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16. OH, RAJAB

Today is 8th of May 2015 according to Gregorian calendar corresponding to 19th of Rajab 1436 H, which is the seventh month on the Islamic calendar. Gregorian calendar is based on solar calendar, whereas Islamic calendar is based on lunar calendar. It is unlike Hebrew, Buddhist, Tibetan, traditional Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Korean, ancient Hellenic and Babylonian calendars which are lunisolar, which indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. It is a combination of the solar and lunar calendars. Lunar calendar is also used by the Christians to calculate the Easter every year, and by some Satanists and Pagans.

The length of the lunar month is 29.530589 days. For our convenience the 12 months are alternately 29 days, called hollow month, and 30 days called full month. One year in lunar calendar makes 354 days, whereas in solar calendar it is 365 days, with 11 days difference. By using lunar calendar the beginning of fasting in Ramadan this year is about 11 days earlier than last year. Therefore, wherever you live, either in Northern hemisphere like Europe and North America, in Southern hemisphere like South America, Australia, and New Zealand, you will fast in the four seasons, too long in Summer, but too short in Winter.

The first month in Islamic calendar is called Muḥarram in 30 days. The name Muḥarram (م means “inviolable, forbidden” and (محرwas so called because killing and all kind of fighting is forbidden (haram) during this month. Muharram includes the Day of ‘Āshūrā which has been dealt with extensively in Khuṭab 3 no. 39 p. 210. It is one of the four months where they are called “forbidden months.” Allah says in the Qur’an,

ةإن ماواتخلقيومللاكتابفيشهراعشراثناللاعندالشهورعد السينذلكحرم أربعة منهاوالرض وقاتلواأنفسكمفيهنتظلموافلالقيمالد

أنواعلمواكافةيقاتلونكمكماكافةالمشركين قينمعللا (63التوبة:)المت

Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the havens and the earth; of them four are Sacred

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(i.e., the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves

therein, and fight against the Mushrikin (polutheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) collectively as

they fight against hou collectively. But know that Allah is with those who are Muttaqin (the pious). (Q. 9:36)

The four sacred months are:

- Muharram, the first month as mentioned earlier. It was the time to return home safely after performing their pilgrimage in the previous month, Dhul-Ḥijjah.

- Rajab (30 ,رجب days) the seventh month. The word “rajab” means “respect, honor.” The term رجوبا و رجبا means “to be رجبashamed, to be shy.” It was called Rajab, because ب يرج " كان it was respected.” The expression جلرجباوترجيبا هابه means أرجبالرمه The man respects and glorifies him/it (something).” It is“ ,وعظsaid that this month was also called Rajab Muḍar because the people of the Muḍar tribe were very respectful and honourable. It is in this month which is the midst of the year where people who came from distant places in the Arabian Peninsula to come to visit the Ka‘bah to perform ‘umrah and return home peacefully.

- Dhū al-Qa‘dah ( القعدةذو , 30 days), the eleventh month. The word literally means “time for sitting down;” it was the time where the Arabs avoid raiding, looking for supply and searching for pasture. It was the month of relaxation.

- Dhū al-Ḥijjah ( الحجةذو , 29 days), the twelfth month, the month of pilgrimage. Ḥajj (pilgrimage) had been practiced by the pagan Arabs in pre-Islamic Arabia. Upon their return from their travel, they did not go directly home and changed their clothes which they were supposed to; instead, they took them off, and went to make ṭawāf around the Ka‘bah naked at night. The sky is almost clear at night all the time there because of lack of rain, and therefore, it is not too dark even at midnight. At the early period of Islam the Muslims were allowed to perform the ḥajj with them but in Islamic way.

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Al-QurṭubĪ mentions three interpretations of the verse تظلموافل

أنفسكمفيهن “so wrong not yourselves therein,” as follows:

(1) It means “do not wrong yourselves therein by disobeying Allah in these twelve months, then Allah specialized the four months as sacred month, where good deeds would get more rewards, and bad deeds would get more sins.” (Ibn ‘Abbās’s interpretation);

(2) It means “do not wrong yourselves there in by disobeying Allah in these twelve months by making ḥalāl (permitted) what is ḥarām (prohibited) and vice-versa” (Ibn Isḥāq’s interpretation);

(3) It means “do not wrong yourselves in these four unviolated months as wrong-doing in them is a grave sin more than that committed in other months. Although wrong-doing is big enough, but Allah exalts what He likes: He selected among His creation, He selected messengers among angels, He selected messengers among men, He selected among sayings the dhikr (the mentioning of His Names), He selected in the land the mosques, He selected among the months the month of Ramaḍān and the four inviolable months, He selected among the days the Friday, and He selected among the nights “the Night of Power” (Laylat al-Qadr). Therefore, respect what Allah favours, as people of understanding and reasoning only who respect what Allah favours.” (Qatadah’s interpretation).

Al-Qurṭubī said that the more likely correct among these interpretation is the one who said that “do not wrong yourselves in the four month by making ḥalāl (permitted) what is ḥarām in these inviolable months, as Allah favoured them and their sacredness. He said that, based on Arabic grammar, the word فيهن (“in them”) in the verse is used to indicate the number between 3 and 10, and therefore, it means the four months. If it means the 12 months, the verse would say فيهاتظلموافل rather than فيهنتظلموافل .1

1 In Arabic language plural is used after a number between 3 and ten, and after that singular is used. For example, for 4 month we use shuhūr )شهور( or ashhur But if we say, for example, 12 month we use .)شهر( the plural of shahr )أشهر(the word shahr (شهر) which is singular. As the above verse uses فيهن ("in them")

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We are still in the month of Rajab, one of the four sacred months where we are not supposed to fight except in self-defence, but in this sacred month we are fighting our own Muslim brothers, destroying our own cities, increasing the number of Muslim widows and orphans and refugees, as if we cannot tolerate our differences. Apparently, the pagan Arabs in the Jāhiliyyah (Era of Ignorance) observed and honoured more the sanctity of these inviolable months than we do.

There is no special thing to do in this month except to honour its sacredness. A man came to the Prophet they went away. After

one year he visited him again, but his condition had changed, so that the Prophet s.a.w. did not recognize him. He had kept fasting, and the Prophet s.a.w. advised him not to torture himself, but to fast in the month of Ramadan (the month of patience), and one day every month. The man asked to give him more, and the Prophet told him

to fast two days every month. The man asked more, and the Prophet told him to fast three days every month. The man asked more, and

the Prophet told him to fast and break in the sacred months (he said it three times bringing his three fingers together then released

them). (Reported by Aḥmad, Abū Dā’ūd, Ibn Mājah, and al-Bayhaqī).

There are many incidents claimed to have occurred in Rajab, among which are as follows:

- The injunction of the five-daily prayers to the Muslims. It was during the Prophet’s ascension to heaven one and a half year

before his migration to Madinah.

it refers to shuhūr (شهور), namely 4 months. Had it referred to the 12 months, it would have said فيها (“in it”) in singular. Therefore, if we say in English “four months”, there will be no problem; but if we say “12 months”, then we have to say “12 month” which is wrong in English, but right in Arabic. Grammatical complication has its own advantage: clearer meaning. The term a‘raba أعرب() which means “to Arabicize” it also means “to state clearly, to express unmistakably.” The ancient Arabs were well-known for their honesty, straightforwardness, bravery, and integrity.

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- According to the historian Ibn al-Jawzī the Prophet’s night journey to Jerusalem and his ascension to heaven took place on 27 of Rajab. According to Abū Isḥāq it was in the night of the 27th of Rabī‘ al-Awwal. Others said it was in Ramaḍān, Shawwāl, and Rabī‘ al-Ākhir.

- The turn of the qiblah (direction to which Muslims pray) from Bayt al-Maqdis in Jerusalem to the Ka‘bah in Makkah took place in Rajab 2 AH after they had prayed toward it in sixteen or seventeen months. When the Prophet emigrated to Madinah Allah ordered him and his followers to pray in the direction of Bayt al-Maqdis, in Jerusalem. This delighted the Jewish of Madinah. Although the Prophet and his followers did, but he preferred praying in the direction of the Qiblah in Makkah, and kept praying that Allah would accept his prayer. After about 16 or 17 months, revelation came as follows:

ماءفيوجهكتقلبنرىقد وجهكفولترضاهاقبلةفلنولينكالس

الكتابأوتواالذينوإنشطرهوجوهكمفولواكنتمماوحيثالحرامالمسجدشطر

هليعلمون هممنالحقأن ومارب ابغافل للا (111البقرة:)ملونيععم

Verily, We have seen the turning of your (Muhammad’s) face towards the heaven. Surely,

We shall turn your face to a Qiblah (prayer direction) that shal please you, so turn your face in the direction of al-Masjid al-Haram (at Makkah). And wheresoever

you people are, turn your faces (in prayer) in that direction. Certainly, the people who were given the Scripture (i.e.,

Jews and Christians) know that, that (your turning towards the direction of the Ka‘bahat Makkah

in prayers) is the truth from their Lord. And Allah is not unaware of what they do. (Q. 2:144)

Ibn ‘Abbās said that this was the first abrogation part of the Qur’an, namely, the qiblah.

- The Tabuk Expedition took place in Rajab, 9 AH. The Prophet’s army consisted of 30,000 fighters and 10,000 horsemen

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- The conquest of Damascus in 14/635 under the command of Abū ‘Ubaydah and Khālid ibn al-Walīd under peace agreement with its inhabitants to treat with justice their churches, their houses and their leaders, and to allow their festivals.

- The Battle of Yarmuk which took place on Monday 5th of Rajab 15/636. It took six days from 15th to 20th of August, 636 A.D. with an army of about 25,000 under the command of Khālid ibn al-Walīd (d. 642) whose epithet was Sayf Allāh (“the Sword of Allah”). He was facing the East Roman army of about 50,000 under the command of Vahan the Armenian. This battle was for the survival of Islam, and the defeat would mean the end of it. On the sixth day the Muslim army gained overwhelming victory. Four years later, by the year 640 A.D. the Muslim army had conquered the Middle East.

The liberation of Jerusalem on 27 Rajab 587/1187 under Sultan Saladin (Ṣalāḥuddīn al-Ayyūbī) after it had been occupied by the Crusaders about 88 years, prayed at the al-Aqṣā Mosque, and gave freedom and security to its inhabitants.

:المراجع

الشاملةالمكتبة

(هـ610.ت)الطبريتفسير

(هـ371.ت)القرطبىتفسير

(هـ771.ت)كثيرابنتفسير

Ali, A.Yusuf. The Meanings of the Holy Qur’ān. Kuala Lumpur:

Percetakan Zafar Sdn Bhd, 2005

Asad, Muhammad. The Message of the Qur’ān. Gibraltar: Dar al-

Andalus, 1984

http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/muslimwars/articles/yarmuk.

aspx (The Battle of Yarmuk, 636 by Dan Fratini).