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 night and 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 and methods to energize
us by shifting from one form of worship to another, and therefore, not
become weary, but continue 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 people to
come closer to Allaah Almighty is mentioned in His Book or in the
Sunnah 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 wa sallam 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 Messengerhas 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 Allaah Almighty did not. They used
to shift around the times ofthe sacred months and change the names of
the months because they did not want to wait for this long 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 lawful what 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 somelaws 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, which is one of the sacred months, some
Muslims make some wrong practices 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
thedeed 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'a and
'Ateerah. The Muslimsscholars 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 . The scholars said,
"There isno 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 innovatedafter
the fourth century and wasnever known before that, and no one from the
scholars during the first virtuous generations ever mentioned it."

the Root of Evil and Sins

There is no doubt that a virtuousperson does not find it easy to utter
obscenities lest he or she expose him/herself to the Wrathof Allaah
The Almighty and disgrace in the eyes of people. Although vulgarity is
certainly dispraised and forbidden, foul words indeed abound.
Motives behind this behavior
Obscenity originates from wickedness and ignobility. It is either
motivated by the intention of harming others or isa habit acquired
from socializingwith evil and debauched people,who are accustomed to
insultingothers. Whatever the case, Allaah The Almighty has forbidden
crude language in the verse (which means): {Allaah does not like the
public mention of evil except by one who has been wronged. And ever is
Allaah Hearing and Knowing.} [Quran 4:148]
Moreover, in His Book, He illustrated obscenity as characteristic of
hypocrites, describing their conduct with believers, saying (what
means): {But when fear departs, they lash you with sharp tongues,
indisposed toward [any] good.} [Quran 33:19]
A believer does not imitate the insolent and crass people, preferring
to stick to chivalry for the sake of preserving his or her honor. It
was said in this regard,"Tolerating an abusive man is better than
being like him and forgiving the ignorant is better than copying him."
Examples of obscenity
There are many situations and times when people of weak faith and bad
manners resort to vulgarity. Imam Al-Ghazaali exemplified that by
saying: "Situations of obscenity are various. They can generally be
limited to any state that a person feels ashamed to overtly divulge.
In this case, explicit words are considered obscenity. Therefore, one
must discuss such issues in vague terminology." Most of the relevant
examples would be those concerning sexual intercourse and its related
matters. While wicked people employ graphic and crass words when
speaking about this, the righteous avoid such crude language and
express themselves with figurative speech. Are we not aware that even
Allaah The Almighty spoke indirectly about sexual intercourse,
mentioning instead,words like touching, entering with [women] and
companionship?
There is also obscenity in making remarks about women or defects in
men that they may be ashamed of, such as a limp orbaldness. Any such
comments, if necessary, should not be explicitly referred to.
The Prophet classified obscenity as a branch of hypocrisy and said,
"Indeed, Allaah hates the indecent and obscene person." Moreover, he
mentioned that vulgarity leads to Hell, when he said: "Modesty is from
faith, and faith is in Paradise; [whereas], obscenity is from
severity, and severity is in Hell."

HADEES :- ~

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar(R.A):
Allah's Apostle said, "Not towish to be the like except of two men. A
man whom Allah has given the knowledge of the Book and he recites it
during the hours of the night, and a man whom Allah has givenwealth,
and he spends it in charity during the night and the hours of the
day."
Sahih Bukhari: Volume 6, Book 61, Number 543/

Tawheed Expounded Upon in Aayatul-Kursee

Allaah says in Aayatul-Kursee [1]:
( Allaah, there is none deserving worship otherthan Him, the
Ever-Living, the Sustainer of everything. Neither slumber nor sleep
overtake Him. To Him belongs all that is inthe heavens and all that is
on earth. Who can intercede without His Permission? He knows thier
past and what is coming for them. They will never comprehend anything
from His Knowledge except what He allows them to. His Kursee [2] is
more expansive than the heavens and the earth, and He does not grow
tired of protecting them both (the heavens and theearth) , and He is
the Highest and the Greatest. )
This is the greatest verse in the Book of Allaah [3], the Mighty and
Majestic. It contains the three categories of tawheed - ruboobiyyah ,
uloohiyyah , and asmaa' was-sifaat . Allaah gathered them all in this
verse, using negation and affirmation, where He negates shortcomings
and deficiencies for Himself, and affirms completeness for Himself,
Most Glorified and Exalted.
In the first part of the verse is the mention of tawheed al-uloohiyyah :
( Allaah, there is none deserving worship otherthan Him )
Then Allaah mentions tawheed al-asmaa' was-sifaat :
( The Ever-Living, the Sustainer of everything )
This affirms for Allaah the attributes of life and that He sustains
others [4]. Then Allaah says:
( Neither slumber nor sleep overtake Him )
This is a negation. Allaah negates that these deficiencies, slumber
and sleep, could be attributed to Him. Then Allaah says:
( To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth )
This is an affirmation of His Ruboobiyyah , that He owns the heavens
and theearth and all that is in them. Then He, Most Glorified, says:
( Who is the one who can intercede without His Permission? )
This is a negation. Allaah negates that anyone couldintercede without
His Permission, due to His complete Greatness, may He be Glorified and
Exalted. No one could possibly intercede with Him, except after He
allows them. Then Allaah says:
( He knows what is in front of them and what is behind them )
This is an affirmation establishing the complete Knowledge of Allaah,
the Mighty and Majestic, the One who knows everything from the
affairsof the past, present, and future. Nothing is hidden from Him,
as His Knowledge is vast and encompasses everything. Then He, the
Mighty and Majestic, says:
( They will never comprehend anything from His Knowledge
except what He allows them to )
This is a negation. Allaah nullifies the idea that His Creation could
gain some of His Knowledge without Him giving them access to it. So if
He does not allow them to have knowledge of something, then it is
considered ghayb (unseen), and no one knows the ghayb except Allaah.
Then Allaah says:
( His Kursee [2] is more expansive than the heavens and the earth )
The Kursee is a created thing from Allaah's Creation, and indeed it is
agreat creation! The heavens and the earth in relationship to the
Kursee are like seven coins tossedinto am open plain of earth [5], or
like seven coins tossed onto a large plate [6]. What would seven small
coins look likein this situation? So Allaah's Kursee is bigger than
the heavens and the earth. His Kursee is not His Throne, as these are
two separate things. The Throne is even greater than the Kursee .
And the Kursee is nothing in comparison to the Throne, except like an
ironring tossed into a spaciousplain of earth [7]. So if the Kursee is
like this, then what about the Throne of Ar-Rahmaan , Most Glorified
and Exalted?!
Therefore, all of the creation in relationship to Allaah is very small
and nothing in comparison to Him. If only one thing from Allaah's
Creation, the Kursee , is bigger than the heavens and the earth,
butstill smaller than the Throne, then Allaah, the Mighty and
Majestic, is greater than everything.
Allaah then says:
( And He does not grow tired of protecting them both
(the heavens and the earth) )
This is a negation, meaning that nothing is difficult or burdensome
onHim, Most Glorified. Protecting and preserving the heavens and the
earth from corruption and distortion does not tire Him, nor does His
holding them in place cause Him any fatigue [8]:
( And He holds up the sky so that it does not fall
upon the earth, except with His Permission )
And Allaah says [9]:
( And He raised up the heavens
without any support that you can see )
And Allaah also says [10]:
( Verily Allaah holds up the heavens and the earth
so that they do not slip from their places )
And Allaah the Glorified is not in need of the heavensnor the earth,
nor the Throne nor the Kursee , nor is He is need of anything from the
things He created.