By Ishola Balogun

Praise be to the Almighty Allah for granting us yet another opportunity to cleanse ourselves of our sins and bad deeds. We have come yet to another period of devotion. With Rajab urshering in another season of fasting with its attendant rahmah, it is indeed another opportunity offered by Almighty Allah (the Exalted) to cleanse ourselves of various sins we have committed, seek His blessings and the ultimate reward – al-janah.   It is a month where evil deeds, acrimony and fighting even to the enemies is forbidden.

Historically,  the pagan Arabs in this month used to make haraam on themselves and any form of killings, fighting was the hallmark of the month.  So, Allah forbids the Muslims never to do this.  And if this is kept throughtout the month of Rajab, Sha’aban, and Ramadan, the muslim becomes reformed and a new being is born.

The month comes with special blessings that tend to purify the believers from sins and draw him closer to the Creator with the aim of gaining the ultimate reward of al-janah.  Although fasting in this month is not obligatory as that of Ramadan, but its reward and blessing are irresistible.  Fasting in just a day in Rajab cannot equate other amal (deed) one might put forward.  A scenario the Prophet painted was that if the entire land were to be filled with gold and that gold was to be spent in the way of Allah (SWT), then even this act would not add up to the bounties of fasting just for one day in the month.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, if a person were to fast for one day in this month for the belief and hope of reward from Allah (SWT), then he would have earned the pleasure of Allah (SWT) and the fast of that one day would put out the anger of Allah (SWT) and would cause the doors of the hellfire to be closed for him.

The Prophet (s.a.w) said: Rajab is Allah’s month, Sha’ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah.

Someone then asked him: “O Messenger of Allah, what do you mean exactly by that?  So he explained:     [I call it Allah’s month] because it is specifically associated with forgiveness, because in it the shedding of blood is brought to a halt, because in it Allah (Exalted is He) relents toward His prophets, because in it He rescues His lovers from the hands of their enemies, and because anyone who fasts during this month becomes entitled to receive three things from Allah.  The first and second of these are forgiveness for all the sins he has previously committed, and impregnable virtue (‘isma) for the rest of his life.  As for the third, he will be safe from thirst on the Day of the Judgement .”

At this point a feeble old man stood up and said: “Ya Rasulullah, I am physically incapable of fasting through the whole of the month,” so Rasulullah (s.a.w) went on to say:

“No one will go unrewarded if he fasts during the daytime on Thursday, the first Thursday in Rajab, and if he then performs twelve extra rak’ahs during the period between Maghrib and ‘Isha, i.e., during the first segment of the night of Friday. In each rak’ah, he must recite Surah al_Fatihah one time only, then the Suratul Qadri three times, and the Suratul Ikhlas 12 times.

The twelve rak’ahs must be divided into sets of two, with a salutation (taslima or salama) to mark the conclusion of each pair. When he has completed his salat-prayer, he must invoke blessings upon me, by repeating 70 times while raising your hands: “Astaghfirullaha wa aatubo ilaih “ or “Allahumma Igh-firli wa atoobo ilaih, or Rabbi Igh-firli, warham, wa anta akheiru raheemin.

Fast during the first day of the month and during the day that comes in the middle of it, and also during the very last day of the month.  If you equally have the strenght and the ability to fast through the whole month, its reward is great since one good deed is equal in value to ten of the same kind.

Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajab wa sha’bana wa bal-lig-naa shaaru Ramadhna

“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).”

May Allah (SWT) give us all the strength and will-power to fast this month as a prelude to the month of Sha’ban – a month of blessings and mercy culminating into the Blessed month of Ramadan – the month of peace and tranquillity.