GUIDE TO WORSHIP IN MAHE RAJAB & LAYLATUL RAGHAIB

Rajab (Arabic: ب رج‎) is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of Rajaba is "to respect", of which Rajab is a derivative. It is the month eagerly awaited by Shia`ne Ali ibne abi Talib (as). It is a start of Spiritual season which ends at Mahe Ramzan. These three months are unmatched in their importance. Praise be to the Almighty and thanks to Him for granting us yet another opportunity to cleanse ourselves of our sins and oversights.This month is the month of Amir Al-Mo’minin `Ali ibn Abi Talib (as) just as it has been mentioned in the ahadith and as we are also told that the month of Sha`ban is the month of the Messenger of Allah (saww) and the Month of Ramadhan is the month of Allah (swt). 
The first night of this month is one of the four nights in the year which it has been emphasized that we should stay awake in prayer and worship.

Fasting In the Month of Mahe Rajab

Fasting is one of the most recommended acts during this spiritual season. It becomes Wajib during the month of Ramadan, but is highly recommended during the months of Rajab and Sha’baan. As will be noted from the Hadith, fasting, be it for only one day during these months, is rewarded with unlimited bounties. In Sawaab al-Aamal wa Iqaab al-Aamal , the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) went on to mention the specialties and favors that would be showered upon that person who fasted during this month and for every day he fasted, a different favour and bounty would be graced upon him. Our Holy Prophet Muhammad (saww) said, if a person were to fast one day in this month for the belief and hope of reward from Allah (swt), then he would have earned the pleasure of Allah (swt) and the fast of that one day would put out the anger of Allah (swt) and would cause the doors of the hellfire to be closed for him. If the entire land were to be filled with gold and that gold was to be spent in the way of Allah (swt), then even this act would not add up to the bounties of fasting just one day. There is not a single thing in the world that would perfect that person's reward except for good (from Allah (swt) as long as he was sincere to Allah (swt) (in has fasting). When the evening time comes, ten of that person's prayers would be granted, and if he were to supplicate for anything of the worldly life, Allah (swt) would give it to him, and if it were not given to him, then Allah (swt) would preserve that which is greater (than what he supplicated for) and that which the friends, lovers and chosen ones of Allah have prayed to him for.

Duas for the Month Of Mahe Rajab

Apart from Fasting, other special acts are Istigfhar and giving Sadqah.The Holy Prophet(saww) has said, "Rajab is the month for seeking forgiveness, so seek forgiveness from Allah(swt)"
Giving  Sadaqah (charity/alms) is also highly recommended.

Mahe Rajab is the month Of Munajat, there are few Common duas for this month. Out of all Dua, the most significant is the one which is recited after every Wajib Namaz and it starts with “Yaa Man Arjoho Le Kulle Khair”. 

According to Shaykh Abbas Qummi (ar) in Mafateehul Jinaan, this has been taught by Imam Ja`far as-Sadiq (as). Sayyid Ibn Tawus (ar) has narrated that Muhammad ibn Dhakwan—known as ‘al-Sajjad’ due to his remarkable, long prostration during which he used to weep so heavily that he lost his sight asked Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq (as), saying, “May Allah accept me as ransom for you! We are now in Rajab; Please  teach me a supplication due to which Almighty Allah may help me.” Hence, the Imam (a.s) asked him to write down dua (Yaa Man Arjoho Le Kulle Khair) http://www.duas.org/rajab3.htm

Few duas from Sahifa-e-Mahdi

Shaykh al-Tusi has related that these  Duas has been written by the great Shaykh, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Uthmaan ibn Sa'id (as) [2^nd Naaeb-e-Imame Zamana ATFS] -  to be Recited  on each day of the month of Rajab. For Duas Click http://www.duas.org/12imamdua.htm

Ayyame Baydh

13^th, 14^th and 15^th Mahe Rajab are called as “Ayyaam-e-Baydh” The Luminous days. Imam Jafar bin Muhammad As Saadiq (as) had said: " Who so prays during the nights of “Ayyam Bayz”, in fact, stands at the door of superabundant favours, bounties and benefits available in these months"

27th Rajab Eve & Day of Mab'ath ( official Appointment)
Salmaan Farsi narrates that the Final messenger of Allah (saww) said that there is a day in the month of Rajab on which if a person fasts and does Qiyaamul Lail (ShabeDaari) on that night, he will receive rewards like a person who fasts for 100 years and does Qiyaamul Lail for nights of 100 years. This night is the night of the 27th (Rajab) and the day of the 27th (Rajab). This is the day on which Hazrat Muhammad (SAW) was appointed to Messengerhood,

(Tarteeb Shareef page 781)

Ziarat Rajabiyah

Our near and dear ones are going for Ziyarat-e-Masoomeen (as).There is one Special Ziyarat named as “Ziarat Rajabiyah”. Abu Qasim Husain Ibn Ruh (as) [2^nd Naaeb-e-Imame Zamana ATFS] said "Anyone who recites this Ziarah in any of the Ziarat places of Ahlulbayt(as) , his requests will be granted & all his supplications for Religion & this world would be accepted" 

(Misbaahul Mutahajjid 821, Misbahu Zzair 493, Al Mizaarul Kabeer 203) 

It is highly recommended to visit Holy Shrine Of Imam Reza (as) in Rajab and also to go for Umrah is highly recommended.

'Lailatul Raghaib' (Night Of Desires) - First Thursday of Rajab month

Syed ibn Taawus (ar) in Iqbal al-A’mal and Allamah Majlisi (ar) in Ijazate Bani Zuhrah has mentioned the reward of the Prayers of this Night. The Holy Prophet (saww) has said, that these prayers are Means of forgiveness and On the FIRST NIGHT in our grave, the Almighty will send the reward off this prayer in the best,enlightened and eloquent form.When inquired, will reply, ‘My Beloved, glad tidings to you that you have found salvation from every hardship and horror.When asked ‘Who are you?’ By God I haven't seen any one more beautiful than you, I haven't heard a word sweeter than yours or a fragrance better than you?’ In reply ‘I am that prayer which you offered on the eve off the first Friday of the month of Rajab. I have come to you to be your companion in this loneliness to remove from you your fright and horror.Be lest assured that my shelter will be with you until the blowing off the Horn off the Day off Judgment.’

Description of above prayer is as follows:

It is recommended to fast on the first Thursday & between Maghrib & Isha recite 12 Rak’at namaz in six sets of 2 units

In every Rak’at after surah al Hamd recite 3 times Surah al-Qadr & 12 times Surah  Ikhlaas

After completing the full prayer recite :-

Then One must pray Almighty Allah for fulfilling one’s needs, for surely they will be granted Inshallah.

In this Holy Month May ALLAH (swt ) give us Tawfheeq to do as much Istegfaar, recite Duas and do Aamaal and most important to pray for the Reappearance of Imame Zamana (atfs ) and to give more strength  to serve the Hujjat (atfs) in upcoming months  untill we die Inshallah.

Introduction To The Book : Haqqul Yaqeen

The book HaqqulYaqeen has been written by the renowned scholar Allamah Mohammed BaqerMajlisi (a.r.). 

Other famous books penned by the author are:

1.     Bihar-ul-Anwaar (Ocean of Light) – 110 Volumes

2.    Ain-ul- Hayat (Essence of Life)

3.    Miraat-ul-Uqool  (Mirror of Intellects) – 26 volumes

4.    MalaazulAkhyaar (Shelter of the upright people) – 16 volumes

5.    Zaad-ul-Maad (Provisions for the Hereafter)

6.    Tuhfatul-Zaer ( A Gift for the Pilgrims)

7.    Hilyatul-Muttaqeen

8.    Al-Faredh al Tarifah

The book HaqqulYaqeen implies “Certainty of Faith”. The intention of the author for writing this book is as follows:

“It is known from many hadith and Quranic verses that worship without marefah is incorrect and unacceptable. Thus, the first thing, which is obligatory on the duty-bound is to acquire faith. However many people are oblivious of this fact and are ignorant of the religion.

Some people have acquired faith in religious beliefs from other people who are also defective like them. They did not examine it critically and were content to blindly follow others. From the stage of mere conjecture they never stepped to the higher stage of certainty and obedience.”

Hence we see in this book the author has compiled the important principles of belief in brief but sufficient,and presented them in a clear and lucid manner.

This book is a must read for all those who would like to know what are the fundamental beliefs of Shia IthnaAshari Faith.

Fundamentals like Tauheed and Adl are covered in Chapters 1,2 and 3. Wherein the author discusses the existence of the Creator , attributes of Allah and their implications, qualities related to acts of God etc. Since the discussion of Tauheed is difficult the guidance of a teacher may be beneficial.

Tauheed is followed by the discussion on Prophethood which is covered in chapter 4. Here the author discusses about infallibility, miracles of Prophets, qualities of Prophet, Superiority of Imams and Prophets over angels, Miracles of Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s) and Special qualities of Prophet (s.a.w.s).

The discussion of Imamat follows Prophethood in Chapter 5. This chapter occupies major portion of the book, hence indicating the importance of the matter. In this chapter the author brings about the following discussions:

1.     Necessity of Declaration of Imam.

2.    Requirements of Imam,

3.    Qualifications of an Imam.

4.    Specialties of Imam.

5.    Recognition of Imam

6.    Imamate and Superiority of Ameerul Momineen (a.s.) – In this part of the book the author mentions 21 exclusive qualities from quranic verses.

7.    Widely related traditions of the two sects. – In this the author brings traditions on following topics :

a.    Tradition of GhadeerKhum

b.    Hadith Manzelah

c.    Love of Ali(a.s.) for Allah

d.    Special Position of Imam

e.    Truth is always with Ameerul Momineen (a.s.)

f.    Superiority of Imam Ali (a.s.) over all companions as confessed by AhleSunnat

g.    Tradtions from AhleSunnat Books declaring Imamate of Imam Ali (a.s.).

8.    Crimes of those who usurped the right of Imam Ali (a.s.) – This is the most noteworthy part of the book. In this the author has compiled all the misdeeds of the 3 usurpers at one place. For Abu Bakr, the author has brought nine indictments. For Umar, the author has brought eleven indictments and seven innovations which he has introduced in the religion. For Uthman, the author has brought 10 indictments.

9.    The chapter then continues with the discussion of Mahdaviyat and concludes with the discussion on Rajat.

After the discussion of Imamat is complete the author brings the discussion of Resurrection in which he brings proofs of Physical Resurrection, objections against physical resurrection and its refutations. The author also discusses about the stages after death till Qiyamat.

To conclude, we can say, in today’s scenario wherein everyone is preaching his own thoughts on religion and understanding religion on his own whims and fancies, this book offers a ray of hope for those who would like to understand religion from the proper sources of knowledge ie. Quran and Traditions of Ahlul Bayt(a.s.).

May Almighty give us taufeeq to understand the concepts mentioned in this book so that we can gain true marefah of religion.Ameen.

The Reality of TAQWA

The word ‘Taqwa’ is derived from the root ‘waqaya’ which means ‘to safeguard’ or ‘to abstain’. In the Islamic terminology it is defined as the action of restraining oneself from disobeying the commands of Allah. When Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) was asked to elaborate on the meaning of the word, ‘Taqwa’ he replied, “Submit to the command (of Allah) and do not go near the prohibited.” It means that one should endeavor to fulfill all the commands of Allah and abstain from the prohibited things. On the basis of this, Taqwa is classified into two types:

The first type of Taqwa consists of compulsory obedience to Allah in fulfilling the compulsory duties (wajibaat) and not leaving even a single duty unperformed. The obligatory commands (wajibaat) are those which, if not carried out, invite the wrath of Allah. Also, as far as possible one should try not to forgo the recommended acts (Mustahabbaat). The recommended acts are those, which if performed earn blessings but if not carried out do not make one liable for punishment.

Types of Taqwa According to Allama Majlisi¹

According to AllamaMajlisi (r.a.) there are four types of ‘Taqwa’

1. ‘Wara-e-Ta’beeri- which means to abstain from the prohibited things.

2. ‘Wara-e-Saleheen’- To abstain from doubtful things so that one may not commit a Haraam act.

3. ‘Wara-e-Muttaqeen’- To abstain from permissible things so that one is absolutely protected from ‘Haraam’.

4. ‘Wara-e-Sadeqeen’- To avoid everything that is not religious so that one may not waste precious time in useless acts, even though there may not be any risk of committing a sin.

Deeds (Actions) Without Taqwa = zero (0) Nullified

The Holy Prophet (S) said:

“On the Day of Judgement there would be people whose good deeds will be as heavy as the mountains of Tahama. Inspite of this it would be ordered that they be tossed into the fire of Hell.”

Upon this someone said, “O! the Prophet of Allah (S), were these people performing Salāt (prayers)?”,

“Yes, they used to pray, and fast, and also spend a part of the night in worship. But, whenever they chanced upon something which gave them pleasure, they used to rush to it without thinking whether it was right or wrong.”

Lack Of Piety – Spoils The Foundation

Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq (a.s.) said,
“Strive more to perform good deeds. However if you cannot perform a good act (at least) do not disobey (the commands of Allah). Because if one lays the foundation of a building and does not spoil it, then, even if the progress is slow, the building will definitely rise. (Conversely) The person who lays the foundation and at the same time spoils it, then it is sure that the walls of this building will never be raised.”²

Taqwa - Best Provisions for the Hereafter

Allah says in Holy Quran - “For those among them who did good and acted piously there will be a great reward."³

Imam Ali (as) said,

While returning from Siffin, Imam Ali passed along the cemetery of Kufa. Addressing the graves he said: "O you, who are lying in horrible and deserted houses. O you, who are shut up in the dark graves, who are alone in their abodes, strangers to the places assigned to them; you have gone ahead and preceded us, while we are also following your steps and shall shortly join you. Do you know what has happened aver you? Your houses and property was taken up by others, your widows have remarried, this is what we can tell you of this world. Can you give us some news about things around you?" Saying this, Imam Ali turned to his companions and said, "If they are permitted to speak they will inform you that the best provision for the next world is piety and virtue".4

Taqwa – Self Purification & Cure For Psychic Diseases

The Commander of the Faithful Imam' Ali (A) said:
"Piety is the only cure for wickedness of your heart. It is the Divine Light to expel darkness of your heart. It is a remedy for your ailing mind. It is the only way of improvement for your corrupt soul. It purifies your conscience. It brings back sight to the eyes blinded by ignorance of truth."5

A Beautiful Garden - Prepared For Pious Ones

(133) وَسَارِعُواْ إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَاوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ

"And hasten towards forgiveness from your Lord, and a Garden whose width is (as) the heavens and the earth, prepared for the pious ones."

-the Holy Quran (3:133)

Finally, we conclude with this tradition from - Imam Ja’far ibn Muhammad as-Sadiq (a.s):

“A person who would like to be among the companions of al-Qa’im should be in a state of (active) waiting (Intidhar), and perform all of his deeds with Wara’ and with the most beautiful etiquette and then one will be counted as being in a state of (true) waiting (Intidhar). Then if such a person was to die and al-Qa’im was to make his advent after this, then that person would receive the reward as the one who witnessed his (al-Mahdi’s) advent.”

[Biharul Anwar, Vol.52, Pg.140; al-Ghaybah of al-Nu’mani]

So, we must all pray to Allah to give us taufeeq to acquire taqwa as He wants & include us among his (a.t.f.s) companions.

1.     Greater Sin, Vol.1

2.    Iddat’ud-Dai, page 235

3.    Holy Quran (3:172)

4.    NahjulBalagah, Saying No.129

5.    NahjulBalagha, letter no.198.