Rajab is a sacred month, known as the Month of Allah.

It is a month of Istighfar seeking forgiveness through which we cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Through Istighfar, hearts are purified and made ready to receive the divine gifts of Allah.

Rajab is a month in which Allah bestows special blessings upon His servants. Among them is a loving gaze from Him. One gaze is sufficient to protect a servant from the Hellfire. Yet these gifts reach only the hearts that have been prepared to receive them. It is our sins that veil us from fully experiencing Allah’s generosity.

With the sighting of the moon, tonight marks the first night of Rajab, Inshallah. A noble and blessed night in which Allah frees souls from punishment. As this night approaches, we should busy ourselves with Istighfar, preparing our hearts for the vast mercy and magnanimity of this sacred month.

Due to the sanctity of Rajab, good deeds are multiplied; a single act of charity is rewarded as thirty, and one prayer as thirty. However, the opposite is also true: sins are multiplied as well. A single act of backbiting is counted thirtyfold. For this reason, we must strive to increase our good deeds and guard ourselves from sin during Rajab and beyond. Our beloved Prophet ﷺ taught us:

Rajab is the Month of Allah. Sha‘bān is the Month of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.Ramadan is the Month of his Ummah ﷺ.

Rajab is the month of Istighfar,
Sha‘bān is the long of of Salawāt,
and Ramadan is the month of the Qur’an.

From Rajab until Ramadan, the Prophet ﷺ taught us to frequently recite the following du‘ā’:

اللهم بارك لنا في رجب وشعبان وبلغنا رمضان

“O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha‘bān and allow us to reach Ramadan.”

Rajab is a time for soul decluttering; removing the bad habits and sins accumulated over the past year. Our hearts grow heavy with sins, and in order to fully reap the rewards of Ramadan, we must first sow the seeds in Rajab, water them in Sha‘bān, and then harvest the fruits in Ramadan, in shā’ Allāh.

This is a month to cleanse our hearts, minds, and bodies from all that causes harm. Rajab is also among the best months for fasting, bringing immense spiritual and physical benefit. It is narrated that:

“Whoever fasts frequently in Rajab will drink from a river sweeter than honey and whiter than milk.”

And in another narration:

“Whoever fasts the beginning, middle, and end of Rajab, it is as though he fasted the entire month.”

We should begin a deep spiritual cleansing with presence of heart, reciting the following Istighfar 70 times after Fajr and ‘Ishā’:

رب اغفر لي وارحمني وتب علي

“My Lord, forgive me, have mercy on me, and accept my repentance.”

It is said that whoever consistently recites this Istighfar will be protected from the Fire of Jahannam.

How generous is our Lord that He grants immense rewards for simple acts. Yet, as my teacher once said, when a person carries many sins, the soul becomes burdened, making acts of worship feel heavy. This is why extra worship feels difficult, yet we find endless energy for worldly pursuits. The weakness, then, is not of the body, but of a soul weighed down by sin.

May Allah grant us sincere tawbah, cleanse our hearts, accept our deeds, and admit us into His boundless mercy and Jannatul Firdaus.

Ameen.

Until next time…

Peace be with you.