#251: Ruling on Fasting the Entire Month of Rajab

QUESTION

“Question: Is fasting from the month of Rajab to the month of ramadan permissible in Islam?”

Answer

Alhamdulillāh!

On the Virtues of observing the Fast in the month of Rajab, there are two broad positions by the Ulamā.

The first: that its fast is recommended and preferred.

This is the position of the majority of the Fuqahā from the Hanafī, the Mālikī and the Shāfi’ī schools.

Their evidence is based on the generality of the Ahādith that recommended honouring the four Sacred months – Rajab is one of these months by consensus.

Of them is the Hadīth of Abū Mujībati Al-Bāhilī that the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – said:

صم من الحُرُم واترك، صم من الحرم واترك

“Observe the Fast of the Sacred months, and leave of it some (days)”

Its recorded by Abū Dāwud and Imām Ahmad.

Some of the Ulamā have graded the Hadīth as weak, but it is strenghtened by other similar narrations.

The Second, which is the position of the Hanbalī School: that singling out the Fast of Rajab is Makrūh.

The evidence for this is that there is nothing from the Sahih Hadīth specifically mentioning the virtues of the fast of Rajab aside the generality of the virtues of the sacred months.

Of note, the Hanbalis agree that there is nothing wrong with observing some part of the month. The Ulamā therefore have a consensus on this.

For this reason, Shaykhu Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah – rahimahullāh – said in Al-Fatāwā:

“As for the singling out of the Fast of Rajab, the entirety of its Ahādith are weak, even fabricated. The People of Knowledge do not rely on anything of it. It isn’t even of the weak Hadīth that are quoted by virtue of the merits it encourages. Instead, its generality are of the fabrications and lies…”

He also said:

“In the Musnad and other references lie the Hadīth from the Prophet – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – that he encouraged the fast of the sacred months: these are Rajab, Dhul Qa’adah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. This refers to the virtues of fasting the entire four months and not Rajab in single.”

As for fasting the entirety of Rajab, then this is a Bid’ah among the innovations that people bring into Islām from Jahiliyyah.

It is mentioned in Ar-Rawdu Al-Murbi’:

“And it is disliked to single out the entire month of Rajab with fast because this is a form of reviving the symbols of Jahiliyyah…”_

And it is not reported from the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – or from any of His Companions that they used to fast the entire month of Rajab

And Allah knows best

Bārakallāhu fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran