View source for Rajab

{{Short description|Seventh month of the Islamic calendar}}
{{About|the seventh month of the Islamic calendar}}
{{Infobox month
| alt         = 
| caption     = [[Isra and Mi'raj]]
| native_name = {{Native name|ar|رَجَب}}
| calendar    = [[Islamic calendar]]
| num         = 7
| days        = 29-30 (depends on actual observation of the moon's crescent)
| season      = 
| gregorian   = 
| holidays    = [[Isra and Mi'raj]]
| prev_month  = [[Jumada al-Thani]]
| next_month  = [[Sha'ban]]
}}
{{IslamicMonths sidebar}}

'''Rajab''' ({{langx|ar|رَجَب}}) is the seventh month of the [[Islamic calendar]]. The lexical definition of the [[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 [[Muharram]], [[Dhu al-Qadah]] and [[Dhu al-Hijjah]]) in Islam in which battles are prohibited. The [[pre-Islamic Arabia|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 first Shia Imam and the fourth [[Rashidun caliph]], was born.

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

Rajab and [[Sha'ban|Shaʿbān]] are a prelude to the holy month of [[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 languages|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.

===The 27th of Rajab===
Shias believe that the month of Rajab is one of the 4 holy months. The 27th of Rajab 5 verses of the Quran(first 5 verses of Surah al alaq) slowly ascended from the 4th heaven to Muhammad while in cave of hira. Shias believe the remainder of the Quran was later given directly to Muhammad's heart during the month of Ramadan. It is recommended to fast as many days as possible in the month of Rajab and highly recommended on the 27th of Rajab.

==Timing==
The [[Islamic calendar]] is a purely [[lunar calendar]], and months begin when the first crescent of a [[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 [[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 2023 and 2027
|-
!scope="col"|[[Anno Hegirae|AH]]
!scope="col"|First day ([[Common Era|CE]]/[[Anno Domini|AD]])
!scope="col"|Last day ([[Common Era|CE]]/[[Anno Domini|AD]])
|-
!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
|-
!scope="row"|1448
|{{0}}10 December 2026
|8 January 2027
|}

==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 [[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, In India and Pakistan, Koonday (tablecloth dinner) is organized. It is an occasion for Muslims to discuss [[Allah]] and the [[Ahlul Bayt]] and to strengthen ties among the Sunni Sufi community with love and compassion.
* 27 Rajab, event of ''[[Isra and Mi'raj]]''.
* 27 Rajab 583 AH, [[Siege of Jerusalem (1187)|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: [[Bande Nawaz|Khwaja Banda Nawaz]]
* 5 Rajab: ‘[[Ali al-Hadi|Alī al-Hadī]]
* 9 Rajab: [[Ali al-Asghar ibn Husayn|‘Alī al-Asghar]]
* 10 Rajab : Sheikh Saleh(S.k.) Nazrul Islam (10-Rajab-1416)
* 12 Rajab: [[Muhammad al-Taqi|Muhammad al-Taqī]]
* [[13 Rajab]]: [[Ali|‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib]]
* 14 Rajab: [[Mu'in al-Din Chishti]]
* 20 Rajab: [[Sakina bint Hussain]]

===Deaths===
* 3 Rajab: [[Ali al-Hadi|‘Alī al-Naqī]], Twelver Imam & [[Uwais al-Qarni]]
* 8 Rajab: [[Nazim Al-Haqqani]], a Turkish Cypriot Sufi Muslim sheikh 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]]
* 22 Rajab: [[Mu'awiya]], first caliph of the Umayyad Caliphate
* 25 Rajab: [[Musa al-Kadhim|Musā' al-Kādhim]], seventh Twelver Imam
* 25 Rajab: [[Al-Nawawi]], [[Shafiʽi school|Shafi'ite]] jurist and hadith scholar
* 26 Rajab: [[Abu Talib ibn Abdul Muttalib]], uncle of [[Muhammad]] and father of [[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)]

{{IslamicMonths}}
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[[Category:Months of the Islamic calendar|7]]
[[Category:Islamic terminology]]