Why are some Muslims ‘psychologically’ obsessed with the month of Rajab?

Inspired by Yusuf al-Qaradawi’s answers in his book ‘Fatawa Mu`asirah’

I am quite surprised and sad when some Muslims are so ‘psychologically’ obsessed in performing some so-called `ibadah/rituals in the month of Rajab that they claim will receive huge (to the extent TOO huge) rewards from Allah.  It has psychologically shaped the behaviour and mental processes of Muslims that are not heard of during the best generation of Sahabah/Companion RAA.

Can we accept the fact first and foremost that: There is no sahih/valid hadith about the advantages of the month of Rajab over other months.  The ONLY advantageous status of the month of Rajab is: it is similar to the months of Dhu al-Qi`dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram i.e. the months when war is haram/prohibited.  Have you noticed that most people who wrote about the hadith on the advantages/benefits/fadilat of Rajab rarely provide the takhrij and tahqiq of the hadith i.e. the complete list of narrators, the status of the narrators (thiqah/reliable or da`if/weak), and the status of the hadith (sahih/valid, hasan/good, da`if/weak, or mawdu`/fabricated?

It is desirable/mustahab/mandub/sunnah to perform sawm/fasting during the four months of ‘haram’ which include  Rajab.  But there is no such thing as performing fasting/sawm BECAUSE it is Rajab (and only Rajab).  Instead, we should perform sawm because it is ONE OF the months of haram (ashhur al-hurum).  But, don’t try to trick yourself.  If you are only excited to perform fasting during the month of Rajab, you are most likely still ‘psychologically’ obsessed with fada’il/fadilat of Rajab. This is because there a lot of hadith da`if and mawdu` on the fadilat of Rajab month compared to the month of Dhu al-Qi`dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram.  And some people are influenced more the wordings rather than the validity of the hadiths.

I know some Muslims may not feel comfortable with this because they have been ‘psychologically’ learned/trained to believe in certain rewards in Rajab if they perform certain rituals.  After all, psychology of learning will explain that all human being will perform a behaviour that will lead to rewards.  So, I can understand/emphatise the reasons why some Muslims continue doing so.

But, what if the rewards are imaginary or false?  Isn’t it a waste of your `ibadah?  A scientific theory is guarded/criticised by its scientific methodology.  The same with a hadith which is guarded/evaluated by its scientific methodology mentioned in the `ulum/sciences of hadith.  How do you feel if you received a ‘monopoly’ money instead of real money after a hard-day’s work.  You thought it is a real money, but when you want to buy something using that money, it is rejected! You can’t blame the people who lie to you, people  whom you’ve trusted.  You should have asked the authority (e.g. Central Bank and Security Commission).  The same with hadith, ask the scholars of hadith before you want to practice one.

The hadith: “Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha`ban is my (Prophet Muhammad SAW) month, and Ramadan is the month of my ummah/people” is a munkar/rejected hadith, a da`if/weak hadith, and some even claim that it is a mawdu` (forged/fabricated/false) hadith - no matter how nice the hadith sounds.

Some Muslims even perform fasting/sawm on 27th of Rajab, the date where it is claimed that Isra’ Mi`raj event took placed.  By the way, the exact date is not agreed upon.  So, how can you be sure that you will receive reward if you are fasting on that day?  And even if the date of Isra’ Mi`raj is agreed upon (which it is NOT), there is no sahih/valid hadith that promise you reward if you perform sawm/fasting on 27th of Rajab.  What would non-Muslims think of us if our behaviours/`ibadah are not really based on strong religious background!

Dear Muslim brothers/sisters.  The sahabah is the best generations.  They are generously praised as a group, in the Qur’an and Hadith.  Some of them are even individually guaranteed a place in jannah/paradise.  Let us follow how and when they perform `ibadah ritual based on Qur’an and sahih hadith.  And let’s not forget that their whole life is given to Allah to promote Islam via da`wah, tarbiyyah, and jihad, not just ritualistic `ibadah.  That is how we and/or our ancestors received Islam.  I believe we should follow them as our models.

Some of our Muslim youngsters (and not-so-youngsters) are way far from the true Islamic way of life in terms of `ibadah wajibat/obligatory, and mandub/desirable.  There are still many wajib things that we have not done or are not doing.  So, why do we need to add more `ibadah ‘created’ by our ownselves that may be perceived as burdening?  Now we have one group obsessed with secular way of life, and another group obsessed with imaginary `ibadah.  We need to change the psyche/mind-set of Muslims.  Alhamdulillah, there are still Muslims out there promoting Islam in its purest, most comprehensive, peace-loving/rahmah, fair/`adalah, and beautiful image.  I am not with those who like to promote Islam in an aggressive manner or interpret Islam in a rigid/literal manner.

If you feel that it is still psychologically difficult to get rid of these fadhail or fadhilah Rajab, I suggest that you go on and perform the sawm with the intention that is one of the months of Haram, plus perform fasting during the other three months of Haram.  You can also still perform sawm every Monday and Thursday or sawm on the three ‘white’ days in the middle of the month, or sawm Nabi Dawud AS during the month of Rajab, if you want - and those are confirmed based on hadith sahih (with confirmed reward!).

But sooner or later, you have to train your mind/psyche that Muslims should only use hadith sahih and hasan when it comes to performing `ibadah. If you want to use hadith da`if, you may treat them as supportive evidences for fadhilat/encouragement purpose, BUT the evidence of the `ibadah existence/legality should be based on hadith sahih.  Hadith da`if - what more mawdu` - should not be used to establish the existence/legality of such important religious issue such as `ibadah (in this case fasting during Rajab month) which only Allah (and His Rasul via hadith sahih) has the authority.

To check whether you are ‘psychologically’ obsessed with the month of Rajab or not, try to ask yourself “Am I MORE enthusiastic to perform sawm/fasting during the month of Rajab  - which is not based on hadith sahih - compared to performing sawm/fasting during the month of Sha`ban - which is based on hadith sahih narrated by Bukhari and Muslim.  If the answer is yes, perhaps you are ‘psychologically’ obsessed with it, hoping that you will receive the (sometimes) illogical and over-the-top rewards promised in hadith da`if and mawdu`.  We better ask ourselves whether we have perform other sunnah/desirable sawm/fasting or`amal (what more the wajib obligatory `amal) that are clearly established by Qur’an and hadith sahih before we perform rituals which are not established by hadith da`if/mawdu`.

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, discouraging Muslims to perform sawm/fasting during the month of Rajab.  Please do so.  It is for our own good too.  But make sure, we do it for the right reason.  ‘Right’ is defined as ‘based on the Qur’an and Hadith Sahih.” I just want to ensure that you and I will really receive the rewards that we deserve for our sincere effort -  not just false hope.  Just remember that the month of Rajab is still very special to Muslims; as equally special as the other three months - Dhu al-Qi`dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram - no more, no less.

I don’t believe that “highlighting that there is no single hadith sahih and hasan on the fadhail/fadhilah of the month of Rajab” will demotivate people to perform `ibadah in this month.  On the contrary, I believe people will now may increase their `ibadah especially sawm/fasting in four months instead of just one!  Isn’t that wonderful.  Just remember that only Allah and His Messenger has the right to say *when* is the desirable/mandub/mustahab/sunnah time to perform sawm/fasting.  And we don’t have the right to promise spiritual rewards (i.e. by using hadith da`if and mawdu`) if they are never promised by Allah and His messenger.  If you dare to promise, don’t say that Allah and Messenger had promised because it is a lie against them.  And if you dare to promise, say that it is *your* promise - but remember that you don’t have the right to do so.

I believe that there are ‘psychological’ hikmah why those four months are chosen as the months which are desirable to perform sawm/fasting.  The month of Dhu al-Qi`dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram come after the month of full-month fasting i.e. Ramadan and the month of 6-day fasting i.e. Shawwal.  Therefore, performing sawm/fasting during the next three months will maintain the momentum of iman and `amal.  After that, several normal months will come until the month of Rajab where we need to increase the momentum slowly again, increase it more during the month of Sha`ban before going full-force during the month of Ramadan in optimising iman and `amal.

So, how can we optimise the benefits from the month of Rajab - since we have psychologically learnt to be enthusiastic about it?  We don’t want to waste this ‘psychological’ motivation and sink back to our ‘normal’ low level of iman and `amal, do we?    Personally, in addition to fasting during this month (PLUS the other three months), I think we will also benefit (behaviourally, cognitively, and spiritually) if we use the month of Rajab to contemplate on the historical events happenned during this month e.g. (1) The first Hijrah/Migration to Habshah, (2) Isra’ Mi`raj, (3) War of Tabuk, (4) the independence of Bait al-Maqdis, and (5) the birth of Imam Shafi`i RH.  After all, Prophet Muhammad SAW had sacrificed a lot in changing the ‘psyche’ of the Arabs until they became the leaders of the world in a few decades and lasted for several centuries.  And the Companions/Sahabah RAA liked to maintain this psychological motivation by telling stories/maghazi to their friends and younger generations.

Do you think the enemies of Islam will fear of Muslims becoming the world superpower if we perform all those (not-supported-by-sunnah) rituals during Rajab? Or perhaps they will be more fearful if we psychologically changed our mind and behaviour due to lessons that we learned from those historical event (in addition to pracitising the usual salat nafilah, sawm, tilawah, dhikr, qiyamullayl, etc.)?

Caution: I do not believe in aggressive and unkind methods of changing people’s behaviour.  I believe in a ‘psychological’ or ‘hikmah’ approach which is the Prophetic approach.  You just have to ask yourself: Is your aim is to change people’s behaviour at the right place and the right time (which is the aim shared by both psychology and da`wah) or just to say something that you believe is right without the care of its (negative) effect (to them, that is, not to you).  I hope you’ll agree with me that we should answer ‘yes’ to the first part of the question.  Remember, there’s nothing wrong - technically - with the behaviour of performing sawm/fasting during the month of Rajab.  It is the attitude toward sunnah/hadith that need to be changed - with hikmah.

Note: To read my blogpost on the Psychology of Isra’ and Mi`raj, click here.

Yours Islamically and psychologically,

Alizi Alias