THE VIRTUES OF RAJAB AND THE ATTACHED INNOVATIONS

Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds Who says: O Children of Aadam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover yourselves and as an adornment, and the raiment of righteousness, that is better. Such are among the signs of Allaah that they may remember (Q7:26). We praise and thank Him abundantly. May Allaah shower is blessing on Muhammmad (SAW) who said: “The end time of my ummah shall witness some women who are clothed but naked, on their heads will be the like of the humps of the camels. Curse them, they are cursed.” (Tabaraaniy), in another narration: “… They will not enter Paradise nor even smell its fragrance, and its fragrance can be smelled from such and such a distance.” Peace be upon him, his household, companions and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment. O servants of Allaah! I admonish you and myself to fear Allaah the exalted both in secret and public since it is (the means to) success, victory and salvation. Allaah says: "وَمَنْ يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَلْ لَهُ مَخْرَجًا وَيَرْزُقْهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا يَحْتَسِبُ وَمَنْ يَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ فَهُوَ حَسْبُهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ بَالِغُ أَمْرِهِ قَدْ جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدْرًا "{الطَّلاق : 2-3} And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out ( 3 ) And will provide for him from where he does not expect. And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. (65:2-3) ” The month of Rajab is full of virtues, it is one of the four sacred months; dhul-qa’dah, dhul-hijjah, muharram and rajab. The Arab, before Islam, held the sacred months in high esteem, such that a man would meet the killer of his father but will not attempt to kill. The Arabs inherited sanctification of the holy month from Prophet Ibrahim and Isma’eel (AS) preoccupying themselves with tilling the land by trading, farming, and others neglecting killing in obedience to Allah’s commandment. Allah says: {إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَاْلأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَقَاتِلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ كَافَّةً كَمَا يُقَاتِلُونَكُمْ كَافَّةً وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الْمُتَّقِينَ (التوبة : 36). “Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allah is with the righteous [who fear Him].” (9:36) Abu Bakrah narrated the Prophet gave sermon at the hajj saying: “Verily time has made a cycle as it was when Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year is made of twelve months, four of it are sacred; three are in succession- Dhul-qa’dah, Dhul-hijjah, Muharram and Rajab (revered by the) tribe of Mudhaar. (Ahmad). Rajab also revive the memory of the Israa and Mi’raaj (heavenly night journey) which happened in the 27th night of Rajab. A blessed and miraculous journey which binds the holy masjid in makkah and the Al-aqsa masjid and between muslims and the holy site of qudus … Allah says: { سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى الَّذِي بَارَكْنَا حَوْلَهُ لِنُرِيَهُ مِنْ آيَاتِنَا إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ}(الإسراء : 1) “Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed, to show him of Our signs. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Seeing.” (17:1) The Prophet (pbuh) led other Prophets to demonstrate that the religion of the Prophets is one- Islam. Allah says: {إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اْلإِسْلاَمُ} (آل عمران : 19) “Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” (3:19) {وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ} (آل عمران : 85) “And whoever desires other than Islam as religion - never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.” (3:85) We shall mention some details on Al-Israa and Mi’raaj, judgement and the benefits: The five daily solat was made obligatory in the month as fifty units and later reduced to five but with a reward of fifty. It is the first thing to be accounted for on the day of resurrection. “The first thing a servant will be judged about on the day of resurrection is the solat, if it is good, all his deeds will be good and if it is deficient, all his actions will be deficient” (Abu Dawud & Tabaraani) Narrated Abu hurairah, the Prophet says: “The first thing a servant will be judged about is the solat, if it is complete, otherwise, Allah says: check does my servant have voluntary acts of worship? If he has voluntary acts of worship is found, it is used to complete his obligatory deeds” (hadith qudsi) Solat is the way to success in life and hereafter provided it’s complete in the humility and devotion which lits the heart and teaches the etiquettes of true servitude to Allah. (( قَدْ أَفْلَحَ الََمُؤْمِنُونَ, الََّذِينَ هُمْ فِى صَلاَتِهِمْ خَاشِعُونِ} Certainly will the believers have succeeded (23:1) {إنَّ اْلإنْسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعًا إذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرٌّ جَزُوعًا وَإذَا مَسَّهُ الْْخَيْرُ مَنُوعًا إِلاَّ الْمُصَلِّينَ الَّذِينَ هُمْ عَلَى صَلاَتِهِمْ دَائِمُونَ} (المعارج ١۹_۲۳) Indeed, mankind was created anxious: ( 20 ) When evil touches him, impatient, ( 21 ) And when good touches him, withholding [of it], ( 22 ) Except the observers of prayer ( 23 ) Those who are constant in their prayer (70: 19-23) Despite this level of virtue, there is no authentic hadith that selects the month of Rajab for any special devotion. Unfortunately, some Muslims- though with good intention for devotion to worship- have fallen into some contravening practices out of unguided passion for devotion and obedience. The mere intention is not sufficient except when it is accompanied with legitimate actions otherwise such actions remain unacceptable before Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) says: "Whosoever introduces into this affair of ours (i.e. into Islam) something that does not belong to it, it is to be rejected." (Agreed upon) According to the version in Muslim, (it reads): "Whosoever works a work which has for it no command of ours is to be rejected." - Among the innovations invented in the month is the act slaughtering of animals referred to as Al-‘Atirah. Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: (The sacrifice of Fara' and 'Atira) has no (sanction in Islam). Fara' means the first-born young one of a camel and ‘Atirah means the animals slaughtered in the month. Among the innovations include Solatu-r-Ragaib which is not permitted by Allah or the messenger. Scholars said: “There is no authentic solat specific for the month of Rajab, and all the hadith reported on virtues of solatu-r-raqaib are falsehood and null none of it is authentic.” It was invented 400 years after hijrah, it was not known before then and none of the scholars of the glorious era of Islam was aware of it. Among the innovated practices is fasting of the entire month. There is no authentic hadith or evidence on fasting the entire month, however it is permissible to observe Monday and Thursday, thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month. The Prophet have not been reported to observe an entire month for fasting other than Ramadan. 'A'isha, the Mother of the Believers (Allah be pleased with her), reported that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) used to observe fasts (so conti- nuously) that we said that he would not break, and did not observe (them) till we said that he would not fast: and I did not see the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) completing the fast of a month, but that of Ramadan, and I did not see him fasting more in any other month than that of Sha'ban. - Among the innovation is to select the month of Rajab for Umrah which is called Ar-Rajabiyyah. There is also no authentic hadith on such preference, infact the Prophet (pbuh) had Umrah four times in his life and never observed any of them in Rajab. However there are evidences virtues of Umrah in Ramadan, such as the statement of the Prophet that: “Umrah in Ramadan is equal to hajj (in other months)” and in another narration “It is equal to performing hajj with me” Ibn hajar said: “There is no authentic narration worthy as evidence specifically on fasting in Rajab, or on standing in its night for prayer.” Ibn Taymiyah on his part said: “Solatu-r-Ragaib done on the first night in Rajab as 20 rakats with recitation of Chapter of The Opening and Suratul-Ikhlas is bid’ah- innovation by consensus of Islamic scholars. Also keeping wake in the middle of Sha’baan which consists of prayers where in a rakat 1000 of suratul-ikhlas is recited.” A Muslim seeking righteousness and bountiful rewards should refer to the book of Allah and the sunnah of the messenger (pbuh). The Prophet says: “I have left for you, that which when held firmly, you will not go astray forever- the book of Allah and my sunnah” (Muslim) Allah says: {وَمَا ءاتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُواْ} (الحشر:7). SECOND KHUTBAH All praises are due to Allah. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the chosen Prophet (pbuh), his household and his companions and those who follow them in goodness. Dear Muslims, be informed that Islam is not just appellation or affiliation without practice of its laws and obligation, and desisting from deficient tendencies. Islam is not confined to the solat and zakat and the hajj alone but rather it include all those including morals such as truthfulness, trustworthiness, fulfillment of pledges, patience, forbearance, humility, dignity, honour, and kindness. As well as knowledge, civilization, educationa and training, skill, empowerment, society, nation, political structure, economic, income, peace and harmony. Islam honours the employer who discharges his duties accordingly, and the rights of his worker with sincerity, and regarding it as a reason for prayer’s acceptability and safety from difficulties and tribulations, as reported in the hadith of the three persons who sought refuge in a cave and got trapped in the cave. Therefore, in the memory of the world worker’s day, we hereby call on the government at all levels to fear Allah and discharge their responsibilities justly towards their workers and pay them their rightful wages without overburdening them beyond their capability. Oh Allah send peace; flowing with continuous tranquility and security upon Nigeria and all other Muslim nations.