View source for Religion:Rajab

{{Short description|Seventh month of the Islamic calendar}}
{{Infobox month
| image       = Miraj by Sultan Muhammad.jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = [[Religion:Isra and Mi'raj|Isra and Mi'raj]]
| native_name = {{Native name|ar|رَجَب}}
| calendar    = [[Engineering:Islamic calendar|Islamic calendar]]
| num         = 7
| days        = 29-30 (depends on actual observation of the moon's crescent)
| season      = 
| gregorian   = 
| holidays    = [[Religion:Isra and Mi'raj|Isra and Mi'raj]]
| prev_month  = [[Religion:Jumada al-Thani|Jumada al-Thani]]
| next_month  = [[Religion:Sha'ban|Sha'ban]]
}}

'''Rajab''' ({{lang-ar|رَجَب}}) is the seventh month of the [[Engineering:Islamic calendar|Islamic calendar]]. The lexical definition of the [[Social:Classical Arabic|classical Arabic]] verb ''rajaba'' is "to respect",<ref name=İÂ>{{cite book |last1=Günay |first1=H.Mehmet |title=RECEB- An article published in 34th volume of Turkish Encyclopedia of Islam |date=2007 |publisher=TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi |location=Istanbul |isbn=978-97-53-89456-2 |pages=506–507 |volume=34 (Osmanpazari - Resuldar) |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/receb |access-date= 21 January 2022|language=tr}}</ref> which could also mean "be awe or be in fear", of which Rajab is a derivative.

This month is regarded as one of the four sacred months (including [[Religion:Muharram|Muharram]], [[Religion:Dhu al-Qadah|Dhu al-Qadah]] and [[Religion:Dhu al-Hijjah|Dhu al-Hijjah]]) in Islam in which battles are prohibited. The pre-Islamic Arabs also considered warfare to be blasphemous during these four months.<ref name="İÂ" />

Muslims believe Rajab is the month in which ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib, the fourth Rashidun caliph, was born.

Rajab is also the month during which [[Religion:Isra and Mi'raj|Isra and Mi'raj]] ([[Biography:Muhammad|Muhammad]]'s journey from Mecca to Jerusalem and then through the seven Heavens) took place.

Rajab and [[Religion:Sha'ban|Shaʿbān]] are a prelude to the holy month of [[Religion:Ramadan|Ramaḍān]].

==Name==
{{unsourced|section|date=January 2024}}
The word "Rajab" came from ''rajūb'' (<big>رجوب</big>), the sense of veneration or glorification, and Rajab was also formerly called ''Mudhar'' because the tribe of ''Mudhar'' did not change it but rather expected its time to be different than the rest of the Arabs, who changed and altered the months according to the state of war.

The name of Rajab literally means respected, regarded, and admired. It seems that the word is originally a Semitic one. There are two important events during the month, namely the birthday of Ali ibn Abi Talib and Muhammad's first revelation in Shia tradition. There are other names for the month, such as Rajab Al-Morrajjab, Rajab Al-Asab, and Rajab Sharif.

===For Shia===
[[Religion:Shia Islam|The Shi'a]] believe that the month has many virtues. According to some narrations, Rajab belongs to [[Biography:Ali|Ali]], while [[Religion:Sha'ban|Shaban]] is for [[Biography:Muhammad|Muhammad]]. [[Biography:Musa al-Kadhim|Musa al-Kadhim]] (the seventh Shia [[Religion:Imam|imam]]) narrated that Rajab is like a river in heaven that is whiter and sweeter than honey.

==Timing==
The [[Engineering:Islamic calendar|Islamic calendar]] is a purely lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a [[Astronomy:New moon|new moon]] is sighted. Since the lunar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Rajab migrates throughout the seasons. The estimated start and end dates for Rajab, based on the [[Engineering:Islamic calendar#Saudi Arabia's Umm al-Qura calendar|Umm al-Qura]] of Saudi Arabia, are:<ref>[https://webspace.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/islam/ummalqura.htm Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia]</ref>

{|class=wikitable style="text-align:right"
|+Rajab dates between 2022 and 2026
|-
!scope="col"|AH
!scope="col"|First day ([[Common Era|CE]]/[[Religion:Anno Domini|AD]])
!scope="col"|Last day ([[Common Era|CE]]/[[Religion:Anno Domini|AD]])
|-
!scope="row"|1443
|{{0}}2 February 2022
|{{0}}3 March 2022
|-
!scope="row"|1444
|23 January 2023
|20&nbsp;February&nbsp;2023
|-
!scope="row"|1445
|13 January 2024
|10&nbsp;February&nbsp;2024
|-
!scope="row"|1446
|{{0}}1 January 2025
|30&nbsp;January&nbsp;2025
|-
!scope="row"|1447
|{{0}}21 December 2025
|19 January 2026
|}

==Events==
* The Battle of Tabouk took place in Rajab, 9&nbsp;AH (October 630).
* The Second pledge at al-Aqabah took place in Rajab.
* 6 Rajab: Many Sufi followers of the Chishti tariqa (path) celebrate the anniversary of Khawaja Moinuddin Chishti.
* 7 Rajab: Twelvers observe the Festival of Imam Musa al-Kazim in dedication of [[Biography:Musa al-Kadhim|Musā' al-Kādhim]]. This is so as to avoid missing celebrating the birth of the seventh imam, which took place in Safar. 
* 22 Rajab, Koonday (tablecloth dinner) is organized by people friendly towards the Imams of the Ahlul Bayt among the Shias of [[Place:South Asia|South Asia]]. It is an occasion for Shias to discuss [[Religion:Allah|Allah]] and the Ahlul Bayt and to strengthen ties among the community with love and compassion.
* 27 Rajab, event of ''[[Religion:Isra and Mi'raj|Isra and Mi'raj]]''.
* 27 Rajab 583 AH, Conquest of Jerusalem<ref>''TDV Encyclopedia of Islam'': Vol.36 (2009), p.339</ref> by the Ayyubids

===Births===
* 1 Rajab: Muhammad al-Baqir
* 4 Rajab: Khwaja Banda Nawaz
* 5 Rajab: ‘Alī al-Hadī
* 9 Rajab: ‘Alī al-Asghar
* 12 Rajab: Muhammad al-Taqī
* 13 Rajab: [[Biography:Ali|‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib]]
* 14 Rajab: Mu'in al-Din Chishti
* 20 Rajab: Sakina bint Hussain

===Deaths===
* 3 Rajab: ‘Alī al-Naqī, Twelver Imam & Uwais al-Qarni
* 8 Rajab: Nazim Al-Haqqani, a Turkish Cypriot Sufi Muslim sheykh and spiritual leader of the Naqshbandi tariqa.
* 14 Rajab: Akhundzada Saif-ur-Rahman Mubarak, the founder of the Naqshbandi Mujaddidi Saifia Tariqa.
* 15 Rajab: Zainab bint Ali
* 18 Rajab: Abraham (according to Shi'a Islam)
* 22 Rajab: rajab I
* 25 Rajab: [[Biography:Musa al-Kadhim|Musā' al-Kādhim]], seventh Twelver Imam
* 26 Rajab: Abu Talib ibn Abdul Muttalib, uncle of [[Biography:Muhammad|Muhammad]] and father of [[Biography:Ali|Ali]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://webspace.science.uu.nl/~gent0113/islam/islam_tabcal.htm Islamic-Western Calendar Converter (Based on the Arithmetical or Tabular Calendar)]


[[Category:Islamic terminology]]

{{Sourceattribution|Rajab}}