Rajab: the fourth Islamic sacred month

We are in the middle of the month of Rajab; the 7^th and one of the four sacred months in the Islamic calendar. Where Islam is a divine guidance from the Creator of the heavens and the earth, who has defined the physical seasons on earth, the sacred months provide spiritual seasons and opportunities for the spiritual guidance for Muslims.

To start with, let us see what the Quran says about the way the months are designated for mankind. In surah 9 V36, Allah says: ‘surely the reckoning of months, in the Sight of Allah, is twelve months, laid down in Allah’s decree on the day when He created the heavens and the earth, and out of these months four are sacred. That is the true ordainment. Do not, therefore, wrong yourselves, with respect to these months.’

To explain these four months, the Prophet Mohammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘the year is twelve months. Out of these four are sacred. Three of them are in sequence: Dhul Q`adah (11^th month), Dhul Hijah (12^th month) and Al-Muharram (1^st month) and the fourth is Rajab which is between Jumada and Sha’ban.’

A third of the whole year is, therefore, designated as sacred and people are required not to wrong themselves during this period.

The Quranic guidance, ‘do not, therefore, wrong yourselves with respect to these months’, places a huge sense of responsibility on Muslims. Allah has laid down His guidance, for both faith and deeds, that people must obey if they are to succeed in this world and the next. A person, who wishes to be a Muslim, must live with a complete sense of its requirements at all times. There can be no partial submission to Allah or living a life on the knife edge between obedience and disobedience.

So what does it mean when it says: ‘do not, therefore wrong yourselves, with respect to these months’?

Ramadan is one of the most spiritual months in the Islamic calendar but it is not one of the sacred months that are mentioned in this verse. However, if we do include Ramadan,  one of the five pillars of Islam and the most spiritual month and additionally the month of Shawal, the tenth month, the first of the months of Hajj, inevitably we must conclude that half of the year is spiritually connected and especially designed for enhanced spiritual activities.

The creation of this cycle of months and time in Islam, where people are tied up with spiritual commitments, enhances their wellbeing and their attachment to the Creator, Allah, the most High. In this respect the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘surely Allah has created pleasant breezes in the days of the year so ensure your exposure to them. Perhaps one of you gets exposed to one of the breezes and he may never get wretched after that’.

These spiritual opportunities in the form of sacred months, spiritual months, blessed times of the day, month and the year are those breezes that blow from time to time and are available for those who want to take the opportunities in their life to get closer to Allah.

Following religious guidance is made easy for people. With a full time commitment to Allah a person rarely commits wrong, except by mistake. Such a person, when an opportunity arises, is always able to extend his commitment and produce that little extra that is required of those who are spiritually committed to Allah’s command and guidance.

However, when people become spiritually disconnected from their religion, practising it neither in their personal or public lives, what they need, in the times of ‘pleasant breezes’, is a strong sense of realisation as to their total commitment to Allah and to His guidance and start being a complete Muslim. Such a realisation and commitment will provide them with wonderful opportunities for reflection and accountability for their deeds to Allah and, hopefully, to 'get it right' throughout the rest of their lives.

The sacredness in which these months are held in the Quran is extremely important. Islam is indeed a religion of complete peace and surrender. It forbids any war and blood shedding in these months. Hostilities must cease and people must have a very real reason to go back to fighting. If they truly uphold their spiritual commitments they would have less opportunity to fight or continue with hostility and violence.

It is nearly impossible to comprehend how the recipients of this beautiful and wonderful religious guidance have become involved in futile wars, wars of destruction and ruin. Yet Muslim youth continues to be sucked into this ever increasing cycle of violence and revenge.

Our commitment to Allah is unwavering and absolute. Muslims are the people of tawheed who worship only the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all else.  Allah is Peace and He wants a peaceful engagement where rights are not violated and commitments are fulfilled, but Muslim society is being torn apart.  Its very fabric is being destroyed without any consideration to the end result as to how, or indeed, who will be held accountable for these acts.

Allah says in the S16 and verse 128: ‘Surely Allah is with those who have His fear or conscience and those who do good’. Ehsan is emphasised in the Quran as the best way to succeed in the Sight of Allah. Allah accepts from His servants what is sincerely done for Him and in the way it has to be done in accordance to His rules and guidance.

The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, says: ‘O servants of Allah! Become brethren. A Muslim is brother to another Muslim. He does not wrong him nor does he disgrace him or look down on him. It is enough evil for a man to look down on his Muslim brother. All Muslims are sacred to other Muslims in their blood, wealth and honour’.

This month should be a time for reflection for us all and to ponder where our politics are going wrong and where they are taking us.

I would also like to mention that this month has its own 'innovations' that have been created by some Muslims. Innovations in the name of religion do not achieve anything if they are not in accordance with the teachings and the spirit of the Quran and the Sunnah of the prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him. Existing religious guidance in Islam is sufficient for a person to get closer to Allah and achieve their rewards. 

The month is blessed and sacred and a fore-warner of the month of Ramadan. May Allah make it easier for all of us to practise Islam in the manner that is required of us, and help us to achieve the results that we all so desire in the Sight of Allah.