The last week of Rajab

– Al-TaubaIt is related in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from the hadith of Abu Bakrata (AS) that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in his Farewell Pilgrimage speech stated:“Verily, truly time has revolved like the day on which Allah created the heavens and the earth! The year is 12 months, including four [that are] sacrosanct; three consecutive […]

– Al-Tauba
It is related in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim from the hadith of Abu Bakrata (AS) that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in his Farewell Pilgrimage speech stated:“Verily, truly time has revolved like the day on which Allah created the heavens and the earth! The year is 12 months, including four [that are] sacrosanct; three consecutive [months]: Dhul-Qa`da, Dhul-Hijja, and al-Muharram; and Mudhar’s Rajab which is between Jumada and Sha`aban.”
Rajab, the current month in the Islamic calendar, is the seventh month. It was considered so sacred that fighting was prohibited in it during the days of the Prophet (SAW).
It is also authentically reported that the Prophet (SAW) had said that, Rajab is the month of Allah while Sha’aban is his month and Ramadan the month of his (prophet’s) ummah – Muslims as a whole.
Some scholars have said that Rajab has 14 other names: sharh Allah, rajab, rajabmudar, munsil al-asinna, al-asamm, al-asabb, munaffis, mutahhir, mu’alla, muqim, harim, muqashqish, mubarri`, and fard. Others yet said that it has 17 names, which include,rajam, munsil al-`aala, and munzil al-asinna.
One of the imports of this meritorious month is that it is a precursor for the Muslims to a period spanning through subsequent months of highly rewarding acts of ibadah.
These months are, Sha’aban during which the Prophet (SAW) fasted a lot and said, during it (Sha’aban) “an account of the deeds (of human beings) is presented before the Lord of the Universe,” and also that, ‘in this month Allah prescribes the list of the persons dying this year. Therefore, I like that my death comes when I am in a state of fasting”;Ramadan, during which Muslims fast and are more generous in giving charity to the poor; and Dhul-Hijja,the month in which the annual pilgrimage to Makkah (the Hajj) takes place.
It should, however be noted that quite a number of innovations and amazing events have found their way into the acts of worship during these months which are not premised on authenticated ground.
These include the claim by some that the birth of the Prophet (SAW) was on the night of the 1st; that prophethood was assigned to him (SAW) on the 27th or the 25th; and that mi’raj, the Night Journey and Ascension, was on the night of the 27th.
The ascension of the Prophet (SAW) to the heavens is celebrated by some people on 27th of Rajab, though the Prophet (SAW) never observed specific ways of worship which he called  ‘Lailatul-mi’raj’ nor did he call on his ummah to remember the event with any particular worship.
Other controversial acts include the Azumin Tsofaffi (fasting of the aged) – a fast spanning the month of Rajab observed by some people, or the fast assigned to specific days of the month. To mention but a few.
It is reported, however, that whenever the Prophet (SAW) sighted the moon of Rajab, he would pray to Allah (SWT) thus: “Allahumabarik-lanafi Rajabawa-Sha’banawa-bal-lighnaRamadhana.” -“O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Sha’aban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan.”
This is a prayer whose recitation is recommended through the sacred months. No specific mode of worship, though, is recommended or imposed by the Shari’ah on Muslims to be observed this month. Though rituals have been invented in the month, Muslims should strive to separate the wheat from the chaff by adopting and executing practices that are supported by reliable resources of the Shari’ah and unauthentic traditions.
We should not allow the last week of this meritorious month, Rajab, slip away without reaping its benefits. This we could do by scrutinising our acts of Ibadah and consulting those with the right knowledge to guide us away from the decadence that is being feed the world today; the misconceived mode of the religion that is propagated and used in an attempt to undermine the religion of Allah and subject Muslims to all manner of mischief and ill-treatment.
We continue to seek Allah’s guidance.