Rajab

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What is Rajab?

Rajab is the seventh month of the Hijri calendar and one of the four sacred months named in the Qur'an, alongside Dhul-Qi'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram. Falling two months before Ramadan, it has long been regarded by Muslims as a time to begin spiritual preparation for the fasting month ahead.

The name "Rajab" comes from the Arabic root r-j-b, meaning "to respect" or "to venerate," reflecting the deep esteem in which pre-Islamic and early Muslim Arabs held this month. Even before Islam, warfare was traditionally suspended during Rajab out of reverence for its sanctity.

The most widely cited historical event associated with Rajab is Al-Isra wal Mi'raj, the miraculous Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Makkah to Jerusalem and his subsequent ascension through the heavens, during which the five daily prayers were made obligatory. Many scholars place this event on the 27th of Rajab, though the exact date is not established with certainty in the earliest sources.

Religiously, Rajab's status as a sacred month means that fighting and wrongdoing are especially discouraged during it, just as in Muharram, Dhul-Qi'dah, and Dhul-Hijjah. Some early Muslims also used Rajab as a time of increased voluntary worship, though scholars caution against inventing rituals or a specific communal fast that lacks a clear textual basis.

A recommended practice in Rajab is to begin mentally and spiritually preparing for Ramadan, increasing voluntary prayer, remembrance of Allah, and repentance. Many Muslims also recite the well-known supplication asking Allah to bless them in Rajab and Sha'ban and to allow them to reach Ramadan.

Significance of Rajab

• Seventh month of the Hijri calendar: Rajab falls two months before Ramadan in the Islamic lunar year.
• One of the four sacred months: Rajab is named directly in the Qur'an as a month of special sanctity, alongside Dhul-Qi'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram.
• Home of Isra and Mi'raj: Many scholars associate the Prophet's ﷺ Night Journey and Ascension with the 27th of Rajab.
• A season of preparation: Rajab marks the beginning of spiritual preparation for the upcoming month of Ramadan.

References in Qur'an & Hadith

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The year is twelve months, four of which are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar, which is between Jumada and Sha'ban." — Sahih al-Bukhari 4406

"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." — Surah Al-Isra 17:1