Fasting the month of Rajab

Question:
I'm in Cote d'Ivoire and people are fasting for themonth of Rajab. Is
it a true Ibadaat or a Bid'ah? Please answer with any helpful
information to get the right position.
Fatwa:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify
that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad
is His slave and Messenger.
There is disagreement among scholars concerning fasting the month of
Rajab. Some scholars believe it is desirable to fast the month of
Rajab for the following:
A) General arousal of an interest in fast. This, in fact, is a
comprehensive rule with so many proofs.
B) Special arousal of an interest in fasting the sacred months, i.e.
Rajab,Thul Qi'dah, Thul Hijjah and Muharram. In addition to that, the
majority of Muslim scholars believe that is recommendable to fast
those months, especially Rajab. They based their opinion on the
following Ahadeeth.
1) Mujeebah al-Baahili reported from his father (or uncle) that the
Prophet told him: "Fast during the sacred months and leave (fasting),
fast during the sacred months and leave" [Ahmad and Abu Dawoodand the
words of this Hadeeth are of Abu Dawood's narration.]
2) From Usaamah Ibn Zaid who said: "O Allaah's Messenger! I never find
you fasting in any month like you do during the month of Sha'baan'.
The Prophet said: "That is a month the people neglect. It comes
between Rajab and Ramadhaan.It is a month in which the deeds are
raised to the Lord of the Worlds. I love that my deeds be raised while
I am fasting" [Ahmad and al-Nasaa'i].
ash-Shawkaani said: 'As for the apparent meaning of words; Sha'baan is
a month the people (the Prophet's companions) neglect. It is between
Rajab and Ramadhaan;they mean that it is desirable to fast Rajab since
it appears that the Prophet's companions honorSha'baan with fasting as
they honor Ramadhaan and Rajab (with fasting). It is also possible
that those words mean that the Prophet's companions honorSha'baan with
fasting as they honor Rajab with sacrifices, since it was a habit of
people before Islam to honor it with sacrifices as proven in the
Sunnah. But, we think the first opinion is more correct. And Islam
effaced the habits and traces of the pre-Islamic period. But, the goal
is to state the legality of fasting Rajab from thegeneral and special
points of view. In general, there are manyAhadeeth that urge Muslims
to fast during the sacred months, and Rajab is one of them. And there
are many Ahadeeth concerning legality of unfixed fasts.'
Then, ash-Shawkaani mentioned some Ahadeeth concerning excellence of
fasting Rajab as recorded by al-Tabaraani, al-Baihaqi, Abu Nu'aim and
Ibn 'Asaakir .
He added: 'as-Subki related from Muhammad Ibn Mansoor al-Sam'aani who
said that 'There is no strong narration in the Sunnah concerning
desirability of fastingRajab. Then, all narrations that were related
in this matter were weak. According to a narration of Ibn Abi Shaibah
thatUmar used to beat the hands of people to put them in bowls and
say: 'Eat! It is a month that was honored before Islam.' Another
narration by Ibn Abi Shaibah from Zaid Ibn Aslam who said: 'Allaah's
Messenger was asked about the fasting of Rajab and he said: "Why don't
you fast in Sha'baan?" Another narration from Ibn 'Umar indicates that
it is disliked to fast Rajab.
ash-Shawkaani added: 'It is clear that if special narrations do not
constitute a proof to the desirability of fasting during Rajab,
general narrations constitute such an evidence, since there is no
proof that makes fasting disliked. As for Abu Dawood's narration from
Ibn 'Abbaas that the Prophet Interdicted fasting Rajab. We state that
this narration is weak. Here, we state that al-'Iz Ibn 'Abd-us-Salaam
dispraised those who prevented people from fasting the month of Rajab
as cited from him by IbnHajar al-Haitami .'
However, some scholars believe that it is disliked to fast during the
month of Rajab and al-Hanabila are among them depending on the
above-mentioned narration of the Hadeeth of Ibn 'Abbaas about 'Umar
asking people to eat and stop fasting in that month. Imaam Ibn
Qudaamah said: 'It is disliked to single out Rajab with fasting.'
As for fasting the sacred months, al-Hanaabilah agreed the majority
concerning the desirability of fasting during these months. Then,
al-Hanaabilah believe if a person leaves fasting one day of Rajab,
then the reprehensibility of its fasting is vanished. al-Mirdaawi, may
Allah's Mercy be upon him, said: 'It is disliked to single out Rajab
with fasting. This is the opinion of Hanbali school, and it is one
ofthe school's issues that are not agreed upon with others.'