Fasting the months of Rajab and Sha`ban as a nafila or supererogatory worship is recommended, with the intention of following the Sunna of the Prophet (\ufdfa) by which the merit of this fast has clearly been established.
\n`Abd al-Rahman al-Jazai\u2019ri in his book al-Fiqh `ala al-madhahib al-arba` (Islamic law according to the Four Schools) in the chapter entitled \u201cFasting Rajab, Sha`ban and the Rest of the Holy Months\u201d states:
\n\u2022 Fasting the months of Rajab and Sha`ban is recommended (mandub) as agreed upon by three of the Imams, while the Hanbalis differed in that they said fasting Rajab singly is disliked, except if one breaks the fast during it then it is not disliked. Regarding the holy months Dhul Qi`da, Dhul-Hijja, Muharram, and Rajab fasting them is recommended according to three of the Imams, while the Hanafis differed in that they said what is recommended in the Holy months is to fast three days from each of them, which are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.(1:557)<\/p>\n
HADITHS ON RAJAB<\/strong> Fasting the months of Rajab and Sha`ban as a nafila or supererogatory worship is recommended, with the intention of following the Sunna of the Prophet (\ufdfa) by which the merit of this fast has clearly been established.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":9810,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-c71-introduction-to-islam-muslims"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nIn Muslim, Abu Dawud, and Ahmad: Uthman ibn Hakim al-Ansari said: I asked Sa`id ibn Jubayr about fasting in Rajab, and we were then passing through the month of Rajab, whereupon he said: I heard Ibn `Abbas(r) saying: \u201cThe Messenger of Allah (\ufdfa) used to observe fast so continuously that we thought he would not break it, and did not observe it so continuously that we thought he would not observe fast.\u201d Imam Nawawi commented on this in Sharh Sahih Muslim:
\n\u201cIt would appear that the meaning inferred by Sa`id ibn Jubayr from Ibn `Abbas\u2019 report is that fasting in Rajab is neither forbidden nor considered praiseworthy in itself, rather, the ruling concerning it is the same as the rest of the months.\u201d
\nImam Nawawi continues:
\n\u201cNeither prohibition nor praiseworthiness has been established for the month of Rajab in itself, however, the principle concerning fasting is that it is praiseworthy in itself, and in the Sunan of Abu Dawud the Prophet (\ufdfa) has made the fasting of the sacred months praiseworthy, and Rajab is one of them.\u201d
\nIbn Majah and Ahmad, relate the hadith of a man who repeats:
\n\u201cI can bear more,\u201d [i.e. supererogatory fasting] and to whom the Prophet (\ufdfa) finally says: \u201cFast during the sacred months.\u201d
\nIn Abu Dawud and Bayhaqi:
\nFrom Mujiba al-Bahiliyya who reported that her father (or uncle) was told by the Prophet (\ufdfa) three times: \u201cFast some and leave some in the sacred months.\u201d
\nBayhaqi and Abu Nu`aym relate from `Umer ibn Shibl mawqufan, who said:
\n\u201cI heard Abu Qilaba say: \u2018There is a palace in Paradise for those who fast the month of Rajab.\u2019
\nIbn Qudama states in al-Mughni (3:118-119):
\n\u201cIt is disliked that Rajab be singled out for fasting.
\nImam Ahmad said:
\n\u2018If a man fasts during that month, let him break the fast for one day in it, or several, just so as not to fast it all.’\u201d
\nImam Ahmad bin Hanbal said: \u201cWhoever fasts all year round may fast all of it [i.e. Rajab]. Otherwise, let him not fast all of it but only some of it so that he will not liken it to Ramadan.\u201d
\nIn conclusion, it is definitely allowed to fast Rajab and Sha`ban in part or in whole, and we say it is recommended, as the clarity of the intention to follow the Sunna and the knowledge that only the fast of Ramadan is obligatory, preclude the reprehensibility of those who used to honor Rajab in rivalry with Ramadan, and Allah knows best.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"