Preparation for Ramadan - the month of Rajab

Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The month of Rajab is one of the sacred months of which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein”
[al-Tawbah 9:36]
The sacred months are: Rajab, Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram.
Al-Bukhaari (4662) and Muslim (1679) narrated from Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The year is twelve months, of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which comes between Jumaada and Sha’baan.
These months are called sacred for two reasons:
1- Because fighting therein is forbidden unless initiated by the enemy
2- Because transgression of the sacred limits therein is worse than at other times.
Hence Allaah has forbidden us to commit sins during these months, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“wrong not yourselves therein”
[al-Tawbah 9:36]
Although committing sins is haraam and forbidden during these months and at other times, in these months it is more forbidden.
Al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said (p. 373):
In the phrase “wrong not yourselves therein”, the pronoun may be understood as referring to twelve months. Allaah states that He has made them a measure of time for His slaves, which they may use for worshipping Him, and thank Allaah for His blessings, and they serve the interests of His slaves, so beware of wronging yourselves therein.
The pronoun may also be understood as referring to the four sacred months, and this forbids them to wrong themselves in those months in particular, as well as it being forbidden to do wrong at all times, because it is more forbidden at this time, but it is worse at this time than at others. End quote.
Secondly:
With regard to fasting the month of Rajab, there is no saheeh hadeeth to indicate that there is any special virtue in fasting all or part of this month.
What some people do, singling out some days of Rajab for fasting, believing that they are better than others, has no basis in sharee’ah.
But there is a report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which indicates that it is mustahabb to fast during the sacred months (and Rajab is one of the sacred months). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Fast some days of the sacred months and not others.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2428; classed as da’eef by al-Albaani in Da’eef Abi Dawood.
Even if this hadeeth were saheeh, it indicates that it is mustahabb to fast during the sacred months. So if a person fasts during Rajab because of this, and he also fasts in the other sacred months, there is nothing wrong with that. But singling out Rajab for fasting is not right.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (25/290):
As for fasting in Rajab in particular, the ahaadeeth concerning that are all da’eef (weak), and in fact mawdoo’ (fabricated). The scholars do not rely on any of them. They are not among the da’eef ahaadeeth which have been narrated concerning virtues, rather most of them are fabricated and false. In al-Musnad and elsewhere there is a hadeeth which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) enjoined fasting the sacred months, namely Rajab, Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, but this has to do with fasting during all of them, not just Rajab. End quote.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Every hadeeth which mentions fasting in Rajab and praying during some of its nights is false and fabricated.” End quote from al-Manaar al-Muneef, p. 96
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in Tabyeen al-‘Ajab (p. 11)
There is no saheeh hadeeth that would count as evidence which speaks of the virtue of the month of Rajab, or that speaks of fasting this month or part of it, or of spending any particular night of it in prayer.
Shaykh Sayyid Saabiq (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Fiqh al-Sunnah (1/282):
Fasting in Rajab is no better than fasting in any other month, except that it is one of the sacred months. There is no report in the saheeh Sunnah to suggest that there is anything special about fasting in this month. Whatever has been narrated concerning that is not fit to be quoted as evidence. End quote.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about fasting on the twenty-seventh of Rajab and spending that night in prayer. He replied:
Fasting on the twenty-seventh of Rajab and spending that night in prayer is a bid’ah (innovation), and every bid’ah is a going astray. End quote.
Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 20/440.

1. Dua: Ask Allah to make this the most awesome, spiritually uplifting Ramadan you've ever had. Only He can make it happen and relying on Him completely is one step in boosting our spirits. (i think we can add to this one that we should strive to make dua for those less fortunate than us, those being oppressed, the misguided muslim leaders, the scholars who benefit us so much, our families to enter Islam whole heartedly, our children to be protect from the fire, etc.)


2 Quiet your mind, turn off the... TV, internet, radio, cell phone, pager, iPod, etc. No, not all day,but for at least 10 minutes a day. Find a quiet place, close your eyes and connect with God. At first, your mind will swirl with the useless and not-so-useless info in your head. But force it to think of three things in these few minutes: Allah your purpose in life are you living your life on purpose? Do this every day of Ramadan if you can. If that's not possible, try it at least three times a week. (a clear invitation to ponder and reflect mashallah... maybe we could start with Allah's names, or with hadith qudsi, or with the athaars on manners... Allahu alim)


3. Learn about great Muslims: Even if you've read it before, read or listen to Abdul Wahid Hamid's Companions of the Prophet again this Ramadan. Read about or listen to the story of a Companion daily. Well-written and short, this is a wonderful way to see how other Muslims retained their strength of faith against incredible odds. A sure-fire spirituality booster.


4. Connect to the Quran: The Quran is God's way of talking to us. It's one of the most important keys to spiritual upliftment. This Ramadan, connect to the Quran in a new way. If you already read Quran regularly, perhaps you can choose a new theme to focus on or select a Surah you haven't readin a while. If you don't read Quran regularly, maybe you can read just two minutes of Quran a day, reading only from the first page you encounter when you open up the Book. In addition, try to keep a Quranic journal to record your reflections, questions, thoughts, etc. about what you've read. (this is what prompted me to share this article with you. i thought... wow, what an excellent idea! may Allah bless the author ameen_


5. Take care of others: Whether it's someone who's away from their family, a person who's having problems with a spouse or their kids or a fellow student struggling with their grades, make an extra effort this Ramadan to help others out. The spiritual boost you get in return is well worth it.


6. Feed the hungry: While your stomach shrieks in protest, give that panhandler some change, volunteer at a soup kitchen, get involved with your local food pantry or make a couple of bag lunches to give to the hungry you meet on your way to school or work.


7. Give up one life long bad habit: Ask yourself what some of your defining traits are. Then decide which is the worst of them. Is it a hot temper? Apathy? Laziness? Impatience? Whatever it is, use this Ramadan to put an end to it. Practice the opposite of your bad habit every day until the end of the month. By then Insha Allah, you'll look back and be amazed at what achange you've made for the better.


8. Use those Nights of Power: The last ten nights of Ramadan aren't called the Nights of Powers for nothing. Use these precious times for deep, heartfelt Dua (supplication), self-analysis, reflection and serious thought. (mmmhhhh sounds divine innit! Allahu akbar:)