Fasting in the month of Rajab
Mu' meneen Brothers
and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa
Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be
upon all of you)
One of our
brothers/sisters has asked this question:
Assalaamualaikum
Wa Rahamathulaahi Wa Barakathuhu
Dear Brother
In previous mail I
have mailed that i will scan the proper details of Rajab fasting which has come
in Magazine "DIVINE PATH" but i am not able to send you please i am
sorry. Because i to scan i have to give for others "i mean hindus"
that is why i am scared if possible please give me your address so that i will send to you Xerox
copy of that. Dear brother i am really very thankful for helping us in
Islaam.
brother please let
me know whether we can fast in the month of Rajab and Shaban, and is there any
prayers nights in this month i mean "Shabe Maharaaj & Shabe
Baraath" Brother please do mail me regularly about Islaam.
Thanks a lot to
you, and give my Salaam to all our Muslim brothers and sisters.
(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:
A lot of bohris fast during
the month of Rajab, because it seems the Syedna did it, but in the Quran, there
is no such thing. Are they commiting an offence by going against the tenets of
Islam or is it alright if they fast even when not required by the Quran.
(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)
Answer:
Fasting in the month of Rajab
In the name of Allah, We praise
Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can
misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We
bear witness that there is no one (no idol,
no person, no grave, no
prophet, no imam, no dai,
nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
The only fasts that are
obligatory on the believers, are the fasts of the Holy Month of Ramadan. The believers, if they wish to do so, may
voluntarily fast at other times of the year to earn extra reward from the
Merciful Lord of the Worlds.
The Messenger of Allah (saws)
used to observe voluntary fasts on the 13th, 14th, and 15th
of every month, on Mondays and Thursdays of every week, on the 10th
of Muharram, and increase his fasts in
the month of Sha’baan. No man who
ever walked on this planet earth worshipped Allah Subhanah more than the person
of the noble Messenger of Allah, Mohamed ar-Rasool Allah (saws); and there is
absolutely no evidence that the Messenger of Allah (saws) ever in his lifetime
fasted the whole month of Rajab, or for that matter any whole month, other than
the month of Ramadan. The Messenger of
Allah (saws) never did celebrate any particular night in the month of Rajab,
nor did he specify any night to be celebrated as Shabe-Baraat or
Shabe-Mairaaj!
Usamah ibn Zaid
inquired: "O Messenger of Allah (saws), I never find you fasting in any
month like you do during the month of Sha'ban." The Prophet (saws) responded: "That is a month the people
neglect. It comes between Rajab and
Ramadan. It is a month in which the
deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds.
I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting."
Related by Abu
Dawud, An-Nasa'i, and by Ibn Khuzaimah.
Aishah said:
"I never saw the Messenger of Allah (saws) fast a complete month save
for Sha'ban."
Related by Bukhari
and Muslim
The Dawoodi Bohra sect has recently
(maximum about 20-30 years ago) started this ritual in their community to fast
the whole month of Rajab. Their
spiritual leader claims that whoever amongst his followers fasts seven
consecutive years of Rajab, Hell Fire will become forbidden for him, and his
reward will be Paradise! He also
claims that any person who fasts the whole month of Rajab for one year will be
saved from the fire of Hell for one year,
and he who fasts for two years will be saved for two years, and so on!
To the one who fasts the whole month of Rajab for seven consecutive
years, the gates of Hell would close
for him forever! He further claims
that the one who fasts Rajab for eight consecutive years, the eight gates of Paradise would be opened
for him, and for the person who fasts
10 consecutive years of Rajab, all his
past sins will be forgiven completely!
None of the above claims of the
Dawoodi Bohra spiritual leader are substantiated from the Quran or Sunnah of
the Messenger of Allah (saws); and if something in Islam is not substantiated
from the Quran and Sunnah, then it can be nothing but innovation!
Sunan of Abu-Dawood
Hadith 4515 Narrated by Ali ibn AbuTalib
That the Prophet of
Allah (saws) said: “If anyone introduces an innovation (in religion), he will be responsible for it. If anyone introduces an innovation or gives
shelter to a man who introduces an innovation (in religion), he is cursed by
Allah, by His angels, and by all the people.”
Sahih Muslim Hadith
1885 Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah
That the Prophet of
Allah (saws) said in a sermon: “The
best speech is that which is embodied in the Book of Allah, the Al Quran; and the best guidance is the guidance given
by me, Mohamed (saws). The most evil
affairs are the innovations, and every
innovation is an error.”
One may fast any number of
voluntary fasts whenever he wants, but
to specify a particular day or a month,
and make a ritual out of it, and
claim that the fasting of these particular days has specific benefits without
any proof or evidence from the Quran or Sunnah is nothing but an innovation in
the deen brought by Prophet Mohamed (saws);
and as it with all innovations in the deen, the believers, who
sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day,
must reject it.
Whatever written of Truth and
benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error
is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He
is the Only Source of Strength.
Your Brother in
Islam,
Burhan