Rajab () is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of the classical Arabic verb rajaba is "to respect", 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'l-Qa'da and Dhu'l-Hijja) in Islam in which battles are prohibited. The pre-Islamic Arabs also considered warfare to be blasphemous during these four months. record accounts of the event, though they differ regarding its exact date. Many Muslim communities observe the 27th of Rajab with prayers, sermons, or devotional gatherings, but scholars note that there is no consensus in early Islamic tradition that the event occurred specifically on this day. While both Sunni and Shia scholars affirm the occurrence of the Israʾ and Miʿraj, not all agree on its precise timing, with some considering the 27th of Rajab a later popular attribution rather than a firmly established date.

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 Umm al-Qura of Saudi Arabia, are:

{|class=wikitable style="text-align:right"

|+Rajab dates between 2024 and 2028

|-

!scope="col"|AH

!scope="col"|First day (CE/AD)

!scope="col"|Last day (CE/AD)

|-

!scope="row"|1445

|13 January 2024

|10 February 2024

|-

!scope="row"|1446

|1 January 2025

|30 January 2025

|-

!scope="row"|1447

|21 December 2025

|19 January 2026

|-

!scope="row"|1448

|10 December 2026

|8 January 2027

|-

!scope="row"|1449

|29 November 2027

|28 December 2027

|-

!scope="row"|1450

|18 November 2028

|16 December 2028

|}

Events

  • The Battle of Tabouk took place in Rajab, 9 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 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, Conquest of Jerusalem by the Ayyubids

Births

  • 1 Rajab: Muhammad al-Baqir
  • 4 Rajab: Khwaja Banda Nawaz
  • 5 Rajab: ‘Alī al-Hadī
  • 9 Rajab: ‘Alī al-Asghar
  • 12 Rajab: Muhammad al-Taqī
  • 13 Rajab: ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib
  • 14 Rajab: Mu'in al-Din Chishti
  • 20 Rajab: Sakina bint Hussain

Deaths

  • 3 Rajab: ‘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: Musā' al-Kādhim, seventh Twelver Imam
  • 25 Rajab: Al-Nawawi, Shafi'ite jurist and hadith scholar
  • 26 Rajab: Abu Talib ibn Abdul Muttalib, uncle of Muhammad and father of Ali

References

  • Islamic-Western Calendar Converter (Based on the Arithmetical or Tabular Calendar)
  • 27 rajab (shab e meraj)