The Sacred months

Allaah Almighty Says (what means): “Indeed, the number of months with Allaah is twelve (lunar) months in the register of Allaah (from) the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion (i.e. way), so do not wrong yourselves during them. And fight against the disbelievers collectively as they fight against you collectively. And know that Allaah is with the righteous (who fear Him)” [Quran 9: 36]

It is with the wisdom of Allaah that He favored some months over others, like favoring the month of Ramadhaan over all other months, because it is the month of mercy, the month of Quran, the month of forgiveness and freeing of people from the Fire. It is a month which people glorified during the pre-Islamic period as well, and after Islam it became even more glorified.

Moreover, the month of Muharram (which means forbidden in Arabic) was called that because the Arabs used to forbid fighting during it. Safar (which means zero in Arabic) was given this name because the Arabs used to loot all the property of the enemy after defeating them in battle (i.e. they left nothing behind). Rabee’ Al-Awwal (which means graze in Arabic) because they used to graze their cattle during this month. Jumaadaa (which means solid in Arabic) was given this name because water used to freeze during this month. Rajab (which means remove in Arabic) was given this name because the Arabs used to remove the heads of their spears and refrain from fighting. Sha’baan (which is anything positioned between two things in Arabic) was given this name because it comes between Ramadhaan and Rajab. Ramadhaan (which means heat in Arabic) was given this name because of the hot temperature and excessive heat of the sun during this month. Shawwaal (which means raise in Arabic) was given this name because she camels would raise their tails when they became pregnant. Thul-Qi’dah (which means sitting in Arabic) was given this name because it was the month during which they would sit and stop fighting. Thul-Hijjah (which refers to Hajj in Arabic) was given this name because it was the month during which they performed Hajj.

In the abovementioned verse, Allaah informs us that since He created the Heavens and earth, and created days and nights, and made the sun and the moon, each float in an orbit, as a result of which the darkness of nights and the light of days occur. It was from that time that Allaah had set the months to be twelve, and He, Almighty, informed us that He, Almighty, designated four of them to be sacred.

We must respect the sanctity of these sacred months, by adhering to the commandments of Allaah, and rejecting that which the people of the pre-Islamic period were upon, like delaying the restrictions of these months or changing their sequence. It is for this reason that the Prophet said in his farewell pilgrimage: “O People! Time has gone back to how it was at the time Allaah created the Heavens and the Earth. A year has twelve months, four of which are sacred, three consecutive, Thul-Qi’dah, Thul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab, which comes between Jumaadaa and Sha’baan.” [Al-Bukhaari]

The words (which mean) “…when He created the Heavens and earth…” [Quran 9: 36] are to clarify that the decree of Allaah took place very early on, and that He set the months, named them and sequenced them when He created the Heavens and the earth, then He revealed this upon His Prophets within the divined Books.

The verse is informing us that the ruling of these months will remain (names, sequence and sacredness), and the changes made by the disbelievers to the sequence would have no effect. Moreover, whatever the disbelievers had changed could not change what Allaah had decreed.

This verse also indicates that it is compulsory to base acts of worship and Islamic rulings on these months, and not the ones the Christians use. Therefore, it is not fit for a Muslim to prefer using these Roman or Christian months over these Arabic (named) months.

They are: Thul-Qi’dah, Thul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab which is between Jumaadaa Al-Aakhirah and Sah’baan. It was also called Rajab of Mudhar, because the tribe of Mudhar used to adhere to its sacredness, while another tribe by the name of Rabee’ah Ibn Nizaar used to change sacredness of Rajab to Ramadhaan. In order to lift this confusion the Prophet said: “Rajab, which comes between Jumaadaa and Sah’baan”.

Allaah Says in the same verse (which means): “…that is the right religion” meaning, this Sharee’ah (Islamic law) and obedience therein, is the right and straight path. Then Allaah continues Saying that (which means): “Do not wrong (oppress) yourselves therein” [Quran 9: 36] which is referring to all months of the year but the sacred months hold a special position which makes oppressing oneself greater, just as Allaah Says (what means): “no sexual relation (with spouse), no sinning, nor unjust dispute” [Quran 9: 36] and this certainly does not indicate that one can sin other than the time of Hajj but it is to reflect the greatness of sinning during its rituals.

Do not wrong (oppress) yourselves by fighting and committing sins, because when Allaah honors something for one reason, it becomes that much honored, but when He honors for two or more reasons, then sacredness becomes more, and punishment for disobedience is multiplied accordingly. For example, one who obeys Allaah during the sacred months in the sacred area will receive more reward than obeying Allaah during other months, and the one who obeys Allaah during months other than the sacred months outside the sacred area will receive less reward than he who obeys Allaah inside the sacred area. Allaah gave an indication to this in His Saying (which means): “O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should commit a clear immorality – for her the punishment will be doubled two fold, and ever is that for Allaah, easy.” [Quran 33:30]

The month of Sha’baan - I


Sha’baan is the name of the (eighth) month, and it is so called because in this month the Arabs used to disperse (tasha’aba) in search of water, or it was said that they dispersed to carry out raids and forays. Or it was said that it is so called because it sha’aba (branches out or emerges) i.e., it appears between the months of Rajab and Ramadhaan.

‘Aa’ishah said: “The Messenger used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of Allaah fasting for an entire month except in Ramadhaan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Sha’baan.” [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]

It was reported in the books of the Imaams Al-Bukhaari and Muslim that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: “The Messenger of Allaah did not fast any entire month apart from Ramadhaan.”

Ibn ‘Abbaas regarded it as disliked to fast any entire month apart from Ramadhaan. Ibn Hajar said: “He observed more voluntary fasts in Sha’baan than in any other month, and he used to fast most of Sha’baan.”

Usaamah Ibn Zayd said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allaah, I do not see you fasting in any other month like you fast in Sha’baan.’ He said: ‘That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadhaan, and it is a month in which deeds are lifted up to the Lord of the Worlds. I like for my deeds to be lifted up when I am fasting.’” [An-Nasaa'ee]

Ibn Rajab said: “Fasting in Sha’baan is better than fasting in the Sacred Months, and the best of voluntary fasts are those that are (observed in the months) closest to Ramadhaan, before or after. The status of these fasts is like that of Al-Sunan Al-Rawaatib (optional prayers which the Prophet continued to perform all the time) which are done before and after obligatory prayers and which make up for any shortfall in the number of obligatory prayers. The same applies to fasts observed before and after Ramadhaan. Just as Al-Sunan Al-Rawaatib are better than other kinds of voluntary prayers, so fasts observed (in the months) before and after Ramadhaan are better than fasts at other times.

The phrase “Sha’baan is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadaan” indicates that because it comes between two important months, the sacred month of Rajab and the month of Ramadhaan, people are preoccupied with those two months and they do not pay attention to Sha’baan. Many people think that fasting in Rajab is better than fasting in Sha’baan, because Rajab is one of the Sacred Months, but this is not the case.

In the narration quoted above there is an indication that even though certain times, places and people may be commonly thought to posses a particular virtue, there may be others that are better than them.

It also indicates that it is commendable to make good use of the times when people tend to be negligent, by doing acts of worship. A group of the Salaf (predecessors) used to fill the time between Maghrib (sunset) and ‘Ishaa’ (evening) with prayer, saying that it was a time when many people were negligent. Another example is the remembrance of Allaah (Thikr) in the marketplace, because this means one is remembering Him in a place where people tend to be negligent. There are a number of benefits that come from making good use of times when people are often negligent, and using these times for worship, including the following:

Doing righteous deeds at times when people are distracted and negligent is more difficult. One of the indications of how virtuous a deed is, is how difficult it is: if everyone is doing a certain action, it is easy, but if most people are negligent, this makes it more difficult for those who do remember Allaah.

The Prophet said: “Worship at times of tribulation (Fitnah) is like Hijrah to me.” [Muslim] The phrase “worship at times of tribulation” refers to times of upheavals and trials, when people follow their own desires, and those who adhere to Islam are doing something difficult.

The scholars differed as to the reasons why the Prophet fasted so much in Sha’baan. Their various opinions were as follows:

That he had been unable to fast three days out of every month because he was travelling or for some other reason, so he made them all up together in Sha’baan. When the Prophet began to do some voluntary action, he would persist in it, and if he missed it, he would make it up later.
It was said that his wives used to make up the days that they missed of Ramadhaan in Sha’baan, so he used to fast because of that. This is the opposite of what was reported from ‘Aa’ishah that she used to delay making up days that she had missed in Ramadhaan until Sha’baan because she was too busy with the Messenger of Allaah to fast.
It was said that it was because this is a month which people do not pay attention to. This is the most correct view, because of the narration quoted above, in which he says: “That is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadhaan.” [An-Nasaa'ee]
When Sha’baan began, if the Prophet still had some voluntary fasts outstanding that he had not fasted, he would make them up during Sha’baan so that his voluntary fasts would be complete before Ramadhaan came. Similarly, if he had missed some Sunnah prayers or he had missed Qiyaam Al-Layl (the optional night prayer), he would make it up. ‘Aa’ishah used to make the most of this opportunity to make up any obligatory Ramadhaan fasts that she had missed because of menstruation; during other months she was too busy with the Prophet to fast.


source islamweb.com

Another benefit of fasting in Sha’baan is that it is a kind of training for the Ramadhaan fast, in case a person finds it difficult to fast when Ramadhaan starts; if he fasts in Sha’baan he will have gotten used to fasting and he will feel strong and energetic when Ramadhaan comes.

Sha’baan is like an introduction to Ramadhaan and it has some things in common with Ramadhaan, such as fasting, reciting Quran and giving in charity. Salamah ibn Suhayl used to say: “The month of Sha’baan is the month of reciters (of the Quran).” Habeeb Ibn Abu Thaabit used to say, when Sha’baan came: “This is the month of reciters (of the Quran).”

The Prophet said to a man: “Have you fasted anything of the Sirar of this month?” He said: “No.” He said: “If you have not fasted, then fast two days.” According to a report narrated by Al-Bukhaari : I think he meant Ramadhaan. According to a report narrated by Muslim The Prophet said: “Have you fasted anything of the Sirar of Sha’baan?”

There was some dispute as to the meaning of the word Siraar. The most well known view is that it refers to the end of the month. The end of the month is called Siraar because the moon is hidden (istisraar, which is "hiding" in Arabic) at that time. Someone may raise the point that it was reported in the books of Imaams Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet said: “Do not pre-empt Ramadhaan by one or two days, except for those who have the habit of fasting regularly, in which case they may fast.”

How can we reconcile the narration which encourages fasting at this time with the narration which says not to fast at this time? The answer is: many of the scholars and most of those who commented on this narration, said: this man to whom the Prophet addressed this question was known to have the habit of fasting regularly, or else he had made a vow, so the Prophet commanded him to make up his fast. There are also other points of view on this issue. In brief, we may say that there are three scenarios for fasting at the end of Sha’baan.

The first scenario is when a person fasts at the end of Sha’baan with the intention of being on the safe side and not missing the first day of Ramadhaan. This is forbidden.

The second scenario is when a person fasts with the intention of fulfilling a vow or of making up a day of Ramadhaan that he missed or as an act of expiation, etc. This is permissible according to the majority.

The third scenario is when this is purely a voluntary fast. This is regarded as disliked by those who said that we should differentiate between Sha’baan and Ramadhaan by not fasting for a while.

If it happens to coincide with a day when a person habitually fasts, Maalik and those who agreed with him permitted this, but Ash-Shaafi’i, Al-‘Owzaa’i, Ahmad and others made a distinction between cases where it is a fast which a person habitually observes or otherwise.

In conclusion, the narration of Abu Hurayrah quoted above is what we should follow according to the majority of scholars. It is disliked to observe a voluntary fast one or two days before Ramadhaan for those who do not habitually fast on those days and who have not previously fasted until the end of Sha’baan. It may be asked: why is it disliked to fast just before Ramadhaan (for those who do not have a prior habit of fasting)? The answer is that there are a number of reasons why this is so, such as:

Firstly: lest extra days be added to the fast of Ramadhaan that are not part of it. Fasting on the day of 'Eed is prohibited for the same reason, lest we fall into the same trap as the People of the Book with regard to fasting, as they added to their fasts because of their own whims and desires.

For the same reason it is also forbidden to fast on the “day of doubt”.

The “day of doubt” is a day when people are not sure whether it is Ramadhaan or not, when news of the sighting of the crescent moon come from one whose word cannot be accepted. As for a cloudy day, some scholars said that this was also a ‘day of doubt’ and said that fasting was not allowed on this day. This is the view of the majority.

Secondly: to make a distinction between obligatory fasts and supererogatory fasts, because making a clear distinction between them is prescribed in Islam. Hence it is prohibited to fast on the day of 'Eed, as the Prophet forbade following an obligatory prayer immediately with another prayer unless they are separated by saying salaam or speaking, especially in the case of the Sunnah prayer performed just before Fajr. It is prescribed to make a clear separation between this prayer and the obligatory prayer.

Some ignorant people may think that the reason why we do not fast just before Ramadhaan is so that we can make the most of eating and have our fill of our desires before we have to deny ourselves by fasting.