Rajab
Encyclopedia
Rajab is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar
. The lexical definition of Rajaba is "to respect", of which Rajab is a derivative.
This month is regarded as one of the four sacred months in Islam in which battles are prohibited. The pre-Islamic Arabs also considered warfare blasphemous during the four months.
Rajab Is also regarded as the month in which ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib
The first Shia Imam
and Fourth Caliph
of Islam
was born in vicinity of the Kaaba
, the most sacred place of worship of Muslims.
The month is also a prelude to the month of Ramadan, which follows after the intervening month of Sha'ban. Therefore, when Prophet Muhammad
sighted the moon of Rajab, he used to pray to Allah in the following words:
اللّهمّ بارك لنا في رجب و شعبان وبلّعنا رمضان
Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'bana wa bal-lig-naa ramadana
"O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Sha'ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan (i.e. prolong our life up to Ramadan, so that we may benefit from its merits and blessings)."
is a lunar calendar
, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon
is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Rajab migrates throughout the seasons. The estimated start and end dates for Rajab are as follows (based on the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia):
Islamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
. The lexical definition of Rajaba is "to respect", of which Rajab is a derivative.
This month is regarded as one of the four sacred months in Islam in which battles are prohibited. The pre-Islamic Arabs also considered warfare blasphemous during the four months.
Rajab Is also regarded as the month in which ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib
Ali
' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
The first Shia Imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
and Fourth Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
was born in vicinity of the Kaaba
Kaaba
The Kaaba is a cuboid-shaped building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and is the most sacred site in Islam. The Qur'an states that the Kaaba was constructed by Abraham, or Ibraheem, in Arabic, and his son Ishmael, or Ismaeel, as said in Arabic, after he had settled in Arabia. The building has a mosque...
, the most sacred place of worship of Muslims.
The month is also a prelude to the month of Ramadan, which follows after the intervening month of Sha'ban. Therefore, when Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
sighted the moon of Rajab, he used to pray to Allah in the following words:
اللّهمّ بارك لنا في رجب و شعبان وبلّعنا رمضان
Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'bana wa bal-lig-naa ramadana
"O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Sha'ban blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadan (i.e. prolong our life up to Ramadan, so that we may benefit from its merits and blessings)."
Timing
The Islamic calendarIslamic calendar
The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...
is a lunar calendar
Lunar calendar
A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the lunar phase. A common purely lunar calendar is the Islamic calendar or Hijri calendar. A feature of the Islamic calendar is that a year is always 12 months, so the months are not linked with the seasons and drift each solar year by 11 to...
, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon
New moon
In astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth...
is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Rajab migrates throughout the seasons. The estimated start and end dates for Rajab are as follows (based on the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia):
| AH | First day (CE Common Era Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era... / AD Anno Domini and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars.... ) |
Last day (CE Common Era Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era... / AD Anno Domini and Before Christ are designations used to label or number years used with the Julian and Gregorian calendars.... ) |
|---|---|---|
| 1431 | 13 June 2010 | 12 July 2010 |
| 1432 | 3 June 2011 | 1 July 2011 |
| 1433 | 22 May 2012 | 20 June 2012 |
| 1434 | 11 May 2013 | 9 June 2013 |
| 1435 | 30 April 2014 | 29 May 2014 |
| 1436 | 20 April 2015 | 18 May 2015 |
| 1437 | 8 April 2016 | 7 May 2016 |
| 1438 | 29 March 2017 | 27 April 2017 |
| 1439 | 18 March 2018 | 16 April 2018 |
| 1440 | 8 March 2019 | 6 April 2019 |
| 1441 | 25 February 2020 | 25 March 2020 |
| Rajab dates between 2010 and 2016 | ||
Islamic Events
- 01 Rajab, birth of Shī‘ah ImāmImamah (Shi'a doctrine)Imāmah is the Shia doctrine of religious, spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. The Shīa believe that the A'immah are the true Caliphs or rightful successors of Muḥammad, and further that Imams are possessed of divine knowledge and authority as well as being part of the Ahl al-Bayt,...
, Muhammad al-BāqirMuhammad al-BaqirMuḥammad ibn ‘Alī al-Bāqir was the Fifth Imām to the Twelver Shi‘a and Fourth Imām to the Ismā‘īlī Shī‘a. His father was the previous Imām, ‘Alī ibn Ḥusayn, and his mother was Fatimah bint al-Hasan... - 03 Rajab, death of Twelver Imām, ‘Alī al-NaqīAli al-Hadi‘Alī al-Hādī , also known as ‘Alī an-Naqī was the tenth of the Twelve Imams. His full name is ‘Alī ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Alī. The exact date of his birth and death are unknown, but it is generally accepted that he was born between 827–830 CE and he died in 868 CE.- Early years :‘Alī al-Hādī was born...
- 05 Rajab, birth of Twelver Imām, ‘Alī al-NaqīAli al-Hadi‘Alī al-Hādī , also known as ‘Alī an-Naqī was the tenth of the Twelve Imams. His full name is ‘Alī ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Alī. The exact date of his birth and death are unknown, but it is generally accepted that he was born between 827–830 CE and he died in 868 CE.- Early years :‘Alī al-Hādī was born...
- 06 Rajab, some Sufis of Chishti Order celebrate the anniversary of Khawaja Moinuddin ChishtiMoinuddin ChishtiSultan-ul-Hind, Moinuddin Chishti was born in 1141 and died in 1230 CE. Also known as Gharīb Nawāz "Benefactor of the Poor" , he is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of the Indian Subcontinent. He introduced and established the order in South Asia...
- 07 Rajab, Twelvers observe the Festival of Imam Musa al-Kazim in dedication of Musā' al-KādhimMusa al-Kadhim' was the seventh of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'a Islam. He was the son of Imam and his mother was Hamidah Khātūn, a student and former Zanjiyyah slave...
. - 09 Rajab, birth of ‘Alī al-Asghar
- 10 Rajab, birth of Twelver Imām, Muhammad al-TaqīMuhammad al-TaqiMuhammad al-Taqī or Muhammad al-Jawād was the ninth of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'ism. His given name was Muhammad ibn ‘Alī ibn Mūsā, and among his titles, al-Taqī and al-Jawād are the most renowned...
- 13 Rajab, birth of ‘Alī ibn Abī TālibAli' |Ramaḍān]], 40 AH; approximately October 23, 598 or 600 or March 17, 599 – January 27, 661).His father's name was Abu Talib. Ali was also the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, and ruled over the Islamic Caliphate from 656 to 661, and was the first male convert to Islam...
- 18 Rajab, death of Abraham (In accordance with Shi'a Islam)
- 20 Rajab, birth of Janabe Sakina bint Hussain
- 22 Rajab, Koonday (table cloth dinner) is organized by Shia and Sunni (Not all, as it is controversial) among Muslims of South Asia. It is an occasion for Muslims to discuss AllahAllahAllah is a word for God used in the context of Islam. In Arabic, the word means simply "God". It is used primarily by Muslims and Bahá'ís, and often, albeit not exclusively, used by Arabic-speaking Eastern Catholic Christians, Maltese Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians, Mizrahi Jews and...
and the Ahlul Bayt and to strengthen ties among the community with love and compassion. It is reported to be a practice instructed by 6th Imam, Ja‘far as-SādiqJa'far al-SadiqJaʿfar ibn Muhammad al-Sādiq was a descendant of Muhammad and a prominent Muslim jurist. He is revered as an Imam by the adherents of Shi'a Islam and as a renowned Islamic scholar and personality by Sunni Muslims. The Shi'a Muslims consider him to be the sixth Imam or leader and spiritual...
. It is purported to be the day Mu'āwiyah died;. - 24 Rajab, victory to Muslims in the Battle of KhaybarBattle of KhaybarThe Battle of Khaybar was fought in the year 629 between Muhammad and his followers against the Jews living in the oasis of Khaybar, located from Medina in the north-western part of the Arabian peninsula, in modern-day Saudi Arabia....
- 25 Rajab, death of Twelver Imām, Musā' al-KādhimMusa al-Kadhim' was the seventh of the Twelve Imams of Twelver Shi'a Islam. He was the son of Imam and his mother was Hamidah Khātūn, a student and former Zanjiyyah slave...
- 27 Rajab, some Sufi Muslims, along with Shī‘ah Muslims observe the Mi'raj (the day Muhammad (SAW)MuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
is believed to have ascended to heaven). It is a national holiday in some Muslim countries. - 28 Rajab, Husayn ibn ‘AlīHusayn ibn AliHussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
started his journey to KarbalāBattle of KarbalaThe Battle of Karbala took place on Muharram 10, in the year 61 of the Islamic calendar in Karbala, in present day Iraq. On one side of the highly uneven battle were a small group of supporters and relatives of Muhammad's grandson Husain ibn Ali, and on the other was a large military detachment...
from Medina. - 28 Rajab 1342 A.H. (3 March 1924), the Ottoman CaliphateOttoman CaliphateThe Ottoman Caliphate, under the Ottoman Dynasty of the Ottoman Empire inherited the responsibility of the Caliphate from the Mamluks of Egypt....
was abolished by Mustafa Kemal AtatürkMustafa Kemal AtatürkMustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey.... - In the year 5 A.H Bilal ibn Harith is reported to have brought a congregation of four hundred men named Banu Muzeena in the presence of MuhammadMuhammadMuhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. They all embraced Islam. - The Battle of TaboukBattle of TaboukThe Battle of Tabouk was a military expedition, which, according to Muslim biographies, was initiated by the Prophet Muhammad in October, AD 630. Muhammad led a force of as many as 30,000 north to Tabouk in present-day northwestern Saudi Arabia, with the intention of engaging the Byzantine army...
took place in Rajab, 9 A.H. (October 630) - The second Oath of Aqabah took place in Rajab, 12 A.H. (September 633)
- Jerusalem was captured by SaladinSaladinṢalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb , better known in the Western world as Saladin, was an Arabized Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. He led Muslim and Arab opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant...
in the month of Rajab, 583 A.H. (September/October 1187) - Nakba DayNakba DayNakba Day is generally commemorated on May 15, the day after the Gregorian calendar date for Israeli independence day...
on 6 Rajab 1367 A.H. (15 May 1948)