The Three Blessed Months- Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadan

The three blessed months, also known as the spiritual development season for Muslims, are the months of Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadan, which coincide with the 7th, 8th and 9th months of the Hijri calendar. It is mentioned in hadiths that the rewards for good deeds get multiplied in these months.

Rasulullah (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) felt the excitement and joy of reaching Ramadan at the beginning of the month of Rajab and expressed it in his duas.

Anas (‎رضي الله عنه) said that when Rajab came, Rasulullah (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said,

“O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and bring us to Ramadan.” *

In each of these blessed months, there are special days and nights when Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) increases rewards and bestows gifts in abundance.

The first Thursday night of the month of Rajab is the Laylat al-Raghaib. Raghaib is an Arabic word derived from the word “ra-gha-ba” meaning “to desire” or “to tend toward”. It is believed that the duas made on this night are accepted. Another important night of the month of Rajab is the Laylat al-Miraj, which is the 27th night. The miracles of Isra and Miraj took place on this night, and salah was made obligatory for all Muslims.

In the month of Sha’ban, there is a night called Laylat al-Baraat which means the night of forgiveness. On this night, births and deaths that will take place in the upcoming year are determined, sustenance is distributed and deeds are presented to Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى).

Lastly, there is the month of Ramadan, known as the “Sultan of 11 Months”. This month includes the Laylat al-Qadr “The Night of Power”, in which the Qur’an was revealed. Therefore it is considered to be better than a thousand months.

Known as the season of spiritual attainment, these months can also be considered a time of opportunity to build some good habits. Auliya-Allah defined these months as the season of spiritual harvest.

Imam Abu Bakr al-Warraq said: “In the month of Rajab you sow the seeds, in Sha’ban you irrigate them and in Ramadan, you reap the harvest.” He also said: “Rajab is like a wind, Sha’ban is like a cloud and Ramadan is like rain.”

In this analogy, there is an incentive to make intentions at Rajab and begin good deeds, to increase them in Sha’ban, and to make them habits in Ramadan.

Some practices that can be made into a habit both individually and as a family during this time period may be as follows;

Qur’an time: Short meetings can be held daily where the Qur’an and its translation are read together as a family.

Salawat competition: Family members can be encouraged to send plenty of salawat to our Prophet (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ). This can be turned into a fun family competition and everyone can be encouraged to submit the salawat they recited to the “8 Billion Salawat” website on behalf of the people all over the world.

Giving gifts: Especially on holy nights such as Laylat al-Raghaib, al-Baraat and al-Miraj, small gifts can be given to children to make these blessed months feel special. Children can also be encouraged to give gifts to their friends.

Fasting: Another important deed recommended in this blessed season is fasting. Using the benefits of these sacred months, one can try to make a habit of fasting on Mondays and Thursdays, on Ayyam al-Biyd and also at the beginning, middle and end of each month. This was the sunnah of Rasulullah (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ).

Charity: The reward for helping the needy increases during these days. Besides providing food and clothing to those in need, you can also donate your time and become a volunteer at your local mosque or community center.

May Allah (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) grant us the ability to use this season of spiritual blessings as an opportunity. May He (سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَىٰ) accept our ibadah, and enable us to live our lives according to His Pleasure.

As Rasulullah (صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said:

“O Allah, bless us in Rajab and Sha’ban and bring us to Ramadan.”

Amin

*Baihaqi transmitted it in [Kitab] ad-Da’awat al-kabir.

Nurgül Çelik

Jan 2024- Rajab 1444