** Innovations during the Month of Rajab

** Allaah Almighty bestows favors and grants bounties upon His slaves,
during all times, to help expiate their sins, elevate their ranks and
make up for their shortcomings. Allaah Almighty legislated for us a
month during which we observe fasting, another which we perform
pilgrimage in, and one or two extra days to fast during the remaining
months. He also legislated prayer during the nightand the Witr prayer,
the Ud'hiyah ('Eed sacrifice), and the 'Aqeeqah,(birth sacrifice) and
many other virtuous deeds. All of these are ways of opening different
channels for righteous deeds andmethods to energize us by shifting
from one form of worship to another, and therefore, not become weary,
butcontinue to worship Allaah Almighty. This is indeed a great favor
from Allaah upon us.
Moreover, we find that any act of worship which causes the peopleto
come closer to Allaah Almightyis mentioned in His Book or in theSunnah
of His Prophet . The problem is in those people who try to come close
to Allaah and gain His reward by looking outside these two sources,
and thus, divert from the right path.
The Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wasallam said during his farewell
pilgrimage, "I have left with you that, which if you adhere to, you
will never go astray, the Book of Allaah".
And Allaah Says (what means): "…And whatever the Messenger has given
you – take; and what he has forbidden you – refrain from. And fear
Allaah; indeed, Allaah is severe in penalty." [Quran: 59:7]
Allaah Almighty dispraised the Arabs during the pre-Islamic period
because they interfered in that which they had no right in, and
started changing what is lawful to unlawful, and what is unlawful to
lawful, and recommending that which AllaahAlmighty did not. They used
to shift around the times of the sacred months and change the names of
the months because they did not want to wait for thislong period to
finish.
Ibn Katheer said, "Dealing with the legislations of Allaah with one's
corrupt mind and reasoning, and changing the rulings of Allaah
according to their desires, and deeming lawfulwhat is unlawful, were
some of the things for which Allaah dispraised the disbelievers."
The Arabs had also forbidden upon themselves slaughtering certain
animals, by setting some laws which Allaah Almighty did not legislate,
so Allaah Almighty dispraised them for that. Thus we know that
worshipping Allaah Almighty is something which is not permitted except
through that which He The Most High has legislated Himself and through
His messenger . Anyone who wants to draw closer to Allaah and gain His
reward, love and pleasure through other channels, will get the
contrary result, because Allaah Almighty does not accept from people
except that which He legislated for them.
During the month of Rajab, whichis one of the sacred months, some
Muslims make some wrongpractices through which they intend to come
closer to Allaah Almighty and gain His forgiveness, love and pleasure.
But they seek that through acts of worship which He did not permit nor
legislate, and although they are seeking something good, they do not
achieve it.
The point is not only in having a sincere and good intention, but the
deed itself must be legitimate, or else it will be rejected. Who dare
say that a deed is rejected by Allaah Almighty? Who told him that the
deed is rejected? The one who told us this is the truthful Prophet
Muhammad who said: "He who introduces any deed into our matter (Islam)
which is not from it then it is rejected." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
'Aa'ishah narrated that the Prophet said: "He who performs any deed
which is not according to what we are upon (i.e., the Prophet and his
Companions) then it is rejected." [Muslim] Therefore, any deed which
is not in accordance with what Islam has come with is rejected.
One of the practices during the month of Rajab which was done during
the pre-Islamic period, is to offer sacrifices and call it 'Far'aand
'Ateerah. The Muslims scholars said Islam voided this practice. Abu
Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet said: "No Fara'. No 'Ateerah."
[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Ar-Raghaa'ib prayer is another thing which people innovated which was
never legislated by Allaah nor His Messenger . Thescholars said,
"There is no authentic Hadith regarding a special prayer during the
month of Rajab, and all the narrations concerning Ar-Raghaa'ib prayer
are fabricated lies." They also said, "This prayer was innovated after
the fourth century and was never known before that, and no one from
the scholars during the first virtuous generations ever mentioned it."
People fast all the month of Rajabalthough there is no authentic
Hadeeth in this regard and so thispractice should be abandoned. On the
other hand, those who arein the habit of fasting regularly, even in
during other months, may fast. Moreover, the Prophet never fasted any
month in fullother than Ramadhaan, as narrated by 'Aa'ishah 'The
Prophet used to fast so much until we would think that he always
fasts, and would stop fasting until we would think that he never
fasts. I never saw the Prophet fast a full month except during
Ramadhaan, and he never fasted more than fasting during the month of
Sha'baan.' [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
It was narrated that 'Umar used to hit men's hands until they would
start using them to eat during the month of Rajab, and he would say,
'What is the virtue of Rajab? It is a month which the people during
the pre-Islamic period used to honor,but when Islam came, people gave
this up.'
Abu Bakrah, may Allah be pleasedwith him, saw his household preparing
during the month of Rajab, and said to them, 'Did you make Rajab like
Ramadhaan?'. Then he threw the baskets and broke the cups.
Another innovation is what they call the Rajabiyyah, which is an
'Umrah during Rajab which has no evidence proving it. As a matter of
fact, the only month during which 'Umrah would have a certain
prescribed reward is themonth of Ramadhan. The Prophet said: "'Umrah
during Ramadhaan equals performing Hajj" , in another narration he
said, "Equals Hajj with me."
Therefore, anyone who performs 'Umrah during Rajab for the sake of
Rajab has committed a mistake. Moreover, the Prophet never performed
'Umrah during Rajab even though he has performed 'Umrah four times.
A Muslim should know that if he seeks the pleasure of Allaah, and
wants to adhere to obedience, hewould find many acts to perform,so
there is no need to add to what the Prophet instructed us to do; let
us perform what he taught us, and he who does that, is guaranteed to
succeed and prosper in this life and the Hereafter.
Ibn Mas'oud said, 'Imitate and do not innovate (in
religion)'.Therefore, we should not add anything to the religion
baselessly, and we should adhereto the Sunnah of the Prophet . Some of
the scholars said, 'Sunnah is like to Noah's Ark, anyone who sticks to
it would be rescued.'- - [Thursday, May 23, 2013
Rajab 13, 1434]

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