Sanctity of Rajab

THE Holy Qur’an, Al-Isra’, 17:1 says, “Glory to (God) Who did take His servant for a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque, whose precincts We did bless in order that We might show him some of Our Signs for He is the One Who heareth and seeth (all things)”.

Sanctity, holiness, sacredness, piety. These are words that express the special nature of a person, place or thing. They identify the humility, respect and total submission of man to God. They indicate the seclusion of a particular place for the worship of God. They signify some places as areas where people can seek protection and safety from harm. Sanctity, indeed.

Just as there are pious persons among various people, there are holy places of worship in the vast land on earth. Just as there are special periods of worship, there are special periods and dates for certain prayers. Just as there are sacred nights among nights, there are anointed weeks among weeks. Just as there are holy months among months, there are special years among the various decades. Just as there are glorious decades among the centuries, we have majestic centuries among various centuries. Truly, there are periods that are greater than others. Such is the work of God.

Even certain things are peculiar to holy men, sacred places and things. In their outlook and setting, they must be solemn and tenderly. In moral sense and corporate image, they must be respected and obeyed in the spiritual realm. The serenity of the sacredness must be tidy and conducive enough for uplifting human spirit unto God. In manners, they must be good; they must be seen to be holy and must be proved to be sacred.

Really, the sacred places are divinely blessed. For historical reasons, they command the blessing of worship; they retain the sanctuary of divine acceptance of prayers. As mysterious symbol of the wonders of God, for man to reflect, they serve as reference points for preaching and preservation.

What of the sacred dates, nights, days, weeks, months, years and centuries? They are valuable periods for spiritual uplift, periods to glorify Allah (SWT) and to seek continued blessing for Prophet Muhammad (PBOH), periods to seek Allah’s forgiveness and periods to seek the bountiful blessings of Allah on earth and Hereafter. Though these are done daily by the practising Muslims, the special nature on these particular periods makes them unique for the sure divine acceptance of prayers.

It therefore becomes ungodly to ascribe dirty things to the sacred places and to treat them with disregard. And it is a great loss for men of faith to feel indifferent to the sacred days and months rather than seizing the opportunity to drink from the merciful ocean of God’s spiritually.

One of such sacred months when the wonderful, unexplainable and unquestionable mercies of God shower on mankind is the lunar month of Rajab. Others are Muharram, Dhul-Qa’dah and Dhul-Hijjah. But the sanctity of Rajab manifests in many respects. A Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) says, “The Prophet (SAW) said, ‘Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha‘ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah’” [Suyuti].

The sacredness of these months, when wars and hostilities are forbidden, makes it possible for Muslim pilgrims to travel safely to Makkah for Hajj in the 11th lunar month of Dhul-Qa’dah. The 12th lunar month of Hajj makes it possible for Hajj performance. And Muharram, the first lunar month, makes it possible for the pilgrims to travel back home safely after Hajj.

Indeed, Rajab, the seventh month of the lunar year, stands apart from the other sacred months. It is thus called ‘Rajab al-Fard’ or ‘Rajab the Separate One’. Allah made it sacred in order to preserve people’s safety during Umrah, the minor pilgrimage.

Unfortunately, many of the Arabs in pre-Islamic times didn’t respect the sanctity of Rajab, and they often switched it to elsewhere in the year so they could fight in the seventh month. They would pretend that Rajab was in a different month to suit their own political agendas.

The exception was the tribe of Mudar who consistently observed the order of the lunar months and the sanctity of Rajab. Thus, when the Prophet (SAW) was confirming the sacred months for us, he named it ‘Rajab of Mudar’, so the Companions knew he (SAW) meant the seventh month of the lunar year. May Almighty Allah give us the full benefits of the month of Rajab. Ameen.

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