not ask Allahsomething except that Allah will grant it. And whoever fasts from it fifteen days a caller will call outfromheavens “Verily you have been forgiven whatever is past, so renew your good actions, for indeedyour transgressionshave been transformed into virtuous deeds.” And whoever does more, Allah gives to him even

more. And in RajabAllah carried Noah/Nuh alaihi salaam peace be upon him in the ark and he/Noah fasted andordered all those with himto do so. And the ark sailed with them for six months until the first ten days of Muharram/firstmonth of islamiccalender.'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 personwho 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 ibnal-Mubarak as-Saqati

(may Allah bestow His mercy upon him). According to this report, Allah's Messenger (Allah blesshim and give himpeace) said:

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

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

If someone has fasted for eight days in Rajab, al the eight gates of the Garden of Paradise will beheld 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 callout 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 RajabAccording to a report transmitted by 'Ikrima, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be wellpleased with himand 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 hasfasted for one day during the month of Rajab, Allah will let him quench his thirst by drinking fromthat river.Anab ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him) is reported as having said: "In the Garden of Paradise there is apalace that no one may enter, with the exception of someone who makes a frequent practice of fasting during themonth of Rajab."

According to another traditional report, also transmitted on the authority of Anas [ibn Malik] (mayAllah 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 aSaturday, Allah willcredit 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 asthat which is earnedby 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 andgive 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 andgive him peace) once said:

Rajab contains a very special day and a very special night. If someone fasts during that day, andkeeps vigilthroughout that night, he will be entitled to a reward like the one that would be earned by a personwho fasted for ahundred 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 blesshim and give himpeace) was first dispatched to embark upon his mission.

Sheikh Hibatu'llah (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him) has informed us on good traditionalauthority, Allah'sMessenger (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 aman has fastedduring one day of this month, and if he has kept his fast completely clean through obedientdevotion [taqwa] to Allah(Almighty and Glorious is He), the heavenly gate will acquire the faculty of speech, and the dayitself will also acquirethe faculty of speech, and the two of them will say: "O Lord, forgive him!" But if he has failed to



make his fast completethrough obedient devotion to Allah (Exalted is He), they will make no such plea for him to beforgiven. 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 thirdof the fivecompulsory daily prayers), for those whose day begins at dawn. However, some say it refers tothe Fajr prayer. This isbecause the Muslims follow a lunar calendar: the first day of a new lunar month is onlydetermined when thenew moon is sighted shortly after sunset. Therefore the Muslim day begins at Maghreb, and thefirst prayer of thatnew 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 firstnight of Rajab.When the worshipper has duly performed his salat on the first night of Rajab, he is recommendedto offer

the following Du’a:

“O Allah, to You the applicants apply this night, to You the aspirants aspire, and for Your graciousbounty andbeneficence the seekers look in hope. You have special favors [nafahat] to bestow this night, andprizes and gifts andpresents. You will bestow them upon whomever You choose from among Your servants, and Youwill withhold themfrom those who are not ready to receive Your providential care ['inaya]. Well, here am I, Your servant who is sorely inneed of You, hoping for Your gracious bounty and beneficence! If it pleases You, O my Master [Ya Maulaa-ya], tobestow 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 andBeneficence, Ya Rabbal-'Aalameen!”

Hazrat Babul-'Ilm, ’Ali bin Abu Talib (karramallah wajhah) would devote himself entirely toworship 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 tooffer 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 allevil. Do not take me bysurprise or unawares. Do not cause the outcome of my life's work to be nothing butdisappointment and regret. May itplease You to view me with favor, for Your forgiveness is granted to the wrongdoers and I am oneof the wrongdoers.O Allah, forgive me that which cannot do You any harm, and grant me that which cannot bringYou any benefit. Youare 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. Instillpatience and honesty inme and in your Awliya. Let ease [yusr] be Your gift to me, and do not let it come with difficulty['usr] attached. Extendthese same blessings to my wife and children, to my brothers in You, and to all those Muslim men[Muslimin] andMuslim women [Muslimat], those believing men [mu'minin] and believing women [mu'minat], whohave helped me tobecome 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 byShaykh 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 themonth full reference

belowSome traditional reports concerning the special blessings bestowed by Allah (Almighty andGlorious is He) upon thosewho 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 ImamHibatullah ibn al-Mubarak as-Saqati (Rahmatullah ’alayh) has informed us on good traditional authority, that theHoly Nabi (Sall Allahualaihi 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], andof any believingwoman [mu'minah], who performs thirty rak'ah in the course of this month, reciting in each cycle

Surah al-Fatiha andthe 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 hasfasted throughout theentire month. He or she will be treated as one of those who continue to perform the salat [al-musallin] right through tothe following year, and will be credited every day with a deed as noble as that of one of theMartyrs 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 thebeliever concerned,

whose credit will be enhanced by a thousand degrees. If the believer keeps the fast throughoutthe whole of thismonth, as well as performing this particular salat-prayer [i.e., the aforementioned thirty rak'ahs of prayer], Allah willdeliver that man or woman from the Fire of Hell and declare that he or she is entitled to enter theGarden 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: "OMuhammad, this a clear sign to



mark the distinction between you true believers, on the one hand, and the mushrikeen andmunafiqeen 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 performthat 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 reciteSurah al-Fatiah one timeonly, then the Sura that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad" three times, and then the Surah thatbegins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" three times. When you have pronounced the final salutation [sallamta], youmust raise your hands and say:

There is no god except Allah, Alone. No partner has He. To Him belongs the kingdom and to Himbelongs the praise.

He brings to life and causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is in HisHand, and He isPowerful over all things. O Allah, no one can withhold what You have given, and no one can givewhat You havewithheld, nor will the worldly fortune of the possessor of such fortune profit him, if he does notobtain the fortune thatcomes from You [in the hereafter].

Then you must rub your face with your hands, for at this point you will have completed the first setof ten rak'ahs.In the middle of the month you must perform another ten rak'ahs of the salat-prayer. In eachrak'ah you must againrecite Surah al-Fatihah one time only, then the Surah that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad"

three times, and then theSurah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" three times. When you have pronouncedthe 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 Himbelongs the praise.He brings to life and causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is in HisHand, and He isPowerful over all things. (I worship Him) as God, Single, One, Everlasting, Alone, Unique. Hetakes untoHimself 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 ineach rak'ah you mustagain recite Surah al-Fatihah one time only, then the Surah that begins with "Qul HuwAllahuAhad" three times, andthen the Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" three times. When you havepronounced the finalsalutation [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 Himbelongs the praise.He brings to life and causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is in HisHand, and He isPowerful over all things. May Allah bless Sayyidina Muhammad and the pure members of hisfamily. 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 toyour Du'a. Allah willinterpose seventy ditches between you and Hell [Jahannam], and each of those ditches will be aswide as the distancethat separates this earth from heaven above. For every rak'ah of salat-prayer you haveperformed, He will credit youwith a million rak'ahs. He will also inscribe on your record an exemption from the Fire of Hell anda permit to cross theNarrow Bridge [sirat]."

Hazrat Salman (Radhiyallahu ’anhu) is reported as having said: "As soon as the Nabi (Sall Allahualaihi wa Aalihi wa

Sallim) had finished speaking, I sank to the ground in humble prostration, weeping as I sought toexpress my gratitudeto Allah (Exalted is He) for what I had just been privileged to hear."

Endnotes 1.Surah al-Ikhlaas 2.Surah al-KaafiroonReference:- On the excellent qualities of the holy month of Rajab Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq byShaykh Syed Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani ( Radhi Allahu Anhu)

Traditional reports in which great emphasis is placed on the special merit of fasting on the firstThursday inRajab, 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'sMessenger (Sall Allahualaihi 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 thatRajab is Allah’smonth?” 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 theshedding of blood isbrought to a halt, because in it Allah (Exalted is He) relents toward His Ambiya, because in it He

rescues His Awliyafrom the hands of their enemies, and because anyone who fasts during this month becomesentitled to receive threethings from Allah (Exalted is He). The first and second of these are forgiveness for all the sins hehas previouslycommitted, and impregnable virtue ['isma] for the remainder of his life. As for the third, he will besafe from thirston 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 throughthe 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 alsoduring the very lastday of the month, for then you will be given the same reward as someone who has fasted throughthe whole of themonth, 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 thenight that the Malaa-ika call the Night of Wishes [Lailat ar-Ragha'ib]. This is because, by the time the first third of thenight 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 begathered together in the Ka'bah and the area immediately surrounding it. Allah (Exalted is He) willcondescend tonotice that they have assembled there, and He will say: "My angels, ask Me for whatever youwish!" Their response tothis will be: "Our Rabb, the request we wish to make is that You grant forgiveness to those whofaithfully keep the fastin 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 inRajab, and if he thenperforms twelve extra rak'ahs during the period between Maghrib and 'Isha, i.e., during the firstsegment ['atama] of the night of Friday. In each rak'ah, he must recite Surah al-Fatihah one time only, then the Surahthat begins with"Innaa anzalnaa-hu fee layla-til-qadr"1 three times, and the Sura that begins with "Qul HuwAllahuAhad"2 twelve times.The twelve rak'ahs must be divided into sets of two, with a salutation [taslima] to mark theconclusion of each pair.When he has completed his salat-prayer, he must invoke blessings upon me, by repeatingseventy 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 firstsajdah. Finally, whilehe is still in sajdah, he should ask Allah to grant his personal request, for that request will surelybe 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 thatindividual has ever been guilty, even if they are like the flecks of foam upon the ocean, as numerous as all the grainsof sand, as heavyas 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 willcome to visit him [inthe shape of a human being], with a cheerful face and an eloquent tongue. "O my dear friend," itwill say to him,"rejoice in the good tidings, for I am here to tell you that you have been delivered from everysevere affliction!"This will prompt the servant to exclaim: "Who are you? By Allah, I swear that I have never seen aman 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: "Omy dear friend, I amthe reward for that salat-prayer, the one you performed on whichever night it was, in whichever month it was, inwhichever year it was. I have come here tonight in order to fulfill your request, to entertain you inyour solitary state,and to banish your loneliness from you. Later on, when the trumpet is sounded, I shall provideyou with shade toprotect your head from the scorching heat on the Fields of the Resurrection ['Arasat al-Qiyama].

So rejoice in thegood tidings, for you will never be deprived of the blessing that comes from your Master [Maula].Endnotes 1 Surah al-Qadr 2 Surah al-IkhlaasReference:- On the excellent qualities of the holy month of Rajab Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq byShaykh 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) inthe 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 breaksthe fast during it thenit is not disliked. Regarding the holy months Dhul Qi`da, Dhul-Hijja, Muharram, and Rajab fastingthem isrecommended according to three of the Imams, while the Hanafis differed in that they said what isrecommended inthe Holy months is to fast three days from each of them, which are Thursday, Friday andSaturday.(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 "Nightof wishes" (laylat al-ragha'ib) during which is performed the salat al-ragha'ib, its observance was disapproved byImam Nawawi in hisSharh al-muhadhdhab and Fatawa as based on invalid (batil) evidence, and this is also the



position of al-Ìzz ibn Àbdal-Salam. However, the hafiz Ibn al-Salah disagreed with al-Ìzz and considered praiseworthy theperformance of Salatal-ragha'ib, while Àli al-Qari said in his Asrar al-marfuà regarding this:The hadith: salat al-nahar àjma' (Prayer in the daytime is silent), even if invalid (batil),nevertheless its meaning istrue. The same holds about the hadiths of the prayers they have mentioned concerning honoreddays and exaltednights such as salat al-ragha'ib -- the most famous example being the prayer of mid-Sha`ban --because the hadithsconcerning them (i.e. the prayers) are not forged but merely weak.30Finally, Ibn Àbd al-Razzaq narrates in his Musannaf (4:317) that Ibn Ùmar said:There are five nights in which invocation (duà) is not turned back: the night of Jumà, the firstnight of Rajab,the night of mid-Sha`ban, and the two nights of Èid.

Hadith on the Benefits of Rajab

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

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

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

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated that Abdullah ibn Nameer narrated and ibn Nameer narrated

from his father thatÙthmān ibn Hakeem al-Ansaari narrated, "I asked Saèed ibn Jubayr about the fast of Rajab,what was his opinionon it. He said, 'Ibn Àbbās narrated that the Prophet used to fast until we said he would never break fast, and heused to break fast until we said he will never fast [again.]'"[3]Also narrated by Ùthmān ibn Hakeem from Muhammad ibn Ubayd.

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

Abi Saèed related:Rajab is one of the four forbidden months, [in which fighting is prohibited]. Its days are written onthe Gates of the sixth heaven. When a man fasts one of its days and renews his fast with the fear andconsciousness 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 fastsseven days init, the seven gates of Hell will be closed for him; and whoever fasts ten days from Rajab, a caller will call out from thesky, “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 fastsseven days in it theseven gates of Hell will be closed for him; and whoever fasts ten days from it, Allah will change allof his evil deeds intogood ones; and whoever fasts from it eighteen days a caller will call out: Allah the Exalted hasforgiven you; thereforerenew 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 dayfrom 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 fastseight days from it the eight gates of Paradise are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten daysfrom it will not ask Allahsomething except that Allah will grant it. And whoever fasts from it fifteen days a caller will call outfromheavens “Verily you have been forgiven whatever is past, so renew your good actions, for indeedyour transgressionshave been transformed into virtuous deeds.” And whoever does more, Allah gives to him evenmore. And in RajabAllah carried Nuh in the ark and he fasted and ordered all those with him to do so. And the arksailed with them for sixmonths 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 andordered all those with himfrom Jinn and mankind to do so saying: Fast this day for verily whoever among you fasts it, will bebrought far from theFire the distance of one year's travel; and whoever fasts seven days of it the seven gates of Hellare closed to him;and whoever fasts eight days from it the eight gates of Paradise are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten days fromit will not ask Allah something except that Allah will grant it. And whoever fasts from it fifteen daysa caller will call outfrom heavens “Verily you have been forgiven whatever is past, so renew your good actions,

whatever is past isforgiven.” 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 Nuhsaid 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 dayfrom 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 fastseight days from it the eight gates of Paradise are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten daysfrom it will not ask Allahexcept that Allah will grant it. And whoever fasts from it fifteen days a caller will call out fromheavens “Verily you havebeen forgiven whatever you have done in the past, so renew your good actions.” And whoever does more, Allah givesto him even more. And in Rajab Allah carried Nūh in the ark for six months, the last of thembeing the day of `Āshūra,in which it landed on the mountain of Judee, and Nūh fasted along with all those with him as wellas the animals, inthanks to Allah...[10]

Ibn Àbd al-Razzāq narrates that Ibn Ùmar said:There are five nights in which invocation (duà) is not rejected: the first night of Rajab, the nightof mid-Sha`ban, thenight of Jumà, and the night of [the Èid of] Fitr and the night of [the Èid of] Sacrifice..[11]

Muhammad ibn Hātim informed us that Hibbān said that we were informed by Abdallāh from

Shu`bah from Anas ibnSirreen who said, I heard Abd al-Mālik ibn Abi al-Minhāl convey from his father that the Prophetordered them to fastthe 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 Hepleases." [a referenceto 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 Qaìdah."[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-Daylamiand others from Anas(marfuàn) and Abi Shaykh from Abu Hurayrah and Abu Saèed (marfuàn) with the wording,"Verily the month of Ramadan is the month of my Nation." However Ibn al-Jawzi in his Mawduàt (Forgeries) related itthrough manydifferent ways, as did al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar in Kitab tabayyin al-àjab feemaa warada fee rajab.

[2] Related by Ibn Asakir, al-Bazaar and at-Tabarani in al-Awsat, and by al-Bayhaqi in Shuàb al-Iman from Anas, whograded it weak.[3] Related in Sahih Muslim.[4] Abu Muhammad al-Khalal in Virtues of Rajab, from Ibn Àbbās.[5] Abu Muhammad al-Hassan ibn Muhammad al-Khalal.[6] Abu Naèem 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 thebrightness 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 ProphetMuhammad, peace be uponhim

By Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Kabbani

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-RaheemGlory be to him who made his servant to go on a night from the sacred mosque to the far-distantmosque of which wehave blessed the precincts, so that we may show to him some of our signs; surely he is thehearing, the seeing. [17: 1]

Allah (swt) has revealed this as the first verse of quran’s chapter al-isra, the night journey, whichis also known as thechapter of the children of israel or the chapter of glorification (subhan). In it allah mentions thenight 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 beto 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 Onewho 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 thisevent. Rather, He isglorifying Himself in regards to it, whereby He transported the Prophet (s) almost instantaneouslyfrom Makkato Masjid al-Aqsa followed by the the Prophet’s (s) Ascension, traversing in an incredibly shortspan of time theworldly 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 globeand was thencarried to Allah’s Divine Presence: such a journey is beyond the scope of imagination. ThereforeAllah I glorifies

Himself saying, “Yes it happened! Glory to Me Who can do this! I am beyond these laws andsystems. I am theCreator 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 Mosqueof Makka) whensomeone [the archangel Gabriel (as)] came to me and cut open my chest from throat to belly. Heremoved my heart



and cleaned it with the water of the well of Zamzam before putting it back in its place. Then hebrought me a whitecreature called al-Buraq by whose means I was lifted.” Another narration relates that the twoarchangels “Gabriel andMika’il (as) came to the Prophet (s) when he was laying down in al-Hijr [of the Sacred Mosque inMakka] and carriedhim to the well of Zamzam. They laid him down on his back and Gabriel (as) opened his chestfrom top to bottom,despite which there was no bleeding. He said to Mika’il (as), ‘Get me water from Zamzam,’ whichhe did. Gabriel (as)took the Prophet’s (s) heart and washed it thrice before putting it back. He filled it with faith andwisdom. Then heclosed his chest and they took him out from the door of the masjid to where the Buraq waswaiting.”

Archangel Gabriel could have removed the Prophet’s heart miraculously by means of a smallopening or withoutopening his chest at all. Yet we see in this Tradition of the Prophet (s) a hint of how to performopen 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” - àbdihi. Abu Qasim Sulayman al-Ansari said that when the Prophet (s) reached the highest levels andmost distinguishedstations. Allah revealed to him, “With what shall I honor you?” The Prophet said, “By relating meto You throughservanthood (ùbudiyya).” This is why Allah revealed this verse of the Holy Qur’an honoring theProphet (s) bythe title “His servant” when describing the Night Journey. Allah did not grant such an honor toMoses (as). Rather He

said, “And when Moses came to Our appointed tryst...” [7:143] referring to Moses (as) by hisname. Instead of saying,“Glory be to Him Who made Muhammad to go...”Allah honored the Prophet (s) by referring to himas àbdihi, “Hisservant.” Another subtle inference from Allah’s use of the term “àbdihi”, - His servant (a constructin the absent formor third person) is the meaning that, ‘He called the Prophet (s) to a void where there was nothingexcept His OwnPresence.’ More miraculous than calling the Prophet (s) to His Presence was His bringing theProphet’s (s) body andsoul, which exist in time and place, to where there is no time and place, no ‘where’ and no ‘when’.Allah brought Hissincere servant, our master Muhammad (s), from a physical form of this worldly life to the

completely abstract DivinePresence.

STATIONS OF PROXIMITY TO THE DIVINE

The verse goes on to describe the Prophet’s movement through countless stations. Havingperfected his character through constant worship, ùbudiyya, the Sacred Mosque, or Holy Sanctuary, is here anindication of the Prophet’s r having already been elevated beyond all sin. Allah’s description of the Prophet (s) as “àbd” -



servant - precedes Hismention 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 onemust be ever mindful of Allah’s (swt) Presence.

Masjid al-Haram, represents here a station where those sins which signify the animal life cannever be committed.‘Aqsa’ in Arabic means ‘the Farthest’. Thus Masjid al-Aqsa here is named as the farthest mosquein relation to Masjidal-Haram and symbolizes the spiritual realm. The literal meaning is, ‘He brought His servant fromMasjid al-Haram tothe mosque at the farthest end.’ Symbolically, Allah brought the Prophet away from that which isforbidden things of this earthly life, haram, to the place furthest away from it - al-Aqsa. The furthermost point from theanimalistic lifeis the spiritual dimension.

The contrast between these ‘stations’ is further demonstrated by the famous stone at each of these holy sites. InMasjid al- Haram the Black Stone is governed by physical constraints, held up in an encasement,having fallen fromheaven and been darkened by the sins of humanity. At Masjid al-Aqsa the holy stone markingwhere the Prophet (s)ascended to the heavens is miraculously suspended in the air, disregarding the physical law of gravity, seeking toleave 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, theProphet Muhammad

(s), began from station of ùbudiyya, servanthood, for which he was created. This allowed him tobegin fromthe station of perfected and flawless character (ìsmat), 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 indicatedby the station of thefarthest mosque, al-aqsa.

STAGES OF TASAWWUF

In the Science of Purification of the Self, tasawwuf, these stages are termed Shariah, Tariqat andHaqiqat. The firstcorresponds to the realm of physical discipline, whence the seeker moves on the path, tariqat,

with the vehicle of ùbudiyya, worship, and thence ascends to the station of haqiqat, reality, in which all falsehoodvanishes and theLordship of Allah is made eminently manifest to the servant.

Allah brought Prophet Muhammad (s) to Masjid al-Aqsa in Palestine from which most of theprophets hail. There hefound all of the prophets gathered, and they prayed in congregation behind him (s). From thereAllah raised himto 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 anyone of them, he wasnot 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 DivinePresence. Why did Allahuse the words, ‘laylan - by night’? Why didn’t He say, ‘naharan - by day’? ‘Laylan’ here illustratesthe darkness of thisworld; it becomes illumined only by the bright moon of the Prophet (s) rising to brighten everydarkness.

Subhan alladhee asr’a bi àbdihi laylan. “Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night...” Lookat every wordof this holy verse. First Allah praised Himself in the third person, in absence. Allah thenmiraculously moved theProphet from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa (asra’). Then He referred to the Prophet as “‘abd -

servant”, distinguishing himthrough that elevated title as being related to the spiritual life, not the animal life. The message of ProphetMuhammad (s) completed and perfected both the physical discipline and jurisprudence (sharià)of Moses and thespirituality (rawhaniyya) of ‘Isa (as). The sharià of Moses (as) relates to the worldly life and thespirituality of ‘Isa (as)relates to the heavenly life. By passing from the worldly life, represented by the Night Journey, toheavenly life,represented by the Ascension, the Prophet (s) was carried on these two wings. No prophet wascarried in both thesedimensions 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 theProphet used fivedifferent vehicles. The first was the Buraq, a winged creature which carried him from Makka toMasjid al-Aqsa. Thesecond was the Ascension by which the Prophet (s) reached the sky of this world, as-sama’ ad-dunya.’ There are twoexplanations for Mi`raj: one that the Buraq carried the Prophet (s) up and the second that a ladder descended andraised the Prophet (s) very rapidly. The third vehicle was the wings of angels taking the Prophet(s)p to the seventhheaven. 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 - qabaqawsayn.” [53: 9]“Similarly, the Prophet (s) stopped in ten different stations: seven heavens and the eighth at theFurthermost LoteTree, sidrat al-muntaha. The ninth is where he heard the sound of the angels’ pens writing theactions of humanbeings 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. Themany hadiths detailing the events of the Night Journey were authenticated by numerous huffaz(hadith masters) suchas Ibn Shihab, Thabit al-Banani, and Qatada. Allah supports His prophets with miracles (mu`jizat)to be able totranscend the laws of physics and the constraints of our human realities. If Allah grants a miraclewe should not view itas something improbable, otherwise we will be like scientists who cannot understand anythingbeyond what theyperceive.

Scholars differ as to what night this great journey occurred on. Imam Nawawi said that it tookplace in Rajab. In Nawawi’s ar-Rawda, he states it occurred ten years and three months after the beginning of theProphecy, whileFatawa states it was five or six years after the onset of revelation. Whatever the case, all scholarsconcur that theNight 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 andthe earth that he mighthave certitude.” [6: 75-79]

Allah showed the kingdom of heavens and earth to Prophet Abraham (as), by opening Abraham’sspiritual vision(baseera) to see the wonders of the universe from where he was on earth. Allah showed himwhat is beyond the lawsof the physical universe through the eyes of his heart. Yet immediately after this verse Allah hasshown Abraham (as)

the glories behind the physical universe, “When the night covered over him he saw a star. Hesaid ‘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 moonrising in splendor he said, ‘This is my lord.’ But when the moon set he said, ‘Unless my Lordguides me I shallsurely be among those who go astray.’ When he saw the sun rising in splendor he said, ‘This ismy lord.’” [6: 78]These verses regarding the stars, moon, and sun are directed to the non-believers. Allah showedAbraham (as) theTruth 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’smercy, Abraham (as)attempted to teach his people in a way that would not cause them to reject his message. Wiselyusing a process of elimination, he demonstrated to them that a spiritual dimension exists. He eliminated the star (something small), thenthe moon, then the sun (the biggest heavenly body). Abraham (as) then reaffirms his true belief inAllah and histurning away from worldly distractions saying, “But when the sun set he said, ‘O my people, I am



innocent and freefrom the sin of you ascribing partners to Allah. For me I have set my face firmly and truly towardsthe One Whocreated the heavens and the earth, and I am not one who ascribes partners to Allah.’” [6:79] Themeaning of thisdemonstration: don’t chase the things of this worldly life, but seek the spiritual dimension whichtranscends the laws of the physical universe.

In our time, materialistic scientists and certain narrow-minded Islamic sects try to negatespirituality, the fourthdimension, which Allah showed to Abraham (as). Those rejecting the spiritual dimension of Islamare falling into thesame trap as the people of Abraham. The Prophet (s) said, ‘what I fear most for my community isthe hidden shirk(associating partners to Allah).’ Hidden shirk is for a person to be prideful of himself, most easilymanifest in rejectingthe 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 thiskingdom. However he was able to hear Allah and speak with Allah from Mount Sinai, thus beingknown as Kalimullah(the one who spoke with Allah directly). Although Abraham (as) was granted the ability to see inspiritual dimensions,and Moses (as) was granted to hear Allah directly, both of these great prophets’ bodies remainedon earth, subject toits physical laws. Prophet Abraham’s vision and Prophet Moses’ (as) hearing went beyond thephysical 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 incomplete freedom fromphysical laws. Allah called the Prophet “to show him from Our signs...” [17: 1] Allah showedAbraham the king dom of this universe, but He moved the Prophet (s) in body and spirit beyond the physical laws of thisuniverse 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 toProphet Abraham(as) was the workings of this physical universe and did not reach Paradise, whereas Allah’s signsmanifested toProphet 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 itsaw. Will you thendispute with him about what he saw? And he saw Him again another time at the Lote-tree of theutmost boundary, atthe Garden of Abode. Behold the Lote-tree was shrouded with what shrouds. His sight did notswerve 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 ininterpreting these verses tomean that the Prophet saw his Lord another time, not that he saw Gabriel u another time, assome assert. ImamNawawi relates in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, “Most of the scholars say that the Prophetsaw his Lord with theeyes of his head - ra’a rabbahu bi ‘aynay raasi hi. The Prophet came all the way to the DivineThrone(`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 itwas Gabriel (as), but theProphet (s) had seen Gabriel (as) many times and Gabriel was with him for the duration of theNight Journey andAscension. 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’tsay anythingirrelevant which is why I side with the majority of scholars (including Imam Nawawi) in say ing thatwith his physicaleyes 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 allseven levels of Paradise, then ascended further than any creation before or after, to “two bows-length”. It is stated inhadith 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 theafterlife,then clearly nothing less than that could be “the Greatest Sign” for His Beloved ProphetMuhammad (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 thevision (of all whichwas 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 truemonotheist (muwahhid). No one except Muhammad (s) achieved a perfect grasp of Divine Unity –tawhid - everyoneelse’s under standing of tawhid remains imitated (taqleed).

Prophet Abraham (as) was the father of the prophets and was granted spiritual vision to see theworkings of theuniverse and Prophet Moses (as) was granted to speak with his Lord. But Allah moved ProphetMuhammad with his



physical body in defiance of the physical laws of the universe to the Unseen, a place where thereis nothing and nopossibility of anything - “la khala wa la mala.” Allah took Muhammad there and revealed to himHimself, inthe manner He wished. How this was we do not know. It is unseen and unknown (ghayb). Thus,as Ibn Àbbas (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 seenLat and ‘Uzza (twopagan idols) and the third one Manat (another idol)?” [53: 17-20]

Why does Allah mention these three false deities, Lat, Ùzza and Manat, which the polytheisticidolaters of Makka wor shipped, immediately after mentioning the “Greatest Signs of his Lord” in 53:18? Scholars saythat 53:18 shows thatMuhammad (s) reached perfect grasp of Allah’s Unity, while the verses 53:19-20 by contrastshow these idols as

nothing more than fabrications of their makers. If “Greatest Signs” [53: 18] referred to Gabrielthen it would not followto 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 falselytaken as gods besides God. And in the chapter of the Star (an-Najm), Allah mentioned al- Lat al-Ùzza and Manat,again three false gods, immediately describing Prophet Muhammad’s seeing his Lord, asexplained by most scholars.Both these revelations reject the false concept of idol- worship, and subtly stress the false notionof a trinity, whichpervades 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 arenot able to travel toMasjid al-Aqsa. He (s) said, “If someone is not able to go let them send lamp oil there to give lightin 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 thereward of one having

reached the masjid despite not going there oneself. This is one of many proofs that intercessionin Islam is accepted.

Allah mentioned in the Holy Qur’an “whenever Zakariya entered the sanc-tuary to (see) her, hefound her with food.He said: O Mariam! whence comes this to you? She said: It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives towhom He pleaseswithout measure.” [3: 36] Allah then stresses the importance of this place, “There did Zakariyapray 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 provideblessingsand rewards to those who worship in it or send lamp oil to it, in the case of Masjid al-Aqsa. This isfor a place,consisting of nothing more than four inan-imate walls, what then of asking a pious person for hisinvocation? Such isthe 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 firstmasjid placed onearth. The Prophet (s) replied, “The Sacred Mosque.” Then he asked which was next. TheProphet (s)replied, “Masjid al-Aqsa.” Abu Dharr asked how much time elapsed between the two. TheProphet (s) answered,“Forty years. Prophet Abraham built the Mosque in Makka, Prophet Jacob (Ya`qub) foundedMasjid al-Aqsa then hisson Prophet Solomon (Sulayman) finished it.” Peace be upon them all.The Blessings of Prayers Said in JerusalemThe Dajjal (Anti-Christ) would be prevented from entering four places: the Sacred Mosque in

Makka, the Prophet’sMosque in Madina, Masjid al-Aqsa and Mount Sinai (at-Tur) where Moses used to speak withAllah.Maymuna (r) said she asked the Prophet (s) about Bayt al-Maqdis (the holy mosque of Jerusalem). He (s) said, “It isthe place of the Judgment where everyone will be gathered. Travel to it and pray in it becauseone prayer in it is like1,000 prayers anywhere else.” In another hadith the Prophet said, “One prayer in my mosque islike 10,000 prayerselsewhere. 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`rajAssalamo Alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh Devotional performance should be done withcleanliness, purity of

faith, with exclusive attention i.e. heart and should in the prayers and to understand what we arepraying. It is our dutyto worship Allah and also fast specially on the 27th day. Every devotional act will have spiritualbenefits. This night isthe night of Divine mercy and Allah will grant success and fulfillment of desires to the sinceredevotees and alsoprotect 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 graceof Allah they emptythese trays over the heads of those who pray.

According to the Tradition, whoever performs devout actions during the 27th night and keeps fastduring the 27th dayof Rajab, he will be favoured with great spiritual reward. And if his intention is to gain Divinepleasure then he shall behonoured 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 andattending 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 inSajdah 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 andPeace be on him). Ineach raka'at, after 'Al-ham-du' recite 'Qul-hu-wal-lah' 27 times and in the Tashahud, after ‘At-tah-hi-yaat' reciteDarood-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-KANAS-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 70times 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 thesecond raka'at after 'Al-ham-du' recite Sura Li-I-laa-fi Qu-raish'. This prayer will enable you to the reward of prayingwith 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 ‘SuraQadr' 3 times.In the second raka'at, after 'Al-ham-du'-ham-du' recite 'Qul-hu-wal-lah'-hu-wal-lah' 3 times. In thethird 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 andHellfire . You willreceive a drink from the Rajab river in Paradise.

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

HADITHS ON RAJABIn Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad: Uthman ibn Hakim al-Ansari said: I asked Saìd ibn Jubayr about fasting in Rajab,and we were then passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said: I heard Ibn Àbbas(r)saying: "TheMessenger of Allah (s) used to observe fast so continuously that we thought he would not breakit, and did notobserve it so continuously that we thought he would not observe fast." Imam Nawawi commented

on this in SharhSahih Muslim:

"It would appear that the meaning inferred by Saìd ibn Jubayr from Ibn Àbbas' report is thatfasting in Rajabis neither forbidden nor considered praiseworthy in itself, rather, the ruling concerning it is thesame as the rest of themonths."

Imam Nawawi continues:"Neither prohibition nor praiseworthiness has been established for the month of Rajab in itself,however, the principleconcerning fasting is that it is praiseworthy in itself, and in the Sunan of Abu Dawud the Prophet

(s) has made thefasting 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: "Fastduring the sacredmonths."

In Abu Dawud and Bayhaqi:From Mujiba al-Bahiliyya who reported that her father (or uncle) was told by the Prophet (s) threetimes: "Fast someand leave some in the sacred months."

Bayhaqi and Abu Nuàym relate from Ùmer 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 notto 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 allof 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 itis recommended, asthe clarity of the intention to follow the Sunna and the knowledge that only the fast of Ramadan isobligatory, precludethe reprehensibility of those who used to honor Rajab in rivalry with Ramadan, and Allah knowsbest.Hadiths on Rajab 21. In Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad: Ùthman ibn Hakim al-Ansari said: I asked Saìd ibnJubayr about fasting inRajab, and we were then passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said:I heard Ibn Àbbas saying: "The Messenger of Allah used to observe fast so continuously that wethought he wouldnever break it, and at other times he remained without fasting so continuously that we thought hewould never fast."2

Imam Nawawi commented on this:

It appears that the meaning inferred by Saìd ibn Jubayr from Ibn Àbbas's report is that fasting inRajab is neither forbidden nor considered praiseworthy in itself, rather, the ruling concerning it is the same as therest 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 principleconcerning fasting is that it is praiseworthy in itself, and in the Sunan of Abu Dawud4 the Prophethas madethe 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 Ùmar fasted during the sacred months,6 and on the

other, that he fastedall year as shown by the following hadith.

2. In Muslim, Ibn Majah, and (partly) Ahmad: Àbd Allah, the freed slave of Asma' thedaughter of Abu Bakr, thematernal uncle of the son of Àta', reported:Asma' sent me to Abdullah ibn Ùmar saying: "The news has reached me that you prohibit theuse of three things: thestriped robe, saddle cloth made of red silk, and fasting the whole month of Rajab." Abdullah saidto me: "So far aswhat you say about fasting in the month of Rajab, how about one who observes continuousfasting? And so far aswhat you say about the striped garment, I heard Ùmar 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 thatstripes were part of it. Andso far as the red saddle cloth is concerned, here is Abdullah's saddle cloth [=his] and it is red. Iwent back to Asma'and informed her, so she said: "Here is the cloak (jubba) of Allah's Messenger," and she broughtout to me that cloakmade of Persian cloth with a hem of (silk) brocade, and its sleeves bordered with (silk) brocade,and said: "This wasAllah's Messenger's cloak with À'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 Ùmar's reply concerning fasting in Rajab is a denial on his part of what Asma' had heard withregard to hisforbidding it, and it is an affirmation that he fasted Rajab in its entirety as well as fastingpermanently, i.e. except thedays of Ìd and tashriq.8 This (perpetual fast) is his way and the way of his father Ùmar ibn al-Khattab, À'isha, AbuTalha, and others of the Salaf as well as Shafiì and other scholars: their position is that perpetualfasting is notdisliked (makruh).

Ibn Qudama states something similar in al-Mughni concerning perpetual fasting and adds that thesame viewis related from Ahmad and Malik, and that after the Prophet's death Abu Talha fastedpermanently for forty years,among other Companions.9 Ibn Hajar al-Haytami in al-Khayrat al-hisan similarly relates that AbuHanifa 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 therighteous and their clothes(wa fi hadha al-hadith dalil àla istihbab al-tabarruk bi athar al-salihin wa thiyabihim).11

3. Bayhaqi relates in Shuàb al-iman and Abu Nuàym in al-Targhib:Abu Àbd Allah al-Hafiz and Abu Muhammad ibn Abi Hamid al-Muqri said: from Abu al-Àbbas al-Asamm, from Ibrahimibn Sulayman al-Barlisi, from Abdallah ibn Yusuf, from Àmer 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 theSuccessors (d. 104) such ashe does not say such a saying except if it were related to him by someone who had heard it fromhim to whomrevelation comes (i.e. the Prophet), and success is from Allah.

story of rajab

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