Rajab: The Seventh Islamic Month

Sacred Status

Rajab (رجب) is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar and one of the four sacred months (al-ashhur al-hurum). Its name comes from the Arabic root meaning 'to respect' or 'to revere,' and the pre-Islamic Arabs called it 'Rajab al-Mudar' because the tribe of Mudar particularly honored it. Allah designated the sacred months as times when warfare is especially prohibited: 'So do not wrong yourselves during them' (Quran 9:36).

The Night Journey (Isra and Mi'raj)

Many scholars place the Isra and Mi'raj (the Prophet's night journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and his ascension through the heavens) in the month of Rajab, though the exact date is disputed. During this miraculous event, the five daily prayers were prescribed. The Prophet traveled on al-Buraq to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, led the prophets in prayer, then ascended through the seven heavens, meeting various prophets at each level, and was brought into the presence of Allah.

Innovations to Avoid

Scholars have warned against several innovations associated with Rajab that have no authentic basis: specific prayers for the night of the 27th (Salat al-Ragha'ib), designating Rajab for special fasting beyond normal voluntary fasts, and the practice of al-Atirah (a pre-Islamic animal sacrifice in Rajab that the Prophet abolished). The general excellence of the sacred months applies, but specific rituals unique to Rajab are not established.