Month of Rajab
'Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'baana wa bal-lig-naa shah-ra ramadhaana.' 'O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadhan.'


Note: This is the abridged version
In order to enter Ramadhaan in the best possible manner, one has to prepare himself in the months of Rajab and Shabaan. It has been said that Rajab is the month to sow seeds (good actions), Shabaan is the month in which we should water those seeds (with tears of sorrow) and Ramadhaan is the month in which we reap the harvest.
The four months which are sacred: Rajab, Dhu'l-Qa'da, Dhu'l-Hijja and Muharram. One of these stands in isolation, namely, Rajab 7th month . It stands alone out of the four months which God has declared sacred Rajab, Dhul-Qida, Dhul-Hijja, and Muharram. It also opens the series of three holy months culminating in Ramadan: Rajab, Shaban, and Ramadan. During these three months everyone must prepare and keep himself, as much as possible, away from low trais, bad manners and sins.
'Rajab is the month of God, Shaban is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Community.' God gave us twelve months in the year, eleven of which are ours and one of which belongs to God.
What rewards God will give his servants in His month, no one knows, not even the Prophet (s). The work of prophets and angels stops in the month of Rajab. The deaf month.
Rajab is one of the sacred months and its days are inscribed on the sixth gate of Heaven.
In the month of Rajab, the Prophet (s) went through the Night Journey and Ascension. Miraj
Brief Ibaadah - the need to be observed
1- pray total of 30 rakah starting ghusl. over 1st 15th and 30th of Rajab pray 10 rakat nafil namaz in 2 rakat salam. In each rakat after Alhamdo pray Surah Kaferoon 3 times and Surah Ikhlas (kulhuwalla) 3 times each has its dua.

2- Fast 1st Friday night (Thursday night in Islam) Night of wishes laylat al-ragha'ib
In the evening between Maghrib and `Isha, perform 12 units (Rak'at) of prayer, in two's (i.e. two at a time). In each unit recite: 3 times Sura-al-Qadr & then 12 times (Qul huwallahu) followed with dua - read below full details

3- Fast -27th Mi'raj Night much ibdaah
After reciting the above 30 rakah, pray for whatever your requirements. Insha-Allah these will be answered, and on the day of resurrection, there will be 70 trenches between you and Hell and each of these trenches will be so wide it would take 500 years to cross one. In addition each rakat has the reward of 1000 rakats.

Everyday read 'Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'baana wa bal-lig-naa shah-ra ramadhaana.' see top for arabic 'O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadhan.'

The First Day and Night of the First Friday of Rajab
As for the night of the first Friday of the month of Rajab or its first night, both known as the "Night of wishes" (laylat al-ragha'ib) during which is performed the salat al-ragha'ib.
All Angels gather at Kabaa
........" It is most important, however, that none of you should neglect the First Friday in Rajab, for it is the night that the angels call the Night of [the Granting of] Wishes [Lailat ar-Ragha'ib]. This is because, by the time the first third of the night has elapsed, there will not be a single angel still at large in the heavens, nor in any region of the earth bar one. They will all be gathered together in the Ka'ba and the area immediately surrounding it. Allah (Exalted is He) will condescend to notice that they have assembled there, and He will say: "My angels, ask Me for whatever you wish!" Their response to this will be: "Our Lord, the request we wish to make is that You grant forgiveness to those who faithfully keep the fast in Rajab," whereupon Allah (Exalted is He) will tell them: "That I have already done!"
" No one will go unrewarded if he fasts during the daytime on Thursday, the first Thursday in Rajab.
Reward for praying 12 rakah on first night-(laylat al-ragha'ib)
"…... On the Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama], he will be allowed to intercede on behalf of seven hundred members of his family."
......Allah (Exalted is He) relents toward His Prophets [anbiya'], because in it He rescues His saints [awliya'] from the hands of their enemies, and because anyone who fasts during this month becomes entitled to receive three things from Allah (Exalted is He). The first and second of these are forgiveness for all the sins he has previously committed, and impregnable virtue ['isma] for the remainder of his life. As for the third, he will be safe from thirst on the Day of the Greatest Review [Yawm al-'Ard al-Akbar]."....
There are five nights in which invocation (du`a) is not turned back: the night of Jum`a, the first night of Rajab, the night of mid-Sha`ban, and the two nights of `Eid.
Fasting rewards
The Purifying Month, it is so called because it purifies the person who fasts in the course of it, ridding him of his sins and offenses.
If someone has fasted for one day in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He) will record it in his credit column as the fast of a thousand years. If someone has fasted for two days in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He) will record it in his credit column as the fast of two thousand years. If someone has fasted for three days in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He) will record it in his credit column as the fast of three thousand years. If someone has fasted for seven days in Rajab, all the seven gates of Hell [Jahannam] wil be locked to make sure that he stays out of it. If someone has fasted for eight days in Rajab, al the eight gates of the Garden of Paradise will be held open for him, so that he may enter by whichever gate he chooses. If someone has fasted for fifteen days in Rajab, all his bad deeds will be replaced by good deeds, and a crier will call out from heaven above: "Allah has now forgiven you, so use the opportunity to set about good work anew!"
Reference to Fasting in Rajab -If someone has fasted for three days during the sacred months, on a Thursday, a Friday and a Saturday, Allah will credit him with the worshipful service [ibadah] of 900 years!
Fasting in Rajab ones drinks from a River of Paradise called Rajab Only for those who observed fasting in Rajab also a palace for Only those whose frequently fasted in Rajab.
"In the Garden of Paradise there is a palace that no one may enter, with the exception of someone who makes a frequent practice of fasting during the month of Rajab."
The fast of the first day of Rajab is repentance for 3 years and the fasting of the second day is repentance for 2 years and the fast of third day is repentance for 1 year and then each remaining day -of Rajab- is repentance for 1 month.'
The fast on the 27th day of Rajab, he will be credited with the same reward as that which is earned by fasting for sixty months.
Grave punishment will be stopped if one fasts only day of Rajab
=== === ===
Story of wali abbas the thief -
40 men of Rajab
rajabiyyun or 'men of Rajab', who number forty. They are so named because 'the spiritual state ( hal ) which corresponds to their station (maqam) is manifest in them only in Rajab, from the moment of the appearance of the end of the lunar month. They then lose this state until the month of Rajab the following year….In some of them there survives throughout the year something of what they perceived (through intuitive unveiling) in the month of Rajab, while in others nothing of it survives at all. Shaykh Muhayyidun Ibn Arabi Chapter 7 The Highest Degree of Walaya

The Long Version

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'Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'baana wa bal-lig-naa shah-ra ramadhaana.'

'O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadhan.'

Rajab Allah's month The Holy Month of Rajab Starts 7th/ 8th August 2005


Brief Ibaadah - Schedule dates that need to be observed for max barakah
note: Read 30 rakah on 1st 15th and 30th of Rajab pray 10 rakat nafil namaz in 2 rakat salam. In each rakat after Alhamdo pray Surah Kaferoon 3 times and Surah Ikhlas (kulhuwalla) 3 times each has its dua

1- Fast -1st day of Rajab have Ghusl- bath for cleansing all sins - pray 10 rakat nafil namaz in 2 rakat salam. In each rakat after Alhamdo pray Surah Kaferoon 3 times and Surah Ikhlas (kulhuwalla) 3 times. After completing the namaz -

Dua for 1st Rajab: "La Ilaha illallaho wahdahu la sharika lahu lahul-mulko walahul-hamdo yoh-yi wa yo mito wahuwa hay-yil-la yamuto biyaaadie-hil -khair wahuwa ala kulle shai-een kadir, Allahumma la man-a. le maa aat-taa, wa la mua-tiya, le maa man-aata, wa layunfeo zuljadde min-kal jaddo.

2- Fast 1st Friday night (Thursday night in Islam) Night of wishes laylat al-ragha'ib -
In the evening between Maghrib and `Isha, perform 12 units (Rak'at) of prayer, in two's (i.e. two at a time). In each unit recite: 3 times Sura-al-Qadr & then 12 times (Qul huwallahu) followed with dua - read below full details

3-Fast -15th day of Rajab Ghusl- bath -for cleansing all sins- pray 10 rakah like 1st and with Dua : "Illahan-wahedan, ahadan samadan wa faradaow wa witran lam yattakhiz sahebataow wa la waladan."

4- Fast -27th Mi'raj Night much ibdaah to do - to be added

5- Fast -30th day of Rajab Ghusl- bath -for cleansing all sins - Pray 10 rakah like 1st day t with Dua - ast day of Rajab: "Allahumma sallai ala Sayidina Mohammadiuw wa all hittaherin, wa la hawla kuwwata ilia billa-hil Aliyil Azim. "

After reciting the above 30 rakah, pray for whatever your requirements. Insha-Allah these will be answered, and on the day of resurrection, there will be 70 trenches between you and Hell and each of these trenches will be so wide it would take 500 years to cross one. In addition each rakat has the reward of 1000 rakats.

Everyday read 'Allahumma baa-rik-lanaa fee-rajaba wa sha'baana wa bal-lig-naa shah-ra ramadhaana.' see top for arabic 'O Allah, make the months of Rajab and Shabaan blessed for us, and let us reach the month of Ramadhan.'

Dua of Wali Abbas will be added read 3 times a day Arabic prescribed by Shaykh Nazim Ali Haqqani to read
Dua of Wali Abbas will be added read 3 times a day English and translieration prescribed by Shaykh Nazim Ali Haqqani

Reference to Fasting in Rajab -If someone has fasted for three days during the sacred months, on a Thursday, a Friday and a Saturday, Allah will credit him with the worshipful service [ibadah] of 900 years!

Fasting in Rajab ones drinks from a River of Paradise called Rajab Only for those who observed fasting in Rajab also a palace for Only those whose frequntly fasted in Rajab.

Grave punishment will be stopped if one fasts only day of Rajab

In order to enter Ramadhaan in the best possible manner, one has to prepare himself in the months of Rajab and Shabaan. It has been said that Rajab is the month to sow seeds (good actions), Shabaan is the month in which we should water those seeds (with tears of sorrow) and Ramadhaan is the month in which we reap the harvest.

===============

Excerpt from Seal of the Saints by Shaykh Muhayyidun Ibn Arabi Chapter 7 The Highest Degree of Walaya

….The next category, the name and nature of which are somewhat surprising, is the category of the rajabiyyun or 'men of Rajab', who number forty. They are so named because 'the spiritual state ( hal ) which corresponds to their station (maqam) is manifest in them only in Rajab, from the moment of the appearance of the end of the lunar month.

They then lose this state until the month of Rajab the following year….In some of them there survives throughout the year something of what they perceived (through intuitive unveiling) in the month of Rajab, while in others nothing of it survives at all. Shaykh ‘Ibn Arabi tells of the visit he paid one of them at Dunaysir in Mesopotamia. This person, who is in the Durra fakhira as al-Khatari, had the singualr gift……

Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq Vol.3 by Master of Sufis Shaykh ‘Abdul Qadir Jilani

The First Day and Night of the First Friday of Rajab

As for the night of the first Friday of the month of Rajab or its first night, both known as the "Night of wishes" (laylat al-ragha'ib) during which is performed the salat al-ragha'ib.

(please note: Thursday Night in Islam is actually Friday,we start from Maghrib & finish at maghrib the following night so- the whole of Friday thus starts is -Thursday night to Friday night, the day is Asr to Asr there is no concept in Islam that the day starts at 12.00am this is a western non-muslim belief or understanding. Fajr then is our 3rd prayer beginning of the day. The text is translated into english without footnotes. Which can be found in the book version, also Sunday is our First day in Islam not Monday - Wusta footnote found at bottom)

How To Perform The Prayer Fast on the first Thursday of Rajab.

........" It is most important, however, that none of you should neglect the First Friday in Rajab, for it is the night that the angels call the Night of [the Granting of] Wishes [Lailat ar-Ragha'ib]. This is because, by the time the first third of the night has elapsed, there will not be a single angel still at large in the heavens, nor in any region of the earth bar one. They will all be gathered together in the Ka'ba and the area immediately surrounding it. Allah (Exalted is He) will condescend to notice that they have assembled there, and He will say: "My angels, ask Me for whatever you wish!" Their response to this will be: "Our Lord, the request we wish to make is that You grant forgiveness to those who faithfully keep the fast in Rajab," whereupon Allah (Exalted is He) will tell them: "That I have already done!"

Then Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

" No one will go unrewarded if he fasts during the daytime on Thursday, the first Thursday in Rajab.

In the evening between Maghrib and `Isha, perform 12 units (Rak'at) of prayer, in two's (i.e. two at a time). In each unit recite: Once Sura-al-Fateha; three times Sura-al-Qadr; and 12 times Sura-al-Tawhid (Qul huwallahu).

After the 12 units (rakats) are over, recite 70 times:

Salawat (while sitting) : "Allahumma Salli `Ala Muhammad, Annabiyyil Ummiyyi, Wa `Ala Aalihi"

Tasbih (in Sajdah): "Subbuhun Quddusun, Rabbul Mala`ikati Warruh"

All-Glorious, All-Holy,n Lord of the Angels and of the Spirit!

Istighfar (while sitting): "Rabbigh-Fir, War-ham, Watajawaz `Amma Ta'alamu, Innaka antal `aliyyul A`a-zam"

My Lord, forgive and have mercy m pardon that which You well know, for You are the Mighty, the Supreme

Tasbih (again in Sajdah): "Subbuhun Quddusun, Rabbul Mala'ikati Warruh"

All-Glorious, All-Holy,n Lord of the Angels and of the Spirit!

Then seek your needs, they will be granted, Inshallah.

Reward for praying 12 rakah on first night

Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) also said:

" By Him in whose Hand is my soul [wa 'lladhi nafsi bi-yadih], I assure you that no servant [of His], whether manservant ['abd] or maidservant [ama], will ever perform this particular salat-prayer without Allah forgiving all the sins of which that individual has ever been guilty, even if they are like the flecks of foam upon the ocean, as numerous as all the grains of sand, as heavy as the mountains, and as many as the drops of rain and the leaves on all the trees. On the Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama], he will be allowed to intercede on behalf of seven hundred members of his family."

On the first night that worshipful servant spends in his grave, the reward for this salat-prayer will come to visit him [in the shape of a human being], with a cheerful face and an eloquent tongue. "O my dear friend," it will say to him, "rejoice in the good tidings, for I am here to tell you that you have been delivered from every severe affliction!" This will prompt the servant to exclaim: "Who are you? By Allah, I swear that I have never seen a man with a better-looking face than yours. Never have I heard a form of speech more charming than your way of speaking, and never have I smelled a fragrance more delightful than that of your perfume." So then it will tell him: "O my dear friend, I am the reward for that salat-prayer, the one you performed on whichever night it was, in whichever month it was, in whichever year it was. I have come here tonight in order to fulfill your request, to entertain you in your solitary state, and to banish your loneliness from you. Later on, when the trumpet is sounded, I shall provide you with shade to protect your head from the scorching heat on the Fields of the Resurrection ['Arasat al-Qiyama]. So rejoice in the good tidings, for you will never be deprived of the blessing that comes from your Master [Mawla]."

30 rakah - are read in units of 2 with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad" 3 times, and Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" 3 times for every rakah, to read 10 on first night -10 in middle -10 at the end of the month

......Allah (Exalted is He) relents toward His Prophets [anbiya'], because in it He rescues His saints [awliya'] from the hands of their enemies, and because anyone who fasts during this month becomes entitled to receive three things from Allah (Exalted is He). The first and second of these are forgiveness for all the sins he has previously committed, and impregnable virtue ['isma] for the remainder of his life. As for the third, he will be safe from thirst on the Day of the Greatest Review [Yawm al-'Ard al-Akbar]."....

..Ibn `Abd al-Razzaq narrates in his Musannaf (4:317) that Ibn `Umar said:

There are five nights in which invocation (du`a) is not turned back: the night of Jum`a, the first night of Rajab, the night of mid-Sha`ban, and the two nights of `Eid.

The beloved Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam peace be upon him said: 'The fast of the first day of Rajab is repentance for 3 years and the fasting of the second day is repentance for 2 years and the fast of third day is repentance for 1 year and then each remaining day -of Rajab- is repentance for 1 month.'

'Whoever fasts the 1st day of Rajab it will be equivalent to the fast of 1 year; and whoever fasts 7 days in it, the 7 gates of Hell will be closed for him; and whoever fasts 10 days from Rajab, a caller will call out from the sky, “Ask and you will be given!” '

'Rajab is a tremendous month in which Allah multiplies the good deeds. So whoever fasts a day from Rajab it is as if he fasted a year; and whoever fasts seven days of it the seven gates of Hell are closed to him; and whoever fasts eight days from it the eight gates of Paradise are opened to him; and whoever fasts ten days from it will not ask Allah something except that Allah will grant it. And whoever fasts from it fifteen days a caller will call out from heavens “Verily you have been forgiven whatever is past, so renew your good actions, for indeed your transgressions have been transformed into virtuous deeds.” And whoever does more, Allah gives to him even more. And in Rajab Allah carried Noah/Nuh alaihi salaam peace be upon him in the ark and he/Noah fasted and ordered all those with him to do so. And the ark sailed with them for six months until the first ten days of Muharram/first month of islamic calender.'

Fasting in Rajab and Merit of Fasting During the 27th Day of Rajab

As for the name ash-Shahru'l-Mutahhir [The Purifying Month], it is so called because it purifies [yutahhiru] the person who fasts in the course of it, ridding him of his sins and offenses.

Relevant in this context is another traditional report related to us by Shaikh Imam Hibatu'llah ibn al-Mubarak as-Saqati (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him). According to this report, Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:

The month of Rajab is a glorious month indeed. If someone has fasted for one day in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He) will record it in his credit column as the fast of a thousand years.

If someone has fasted for two days in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He) will record it in his credit column as the fast of two thousand years.

If someone has fasted for three days in Rajab, Allah (Exalted is He) will record it in his credit column as the fast of three thousand years.

If someone has fasted for seven days in Rajab, all the seven gates of Hell [Jahannam] wil be locked to make sure that he stays out of it.

If someone has fasted for eight days in Rajab, al the eight gates of the Garden of Paradise will be held open for him, so that he may enter by whichever gate he chooses.

If someone has fasted for fifteen days in Rajab, all his bad deeds will be replaced by good deeds, and a crier will call out from heaven above: "Allah has now forgiven you, so use the opportunity to set about good work anew!"

Traditional Reports Concerning the Sacred Month of Rajab

According to a report transmitted by 'Ikrima, on the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be well pleased with him and with his father), the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

Rajab is Allah's month, Sha'ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Community.

Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) is also reported as having said:

In the Garden of Paradise there is a river called Rajab, whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. If someone has fasted for one day during the month of Rajab, Allah will let him quench his thirst by drinking from that river.

Anab ibn Malik (may Allah be well pleased with him) is reported as having said: "In the Garden of Paradise there is a palace that no one may enter, with the exception of someone who makes a frequent practice of fasting during the month of Rajab."

According to another traditional report, also transmitted on the authority of Anas [ibn Malik] (may Allah be well pleased with him), Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

If someone has fasted for three days during the sacred months, on a Thursday, a Friday and a Saturday, Allah will credit him with the worshipful service [ibada] of nine hundred years!

The Merit of Fasting During the 27th Day of Rajab

The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

If someone keeps the fast on the 27th day of Rajab, he will be credited with the same reward as that which is earned by fasting for sixty months.

It was on the 27th day of Rajab, we are told, that Gabriel first came down to invest the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) with his Messengership [Risala].

According to this next report, likewise conveyed to us by Sheikh Hibatu'llah, Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

Rajab contains a very special day and a very special night. If someone fasts during that day, and keeps vigil throughout that night, he will be entitled to a reward like the one that would be earned by a person who fasted for a hundred years, and who keeps vigil throughout all the nights in that period.

The reference must be to the 27th of Rajab, that being the day on which our Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was first dispatched to embark upon his mission.

Sheikh Hibatu'llah (may Allah bestow His mercy upon him) has informed us on good traditional authority, Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:

Rajab is one of the sacred months and its days are inscribed on the sixth gate of Heaven. So, if a man has fasted during one day of this month, and if he has kept his fast completely clean through obedient devotion [taqwa] to Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He), the heavenly gate will acquire the faculty of speech, and the day itself will also acquire the faculty of speech, and the two of them will say: "O Lord, forgive him!" But if he has failed to make his fast complete through obedient devotion to Allah (Exalted is He), they will make no such plea for him to be forgiven. They will say, or he will be told by some other voice: "Your own lower self [nafs] has betrayed you!"

Dua of Wali Abbas will be added read 3 times a day to be added..!
Dua's appropriate on the first night of Rajab part 1
Barakah of 30 rakah salat during the holy month of Rajab 2
Fasting on the first Thursday in Rajab, and prayer in first Friday night [Jumu'ah] of that month. part 3
Rajab (The 7th Month) - Benefits & Information
Rajab is the Month of God
The Spiritual Significance of Isra and Mi`raj (26th Night) 27th Rajab

note:- Wusta- Middle. Salatul Wusta refers to the middle prayer, which is the 'Asr prayer (the third of the five compulsory daily prayers), for those whose day begins at dawn. However, some say it refers to the Fajr prayer. This is because the Muslims follow a lunar calendar: the first day of a new lunar month is only determined when the new moon is sighted shortly after sunset. Therefore the Muslim day begins at Maghreb, and the first prayer of that new day is Maghreb, which makes the third (middle) prayer Fajr.

Composed by Muhammad Sajad Ali Qadiri Noshahi

Traditional prayers of supplication (ad'iya ma'thura) that are particularly appropriate on the first night of Rajab.
When the worshipper has duly performed his salat on the first night of Rajab, he is recommended to offer the following Du’a:
“O Allah, to You the applicants apply this night, to You the aspirants aspire, and for Your gracious bounty and beneficence the seekers look in hope. You have special favors [nafahat] to bestow this night, and prizes and gifts and presents. You will bestow them upon whomever You choose from among Your servants, and You will withhold them from those who are not ready to receive Your providential care ['inaya]. Well, here am I, Your servant who is sorely in need of You, hoping for Your gracious bounty and beneficence! If it pleases You, O my Master [Ya Maulaa-ya], to bestow Your Grace this night upon one of Your creatures, and if You will be so generous as to grant him a favor out of Your kindness, then bless Sayyidina Muhammad and his family, and let me enjoy Your Superabundance and Beneficence, Ya Rabbal-'Aalameen!”
Hazrat Babul-'Ilm, ’Ali bin Abu Talib (karramallah wajhah) would devote himself entirely to worship during four nights of the year, namely: The first night of Rajab; the Night of the Fastbreaking [Lailat al-Fitr]; the Night of the Sacrifices [Lailat al-Adha]; and the night of the middle of Sha’ban. Here is the prayer of Du’a he used to offer on those nights:
"O Allah, bless Sayyidina Muhammad and his family, those Lanterns of Wisdom [masabih al-hikma], Masters of Grace [mawali 'n-ni'ma] and Mines of Virtue [ma'adin al-'isma]! Let them be my protection against all evil. Do not take me by surprise or unawares. Do not cause the outcome of my life's work to be nothing but disappointment and regret. May it please You to view me with favor, for Your forgiveness is granted to the wrongdoers and I am one of the wrongdoers. O Allah, forgive me that which cannot do You any harm, and grant me that which cannot bring You any benefit. You are the One whose Rahmah is all-embracing, the One whose Hikmah is incomparable, so grant me the blessings of comfort and composure, security and good health, thankfulness, well-being, and taqwa. Instill patience and honesty in me and in your Awliya. Let ease [yusr] be Your gift to me, and do not let it come with difficulty ['usr] attached. Extend these same blessings to my wife and children, to my brothers in You, and to all those Muslim men [Muslimin] and Muslim women [Muslimat], those believing men [mu'minin] and believing women [mu'minat], who have helped me to become the man I am today."

On the excellent qualities of the holy month of Rajab
Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq
by El-Sheikh Syed Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani
(Radhi Allahu Anhu)
(PART 2)

Some traditional reports concerning the special blessings bestowed by Allah (Almighty and Glorious is He) upon those who perform the prayer [salat] during the holy month of Rajab.
It was just after the new moon had appeared to mark the beginning of Rajab, as Shaikh Imam Hibatullah ibn al-Mubarak as-Saqati (Rahmatullah ’alayh) has informed us on good traditional authority, that the Holy Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) turned to Hazrat Salman al-Farsi (Radhiyallahu ’anhu) and said:
O Salman, Allah will surely erase all the sins from the record of any believing man [mu'min], and of any believing woman [mu'minah], who performs thirty rak'ah in the course of this month, reciting in each cycle Surah al-Fatiha and the Surah that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad"1 three times, and the Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon"2 three times. That man or woman will be granted the same reward as a person who has fasted throughout the entire month. He or she will be treated as one of those who continue to perform the salat [al-musallin] right through to the following year, and will be credited every day with a deed as noble as that of one of the Martyrs of the Battle of Badr [Shahid min Shuhadaa-e Badr].
For every day of fasting [in Rajab], the ’ibadah of an entire year will be recorded in favor of the believer concerned, whose credit will be enhanced by a thousand degrees. If the believer keeps the fast throughout the whole of this month, as well as performing this particular salat-prayer [i.e., the aforementioned thirty rak'ahs of prayer], Allah will deliver that man or woman from the Fire of Hell and declare that he or she is entitled to enter the Garden of Paradise, therein to dwell in the vicinity of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
Sayyidina Jibril (’Alayhis-Salaam) informed me of this, and then he went on to say: "O Muhammad, this a clear sign to mark the distinction between you true believers, on the one hand, and the mushrikeen and munafiqeen on the other, because the munafiqeen do not perform that prayer."

Having heard these words addressed to him by the Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim), Hazrat Salman (Radhiyallahu ’anhu) responded by saying: “O Messenger, tell me exactly how I must perform that particular salat-prayer, and exactly when I must perform it.”

“O Salman,” said Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim):

"on the first day of the month you must perform ten rak'ahs. In each rak'ahs you must recite Surah al-Fatiah one time only, then the Sura that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad" three times, and then the Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" three times. When you have pronounced the final salutation [sallamta], you must raise your hands and say:
There is no god except Allah, Alone. No partner has He. To Him belongs the kingdom and to Him belongs the praise. He brings to life and causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is in His Hand, and He is Powerful over all things. O Allah, no one can withhold what You have given, and no one can give what You have withheld, nor will the worldly fortune of the possessor of such fortune profit him, if he does not obtain the fortune that comes from You [in the hereafter].
Then you must rub your face with your hands, for at this point you will have completed the first set of ten rak'ahs.
In the middle of the month you must perform another ten rak'ahs of the salat-prayer. In each rak'ah you must again recite Surah al-Fatihah one time only, then the Surah that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad" three times, and then the Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" three times. When you have pronounced the final salutation [sallamta], you must raise your hands as you did before, but this time you must say:

There is no god except Allah, Alone. No partner has He. To Him belongs the kingdom and to Him belongs the praise. He brings to life and causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is in His Hand, and He is Powerful over all things. (I worship Him) as God, Single, One, Everlasting, Alone, Unique. He takes unto Himself neither female consort nor son.
Then you must rub your face with your hands, for at this point you will have completed the second set of ten rak'ahs.
At the end of the month you must perform the third and final set of ten rak'ahs of salat, and in each rak'ah you must again recite Surah al-Fatihah one time only, then the Surah that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad" three times, and then the Surah that begins with "Qul Yaa-ayyu-hal-kaa-firoon" three times. When you have pronounced the final salutation [sallamta], you must raise your hands as before, but this time you must say:
There is no god except Allah, Alone. No partner has He. To Him belongs the kingdom and to Him belongs the praise. He brings to life and causes death, while He is Ever-Living and never dies. All goodness is in His Hand, and He is Powerful over all things. May Allah bless Sayyidina Muhammad and the pure members of his family. There is neither any power nor any strength except with Allah, the Most High, the Almighty.
You should then ask for whatever you need, whereupon He will surely give a positive response to your Du'a. Allah will interpose seventy ditches between you and Hell [Jahannam], and each of those ditches will be as wide as the distance that separates this earth from heaven above. For every rak'ah of salat-prayer you have performed, He will credit you with a million rak'ahs. He will also inscribe on your record an exemption from the Fire of Hell and a permit to cross the Narrow Bridge [sirat]."
Hazrat Salman (Radhiyallahu ’anhu) is reported as having said: "As soon as the Nabi (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) had finished speaking, I sank to the ground in humble prostration, weeping as I sought to express my gratitude to Allah (Exalted is He) for what I had just been privileged to hear."

On the excellent qualities of the holy month of Rajab
Excerpts from Al-Ghunya li-Talibi Tariq al-Haqq
by El-Sheikh Syed Abdul-Qadir al-Jilani
(Radhi Allahu Anhu)
(PART 3)

Traditional reports in which great emphasis is placed on the special merit of fasting on the first Thursday in Rajab, and of performing the prayer [salat] during the first Friday night [Jumu'ah] of that month.
The following report has been conveyed to us by Shaikh Imam Abu-l-Barakat Hibatu'llah ibn al-Mubarak as-Saqati (Rahmatullah ‘alayh), who cites good traditional authority in support of its authenticity: Allah's Messenger (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) once said:
Rajab is Allah's month, Sha'ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah.
Someone then asked him: “O Messenger of Allah, what do you mean exactly, when you say that Rajab is Allah’s month?” So he (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) explained:
[I call it Allah's month] because it is specifically associated with forgiveness, because in it the shedding of blood is brought to a halt, because in it Allah (Exalted is He) relents toward His Ambiya, because in it He rescues His Awliya from the hands of their enemies, and because anyone who fasts during this month becomes entitled to receive three things from Allah (Exalted is He). The first and second of these are forgiveness for all the sins he has previously committed, and impregnable virtue ['isma] for the remainder of his life. As for the third, he will be safe from thirst on the Day of the Greatest Review [Yawm al-'Ard al-Akbar]."
At this point a feeble old man stood up and said: "Ya Rasulullah, I am physically incapable of fasting through the whole of the month," so Rasulullah (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) went on to say:
Fast during the first day of the month and during the day that comes in the middle of it, and also during the very last day of the month, for then you will be given the same reward as someone who has fasted through the whole of the month, since one good deed is equal in value to ten of the same kind.
It is most important, however, that none of you should neglect the first Friday in Rajab, for it is the night that the Malaa-ika call the Night of Wishes [Lailat ar-Ragha'ib]. This is because, by the time the first third of the night has elapsed, there will not be a single angel still at large in the heavens, nor in any region of the earth bar one. They will all be gathered together in the Ka'bah and the area immediately surrounding it. Allah (Exalted is He) will condescend to notice that they have assembled there, and He will say: "My angels, ask Me for whatever you wish!" Their response to this will be: "Our Rabb, the request we wish to make is that You grant forgiveness to those who faithfully keep the fast in Rajab," whereupon Allah (Exalted is He) will tell them: "That I have already done!"

Then Rasulullah (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) said:
No one will go unrewarded if he fasts during the daytime on Thursday, the first Thursday in Rajab, and if he then performs twelve extra rak'ahs during the period between Maghrib and 'Isha, i.e., during the first segment ['atama] of the night of Friday. In each rak'ah, he must recite Surah al-Fatihah one time only, then the Surah that begins with "Innaa anzalnaa-hu fee layla-til-qadr"1 three times, and the Sura that begins with "Qul HuwAllahu Ahad"2 twelve times. The twelve rak'ahs must be divided into sets of two, with a salutation [taslima] to mark the conclusion of each pair. When he has completed his salat-prayer, he must invoke blessings upon me, by repeating seventy times:
O Allah, bestow blessings anda peace upon Muhammad, the Holy Nabi, and upon his family.
He must then perform sajdah, repeating seventy times while he is in sajdah:
All-Glorious, All-Holy Rabb of the Angels and of the Spirit!
Then he must raise his head and repeat seventy times:
My Rabb, forgive and have mercy and pardon that which You well know, for You are the Mighty, the Supreme.
Then he must bow down low for the second time and repeat the words he uttered during the first sajdah. Finally, while he is still in sajdah, he should ask Allah to grant his personal request, for that request will surely be fulfilled.
Allah's Holy Messenger (Sall Allahu alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallim) also said:
By Him in whose Hand is my soul, I assure you that no servant [of His], whether manservant ['abd] or maidservant [ama], will ever perform this particular salat-prayer without Allah forgiving all the sins of which that individual has ever been guilty, even if they are like the flecks of foam upon the ocean, as numerous as all the grains of sand, as heavy as the mountains, and as many as the drops of rain and the leaves on all the trees. On the Day of Resurrection [Yawm al-Qiyama], he will be allowed to intercede on behalf of seven hundred members of his family.
On the first night that worshipful servant spends in his grave, the reward for this salat-prayer will come to visit him [in the shape of a human being], with a cheerful face and an eloquent tongue. "O my dear friend," it will say to him, "rejoice in the good tidings, for I am here to tell you that you have been delivered from every severe affliction!" This will prompt the servant to exclaim: "Who are you? By Allah, I swear that I have never seen a man with a better-looking face than yours. Never have I heard a form of speech more charming than your way of speaking, and never have I smelled a fragrance more delightful than that of your perfume." So then it will tell him: "O my dear friend, I am the reward for that salat-prayer, the one you performed on whichever night it was, in whichever month it was, in whichever year it was. I have come here tonight in order to fulfill your request, to entertain you in your solitary state, and to banish your loneliness from you. Later on, when the trumpet is sounded, I shall provide you with shade to protect your head from the scorching heat on the Fields of the Resurrection ['Arasat al-Qiyama]. So rejoice in the good tidings, for you will never be deprived of the blessing that comes from your Master [Maula].



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Endnotes
Surah al-Qadr
Surah al-Ikhlaas

Rajab is the Month of God
If support accompanies someone, then that person is always successful. All of the present company have that support. If not, you would never be found in such an association. Why come? You might just as well go on as other people, happy with their material lives and their pleasures. But that Light which is in your heart draws you here. Without support, it will avail all of us nothing to wear certain colors, or turbans, or dervish cloaks, day and night. The important thing is support from God. Were it not to accompany us, we would never accomplish anything.

Ahead of us begins a very important month in the Islamic calendar, the holy month of Rajab al-Haram. It stands alone out of the four months which God has declared sacred Rajab, Dhul-Qida, Dhul-Hijja, and Muharram. It also opens the series of three holy months culminating in Ramadan: Rajab, Shaban, and Ramadan. During these three months everyone must prepare and keep himself, as much as possible, away from low trais, bad manners and sins.

The Prophet (s) said, 'Rajab is the month of God, Shaban is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Community.' God gave us twelve months in the year, eleven of which are ours and one of which belongs to God. What rewards God will give his servants in His month, no one knows, not even the Prophet (s). The work of prophets and angels stops in the month of Rajab. They are not allowed to know what rewards God is going to give His community. It is in the hands of the Lord, Almighty God. In the following month, Shaban, no one is permitted to know what rewards the Prophet (s) will give his Community except the Prophet (s) and God. What is accumulated of the rewards in Rajab and Shaban will be written for you and become known to everyone in Ramadan. That is why it is the month of the Community. These three months are therefore very important months in the understanding of the Sufi orders.

In the month of Rajab, the Prophet (s) went through the Night Journey and Ascension. During this month one must keep oneself away from all kinds of bad manners and behavior. One of the most important days of the year is the first day of the 'month of God.' All seclusions commence at the beginning of the month of Rajab. The most important seclusion that Sufi masters have performed in their lives always fell in that month. It is a holy month. If you do something more (for God) in that month, you are going to be rewarded with a reward known to no one except God. In that month, God's Oceans of Mercy, Love and Rewards are going to be opened for His Community and His servants.

All saints wait to see what rewards God is going to grant human beings at this time of year. All saints on this planet, from East to West, from North to South, expect to see something happen in this world during these three special months. Everyone of us must therefore behave themselves in these coming three months especially.

Look at the mercy that God sends in the month of Rajab. If you did something wrong, do not turn away, as if to run away from God. Turn to your Lord. He will forgive you. It is very important because no one knows what God is going to give to His servants not even the two angels appointed to write a person's deeds, who ride on the shoulders of every human being. Everything in that month comes through God and no one knows what God will put into his or her scale for the least good manner or act of worship done for Him.

In the time of the Prophet (s) there lived a notorious highway robber. He used to frequent the streets after midnight. If he found someone walking alone at night in the street, he caught him, robbed him, sometimes beat him or killed him, and then returned home. No one was able to catch that highwayman. The Prophet (s) used to curse that highwayman in his time, saying, 'That is an evil person. I will never pray for him and I will not bury him in the graveyard of the Muslims.'

After many years, the highwayman passed away. Because the Prophet (s) used to curse him, the children dragged his body through the streets of Madinah and threw him into a dry well. As soon as they had thrown him into the well, God spoke to the Prophet (s) and said, 'O my beloved Prophet, today one of my saints has passed away. You must go and wash him, clean him, cover him, pray for him and bury him.' The Prophet (s) was astonished because all his life he had cursed that person. Now that he had passed away, God told him that he was a saint. How could he be a saint? But no one can interfere with God's knowledge, not even the Prophet (s). If God wants to make a thief a saint, no one can ask, 'Why?' We must accept. That is why according to Sufi teachings and the teachings of the Naqshbandi Order, you have to look at everyone as being better than you. You do not know if God is going to raise that person's level higher than your level who knows? No one can know. Therefore no one can interfere. Do not look down at people as if you were superior to them. You do not know whether that person, in God's eyes, is a saint or not. Who knows? Always regard people as being at a higher level than yourself. Show them respect and be humble towards them. Do not show ego and pride.

God's Mercy is so great that you are forbidden to look at what people are doing on the outside. You must not call them crazy or criticize their bad manners. Leave them alone. They have a Lord to judge them. Look at yourself. Make yourself behave well. Do not interfere with anyone else. It is not your job to correct anyone else. Your job is only to correct yourself. Correct yourself and leave everyone else to their Lord. This is the true understanding and teaching of Sufism leave everyone to their Lord and change yourself. If you teach your ego not to interfere with anyone, then you are going to find yourself living in happiness, because when you look at people, you will only see servants of the same Lord as yours and, therefore, God will sometimes forgive them what they are doing. Do not say, 'You are committing wrong by drinking, womanizing, doing this and doing that. Leave everyone to his or her Lord. Teach people in general. Do not focus in on someone and be specific.

God told the Prophet (s), 'O Messenger of God, take him and purify him.' The Prophet (s) immediately called Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (s) and said, 'O Abu Bakr, we have to go and bury the highwayman who died.' Abu Bakr (s) said, 'O Messenger of God, you said that you did not want to bury that person in a Muslim grave for he is not Muslim!' The Prophet (s) said, 'No! Let alone ordinary Muslims. God informed me today that that person was a saint!'

What did that thief do in his life to become a saint? He killed, robbed and stole all his life. The Prophet (s) went into the well, took that person's body out with his own hands and with his Companions, carried him to his house. He cleaned him, washed him, wrapped him in a shroud, prayed for him, then took him from the his mosque to the Baqi cemetery, a distance of fifteen minutes' walk. It took the Prophet (s) more than two hours to move from the mosque to the cemetery. All the Companions were astonished at the way the Prophet (s) was walking. He had performed ablution for the dead with his own hands on that man, washed him and prayed for him. Now that he was taking him to his grave, he was walking on tiptoes. 'O Messenger of God,' they asked him, 'Why are you walking on tiptoes?' He said, 'God ordered all saints from East to West, all angels from the seven heavens and all spiritual beings to be present and follow the bier of that saint. There are so many of them filling the way that I cannot find a place to put my feet. Never in my life was I so surprised as I am today.'

After they buried him, the Prophet (s) did not speak with anyone but quickly returned to his house trembling and shivering. He sat with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (s) asking himself what that saint had done, a robber all his life, to merit such a high degree of respect from God. Abu Bakr (s) said, 'O Messenger of God, I feel ashamed to ask about what I saw today. It was so astonishing.' The Prophet (s) answered, 'O Abu Bakr (s), I am even more surprised than you. I am waiting for Gabriel (s) to come and inform me of what has happened.'

When Gabriel (s) came, the Prophet (s) said, 'O Gabriel what is the matter?' He answered, 'O Prophet, do not ask me. I am also astonished! Yet do not be astonished. God can do what no one can do. He is telling you to ask that man's daughter what he did in his life.'

The Prophet (s) immediately went in person with Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (s) to the house of that burglar. Nowadays, ministers and secretaries of state, no, even a manager in a company treats everyone else as if they were beggars at his door. They show neither respect nor humility. The Prophet (s), disregarding his power and status as a perfect human being, as the beloved of God, humbly went to that saint's house to ask his child what her father had done in his life. He said, 'O my daughter, please tell me how your father lived.' She told him, 'O Messenger of God, I am very ashamed before you. What am I going to tell you? He was a killer, a thief. I never saw him do anything good. He robbed and stole day and night, except for one month during the year. When that month came, he would say, 'This is the month of God,' because he heard you say, 'Rajab is the month of God, Shaban is the month of the Prophet and Ramadan is the month of the Community.' So he said, 'I do not care for the month of the Prophet (s) or the month of the Community, only for the month of my Lord. Therefore, I am going to sit in my room and close it and perform seclusion during this month.'

The Prophet (s) asked her, 'What kind of seclusion did he do?' She told him, 'O Messenger of God, one day he was out in the street looking for someone to rob. He found an old man of seventy or eighty years of age. He beat him until he was unconscious and robbed him. He found a small piece of folded paper in his pocket. He opened it and found a prayer inside. He liked that prayer very much. Every year when the month of Rajab--the month of God--came around, my father used to sit and read that prayer day and night, weeping and reading, except when he wanted to eat or perform ablution. After the month was over he would get up and say, 'The month of God is finished. Now for my pleasure,' and go back to robbing and stealing for eleven more months.'

The supplication used by that man is a very important supplication which all are advised to recite three times a day during the month of Rajab. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said that this supplication purifies you from all your sins and leaves you as pure as a newborn child. It is a very famous supplication in Sufi orders. When the Prophet (s) asked the daughter to bring him the paper, he kissed it and rubbed this paper over his body. I advise all of you not to forget about that supplication, but practice it during this coming month. Keep reciting it and God will give you as He Wills, according to your intention.
(the supplication used by Highway robber is found on this link Arabic Version .....The English version)

God told the Prophet (s), 'O my beloved Prophet, that person came and repented to me in the most precious month of the year. For that reason, because he sacrificed at least one month of the year for Me, I have forgiven him all his mistakes and I have changed all his sins into laudable deeds. As he had many sins, now he has many rewards. He became a great saint.' Because of one prayer, God made him a saint, a person who never worshipped the Lord as he should have, by coming to such associations as this to listen. You have a merciful God, a loving God. What do you think He will give you in return? Do you think that He is going to leave you in difficulties?

For every step that you took to come to such a meeting, God will take away from you one sin and give you ten rewards. Whoever came two hours' driving, let them compute how many steps they made. Do not miss such associations because you cannot get such rewards when you worship. Your five prayers are an obligation upon you but such associations are not an obligation. They are voluntary. Therefore if you attend, you are going to be rewarded with a very weighty reward. That is why these associations are very important. They will show you the shortest way to reach the Divine Presence. They will show you the shortest way to reach your reality.

With very little practice, by reciting something which saints recited, you can progress very quickly. Do not come to the Divine Presence riding a donkey. Come to the Divine Presence on a rocket. You will arrive much faster. Your ego is a donkey. Do not follow your ego. Leave it for it will never take you anywhere except in slow motion. The spirit will move with very quick motion. Why? Because the spirit is something related to God. That Light is coming from our Lord. Look at the speed of light: 300,000 kilometers per second. Do you think that your spirit runs slower or faster than the speed of light? Of course it is faster.

You use your mind extremely fast. What about your heart? Now they are trying to reach everywhere quickly on earth using planes. What about the airplane of your heart? Do not underestimate what God has created in you and in every human being. No one can understand how the spirit works.

Why does one pass away the instant someone shoots a bullet through them? Who takes that secret away? Why does someone pass away when they are fatally ill? The spirit is always training to run away and break free from the cage of the body. When it finds a way, it will run away and go back to its origin. When you free your spirit yourself through your power over your own ego, at that time you gain control of the power of the spirit and it cannot run away. At that time you can acheive incredible powers through your spirit.

It was not long ago when you could find saints everywhere using such powers that no one today can replicate. There was a saint who could use his belt to make a phone call to people living very far way. He would do so in the presence of hundreds of people sitting around him. How could one send a message to so-and-so who lived three or four hours away by car? That saint would simply lift the end of his belt, put it to his ear, and say, 'Hello? Mr. So-and-so, please come over. We are waiting for you!' After three or four hours, that person would knock at the door and enter and tell everyone that he had received a call from the shaykh telling him to come over.

There are so many things saints can do because their ego is under their control. When your spirit controls the ego, you can do everything. When the ego controls your spirit, you can do nothing. You have to always be a garbage container for human beings. Do not be afraid to carry their burdens. Carry and move. If you carry, God will give you more power. If you do not carry their burdens, you are never going to have that Light in your heart. You have to be a carrier of burdens.

There was one saint, a grandshaykh of the Naqshbandi Golden Chain named Bayazid al-Bistami, who said to his Lord, 'O my Lord! Make my body as large as Your hell and put me alone inside it. Let everyone else stay outside. I sacrifice myself for the benefit of Your innocent people. They are innocent because they have their egos weighing them down. If they did not have their egoes, they would have been like angels.' Everyone of us has an ego. It is that ego that controls us and makes us behave badly.

All of you must be examples in society. This will be the cause for people to come to our associations, simply by observing you and appreciating your good manners and exemplary behavior. When they see you acting badly, how will they want to attend these associations? They will never come.

How does one acquire good manners? By leaving bad temper and anger. Do not show anger, whether in your house or outside your house. Do not pay attention if your wife shouts at you. Let her shout. What can happen? Finally she will get tired and stop. The same goes for men! You are going to bark and bark but she will pay no attention. Finally you will get fed up and be quiet. But satan never causes one to be angry without the other being angry too. Fighting follows. Therefore when one shouts, the other must not listen. This technique must be applied outside among the community as well. Try to control your anger.

One day I was with Mawlana Shaykh Nazim in Madinah. At that time, Mawlana Shaykh used to take many pilgrims from Cyprus with him on the pilgrimage. He took them to a merchant to buy some prayer beads. After all the pilgrims had bought beads, Mawlana Shaykh asked for a set of beads for himself. The merchant showed him some beads. Mawlana Shaykh Nazim said to him, 'What do you think, can you give me a discount.' The merchant reacted with the worst kind of invective. There is not a single curse that he did not use against Mawlana. Mawlana did not even open his mouth. He his anger completely. Afterwards, when we moved out to the street, we saw someone coming to the Shaykh with a set of beads in his hands, identical to the ones he had asked to purchase. He gave them to the Shaykh with the words, 'This is a gift from me,' and no one knew who he was nor where he came from. He disappeared as fast as he had appeared.

When you keep your anger down, and God will reward you. Do not try to take your rights by force. God said in the Quran, 'Whoever forgives and makes peace will receive his reward from his Lord' [42:40]. That is better than taking your reward by force through the courts, for instance.

Prepare yourself in the month of Rajab not to miss any prayers. If you happen to miss prayers during the day, try to perform them at night when you come home before sleeping. Try to recite 'Allah' 1500 times a day in your heart. If you prefer to recite it by tongue, do so. Also recite 100 times a day, 'Allahumma salli ala Muhammadin wa ala ali Muhammadin wa sallim' (O God, send blessings and peace upon Muhammad and upon the Family of Muhammad). God willing, this will give you power during this month and will prepare you for the month of Shaban which has other duties which we will describe in time, God willing.

Do not think that this world will last much longer or that we have many years ahead of us. We beleive the Last Days of this world may be very close at hand.

We ask success from God through the Opening Chapter of the Quran, al-Fatihah .

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The Special Blessings of the Month of Rajab

And race to forgiveness from your Lord and a garden wide as the heavens and earth which has been made ready for the heedful. (3:133)

Certain days are most special because on them the mercy of the Lord abounds, His grace and bounty overflow like the ocean, He bestows pardon and forgiveness upon His servants, and He brings joy to those who repent to Him by honoring them with Paradise and His Beauty. It is of His loving mercy that He grants us such days, such nights, such hours.

These special times include the first night of the month of Rajab, and the first Friday night of that same month. The following noble Tradition was reported by the venerable Hasan, beloved grandson of the blessed Prophet: "There are four nights in the year when Allah's mercy, forgiveness, generosity, bounty and grace fall like rain upon the world. Blessed are they who know or will come to know the value of these nights, namely: 1) The first night of the noble month of Rajab; 2) The night called Bara'a (Absolution), the fifteenth night of the noble month of Sha'ban; 3) The night of the feast of Ramadan; 4) The night of the feast of Sacrifice."

Since Islam follows a lunar calendar, the beginning of each day is reckoned from sunset. Thus the fifteenth night of the noble month of Sha'ban is the night of the fourteenth to fifteenth. The night of festival marking the end of the month of fasting is the night between the last day of the noble month of Ramadan and the first day of the festival. The first night of the feast of Sacrifice is the night between the eve of that festival and its first day. Friday night is the night between Thursday and Friday.

Those who appreciate the worth and value of such nights spend these blessed times not in disobedience but in worship and obedience, charity and good works, prayer and supplication. On such nights they earn the good pleasure of their Lord.

Thawban Learns About the Month of Rajab

Thawban, one of the noble Companions, relates: "I was with the blessed Prophet when we came upon a cemetery. Our Master stopped there and began to weep. His breast became moist with the tears that flowed from his eyes. I went up to him and asked: "O Messenger of Allah, my mother, my father and I myself be your ransom, why are you weeping? Has a revelation come down to you?" He replied: "O Thawban, those who lie here, the dead who occupy this cemetery, are suffering the Torment of the Tomb. It is on account of their condition that I weep." He then continued: "If they had spent any of the days of the month of Rajab fasting and had worshipped Allah at night, they would have been spared this torment.""

The blessed Messenger is also reported as saying: "If someone keeps vigil on the first night of the month of Rajab in worship and obedience, when other hearts die his heart will not die. The All-Glorious One immerses that servant in His mercy and makes him as clean of sin as on the day his mother gave birth. Through the mercy of that night, he receives permission to intercede for seventy people otherwise doomed to Hell."

What grace and generosity we see here... Not only is he himself pardoned, he also receives authority to intercede for seventy other people. What grace, what generosity, what a blessed night this is. What can we say to those who cannot appreciate the worth and value of this night, who disobey Allah and follow other ways, who do not appreciate this precious life of theirs but throw it to the winds?

If a man were to throw his gold and his diamonds into the sea, destroy the house in which he lives and set fire to his property, we would pity him and say: "The poor man must have lost his reason." And we would be right to feel sorry for him. At least he would have the possibility of working and earning so as to recover these goods. But neither money nor labor can bring back life that is gone. Is it possible for those who waste their lives, even spending them in sin, to return to life when death has come? Of course not. This means that your precious life is more valuable than gold, emeralds or anything else.

The blessed Messenger is reported as saying: "My Community, be careful to take advantage of Allah's Month (that is, the month of Rajab). The month of Rajab is certainly Allah's Month. If someone who hopes for reward from Allah will fast for one day in that month, Paradise will be his of right. He will definitely go to Paradise. If he keeps fast for two days he will attain a position in the sight of Allah such as no one in heaven or earth can describe. If he fasts for three days he becomes immune to the sorrows of this world and the torments of the Hereafter, to madness, elephantiasis and leprosy, and to the mischief of other people. For anyone who fasts for seven days in the month of Rajab, the seven Gates of Hell will be shut. If he fasts for eight days to earn the pleasure of Allah, the eight Gates of Paradise will be opened for him. If he fasts for ten days Allah will grant whatever he wishes. If he fasts for fifteen days, his former sins are not only forgiven, but transformed into good deeds. If anyone fasts for more than fifteen days, Allah will increase his reward accordingly."

According to another noble Tradition, recorded in a book called Rawdatu-l 'Ulama', fasting to please Allah on the first day of the noble month of Rajab is expiation for three years of sins past, fasting on the second day is atonement for two years of sins past, fasting on the third day for one year of past sins, while fasting on each of the fourth and subsequent days gives expiation for one month of previous sin. Only those sins are pardoned, however, which are matters between man and Allah; the rights of other people are not affected. The fulfillment of human rights is an absolute obligation, that is to say it is our bounden duty to satisfy anyone who has a right over us.

Our noble Master said that on the night of his Ascension he saw a river in Paradise the water of which was sweeter than honey colder than snow and sweeter smelling than musk. He asked Gabriel, on him be peace: "Who drinks from this river?" The blessed Gabriel replied: "The name of this river is Rajab. If any member of your Community fasts in the month of Rajab and pronounces blessings upon you, the Exalted Lord will grant that he drink of this river."

Those who would drink of that river must fast in Rajab, 'Allah's Month', and give blessings to the Messenger of the Almighty, the Intercessor on the Day of Judgment.

In its Arabic spelling the word "Rajab" consists only of the three consonants 'R', 'J' and 'B'. The letter 'R' is the initial of Rahma, God's Mercy; 'J' stands for jurm, meaning crime, while the letter 'B' is the first in the word bari', meaning innocent. The All-Glorious One says: "My servant, you are guilty of crime and sin. Of My mercy I have absolved you of these and made you innocent. For the sake of your disobedience and sin I have granted you this month." Learned scholars have stated that these letters have this symbolic value. When the month of Rajab is over it enters the Divine Presence and the All-Glorious and Exalted One says to it: "O My Month! I wonder if they loved you? Did My servants treat you with respect?" The month of Rajab will say nothing in reply, though the Lord will ask the same question over and over again until Rajab finally says: "O Lord, You are the Veiler of Faults! You have commanded Your servants to hide the faults of others. Your Messenger named me the 'Deaf Month'. I heard what Your servants did in obedience but I was deaf to their disobedience and sin." This explains why the month of Rajab is known as the 'Deaf Month'.

The All-Glorious One says: "You are My month, you hear no sin. Since you accepted My servants along with their sins and disobedience, I have done likewise and forgiven them for your sake. Provided they once show remorse, I shall forgive them any sin and disobedience they commit during you."

Another reason why the month of Rajab is called the 'Deaf Month' is this: Two Recording Angels are always at our side writing down the good and bad things that we do, but it is a peculiarity of Rajab that during that month they record only our worthy actions and not the evil ones. Since in this month of Rajab the bad deeds of those who display penitence and remorse are kept from the sight and hearing of the angels, they cannot record them.

Our noble Master said: "Certainly Rajab is Allah's Month. The month of Sha'ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Community."

According to Imam al-Suyuti in his book called al-Jami' al-Saghir, the venerable Abu Hurayra said: "Apart from Ramadan itself, the blessed Messenger fasted most often in the months of Rajab and Sha'ban."

The literal meaning of Rajab is: "To revere, to regard as great." The custodians of the Ka'ba keep it open from the first of Rajab to the last, out of reverence and respect for this month. In other months, they keep the Ka'ba shut except on Mondays and Thursdays. They say: "This month is God's Month and this house is God's House. Since man is God's servant how can we keep him out of God's House in God's Month?"

-Sheikh Muzaffer Ozak al-Jerrahi, Irshad (Wisdom of a Sufi Master)

27th Rajab is the Month of God - Isra and Mi`raj

The Night Journey The Spiritual Significance of Isra and Mi`raj
By Shaykh Hisham Muhammad Kabbani

Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem
Glory be to Him Who made His servant to go on a night from the Inviolable Mosque to the Far-Distant Mosque of which We have blessed the precincts, so that We may show to him some of Our signs; surely He is the Hearing, the Seeing. [17: 1]

Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night from the Inviolable Place of Worship to the Far distant place of worship, whose precincts We have blessed, that We might show him of Our Signs! Lo! He, only He, is the Hearer, the Seer. [17:1]



Allah (swt) has revealed this as the first verse of Quran's chapter al-Isra, Night Journey, which is also known as the chapter of the Children of Israel or the chapter of Glorification ( Subhan ). In it Allah mentions the Night Journey ( Isra ) in which He called the Prophet (s) to His Divine Presence.

As Allah opened the Holy Qur'an in the Opening chapter Surat al-Fatiha, with the words “ Al-Hamdu Lillah - Praise be to Allah,” in this verse of Surat al-Isra (17:1), He opens the chapter of the Night Journey with, “ Subhana - Glory be to Allah (swt)."

Allah is glorifying Himself saying, “ Subhana alladhi asra'” which means “Glory to Me, the One who brought the Prophet on the Night Journey calling him to My Divine Presence.” This is beyond the comprehension of the human mind. Allah is not just reminding us about this event, rather, He is glorifying Himself on account of it. That is because the Night Journey, moving almost instantaneously from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa and the Ascension, traversing in an incredibly short span of time the worldly domain of this universe and beyond, transcend the laws of physics governing movement. There is no way for any scientist's mind to comprehend how the Prophet (s) moved across the globe and was then carried to Allah's Divine Presence. Such a journey is beyond the scope of imagination. Therefore Allah (swt) glorifies Himself saying, "Yes it happened! Glory to Me Who can do this! I am beyond these laws and systems. I am the Creator of all systems."

Malik bin Anas (r) related that the Prophet (s) said, “I was lying in the hijr (of the Inviolable Mosque of Makka) when someone [the archangel Jibril (as)] came to me and cut open my chest from throat to belly. He removed my heart and cleaned it with the water of the well of Zamzam before putting it back in its place. Then he brought me a white creature called al-Buraq by whose means I was lifted.”

Another narration relates that the two archangels “Jibril and Mika'il (as) came to the Prophet (s) when he was laying down in al-Hijr [of the Inviolable Mosque in Makka] and carried him to the well of Zamzam. They laid him down on his back and Jibril (as) opened his chest from top to bottom, despite which there was no bleeding. He said to Mika'il (as), ‘Get me water from Zamzam,' which he did. Jibril (as) took the Prophet's heart and washed it thrice before putting it back. He filled it with faith and wisdom. Then he closed his chest and they took him out from the door of the masjid to where the buraq was waiting.”

Archangel Jibril could have removed the Prophet's heart miraculously by means of a small opening or without opening his chest at all. Yet we see in this Tradition of the Prophet (s) a hint of how to perform open heart surgery. This same technique of opening the entire chest cavity is used by heart surgeons today.

How did Allah describe the one whom He brought on the Night Journey? He describes him (as) as "His servant." Abu Qasim Sulayman al-Ansari said that when the Prophet (s) reached the highest levels and distinguished stations, Allah revealed to him, “With what shall I honor you?” The Prophet said, “By relating me to you through servanthood ( ‘ubudiyya ).” This is why Allah revealed this verse of the Holy Qur'an honoring the Prophet (s) by the title "His servant ” when describing the Night Journey. Allah did not grant such an honor to Moses. Rather He said, "And when Moses came to Our appointed tryst…" [7: 143] referring to Moses (as) by his name. Instead of saying, “ Glory be to Him Who made Muhammad to go …”Allah honored the Prophet (s) by referring to him as “` abdihi ", His servant.”

Another subtle inference from Allah's use of the term “` Abdihi” - a construct in the absent form or third person - is the meaning that, ‘He called the Prophet to a void where there was nothing except His Own Presence.' Allah called the Prophet to a point where there is no place and there is no time, no ‘where' and no ‘when.' More miraculous than calling the Prophet (s) to His Presence was His bringing the Prophet's (s) body and soul, which exist in time and place, to where there is no time and place. Allah brought His sincere servant, our master Muhammad (as), from a physical form of this worldly life to the completely abstract Divine Presence which is beyond any laws of science and physics which govern the universe.

The verse goes on to describe the Prophet's movement through xxxx stations. Allah's description of the Prophet (as) as servant ‘ abd, precedes His mention of the two mosques: the Inviolable Mosque (Masjid al-Haraam) and the Far Distant Mosque (Masjid al-Aqsa). Having perfected his character through constant worship, ` ubudiyya, the Inviolable Mosque, or Holy Sanctuary, is here an indication of the Prophet's (s) having already been elevated beyond all sin. Allah did not say His Servant was taken “from Makka,” rather He said, “from the Inviolable Mosque.” “Inviolable” means that no sin is permitted within its precincts, nor backbiting, cheating, or lying. There one must be ever mindful of Allah's (swt) Presence. Masjid al-Haraam is a station where those sins which signify the animal life, can never be committed. 'Aqsa' in Arabic means 'the Farthest'. Thus Masjid al-Aqsa here is named as the farthest mosque in relation to Masjid al-Haraam and symbolizes the spiritual realm. The literal meaning is, ‘He brought His servant from Masjid al-Haraam to the mosque at the farthest end.' Symbolically, Allah brought the Prophet away from that which is forbidden, things of this earthly life, haraam , to the place furthest away from it - al-Aqsa. The furthermost point from the animalistic life is the spiritual dimension.

The contrast between these 'stations' is further demonstrated by the famous stone at each of these holy sites. In Masjid al-Haraam the Black Stone is a stone governed by physical constraints, held up in an encasement, having fallen from heaven and been darkened by the sins of humanity. At Masjid al-Aqsa the holy stone marking where the Prophet (as) ascended to the heavens is miraculously suspended in the air, disregarding the physical law of gravity, seeking to leave the earthly pull of gravity to soar towards the Divine Presence.

The subtle meaning derived from the order of the words here is that Allah's one true servant, the Prophet (s) began from station of `abdiyya, servanthood, for which he was created, allowing him to begin from the station of perfected and flawless character (`ismat) and move from there to the farthest station, the highest rank of all creation, as indicated by the station of the farthest mosque.

Allah brought Prophet Muhammad (s) to Masjid al-Aqsa in Palestine from which most of the prophets hail. There he found all of the prophets gathered there, and they prayed in congregation behind him (as). From there Allah raised him to the heavens, as if saying, ‘O My prophets! I did not raise any one from Masjid al-Aqsa as I am raising Muhammad (s).' This was in order to demonstrate to them Prophet Muhammad's (as) ascendancy - unlike any one of them he was not restricted by the laws of this universe.

Allah then moved him from Masjid al-Aqsa by means of the Miraj, lifting him up to His Divine Presence. Why did Allah use the words, ‘ laylan - by night'? Why didn't He say, ‘ naharan - by day'? ‘ Laylan' here illustrates the darkness of this world which becomes illumined only by the bright moon of the Prophet (s) to illuminate every darkness.

Subhan alladhee asr'a bi `abdihi laylan . "Glorified be He Who carried His servant by night…" Look at every word of this holy verse. First Allah praised Himself in the third person, in absence. Allah then miraculously moved the Prophet ( asra' ) from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa. Then He referred to the Prophet as ‘ 'abd, servant', distinguishing him through that elevated title as being related to the spiritual life, not the animal life.

The message of Prophet Muhammad (s) completed and perfected both the physical discipline and jurisprudence ( shariah ) of Musa and the spirituality ( rawhaniyya ) of ‘Isa. The shariah of Musa relates to the worldly life and the spirituality of ‘Isa relates to the heavenly life. By passing from the worldly life, represented by the Night Journey, to heavenly life, represented by the Ascension, the Prophet (s) was carried on these two wings. No prophet was carried on both except our master Muhammad (s).

In his Musnad Imam Ahmad said that the Dajjal (Anti-Christ) would be prevented from entering four places: Masjid al-Haraam in Makka, Masjid an-Nabawiyy in Madina, Masjid al-Aqsa and Tur, Mount Sinai where Moses used to speak to Allah.

Imam Ahmad says in his Musnad that Maymuna said she asked the Prophet about Bayt al-Maqdis. He said, “It is the place of Judgment Day where everyone will be called. Come to it and pray in it because one prayer in it is like 1,000 prayers anywhere else.”

In another hadith the Prophet said that “One prayer in Masjid an-Nabawiyy is like 10,000 prayers elsewhere. One prayer in Masjid al-Haraam is like 100,000 prayers elsewhere.”

In another narration of Ahmad one of the Prophet's wives asked what one should do if they are not able to go to Masjid al-Aqsa. He said, “If someone is not able to go let them send lamp oil there to give light in the mosque. If anyone sends lamp oil to light the mosque it is as if you went and prayed there.”

According to this hadith one can send something to the mosque from far away attain the reward of one having reached the masjid despite not going there oneself, this though it is not a human being, but only four walls. This is one of many text proofs that intercession in Islam is accepted.

Allah mentioned in the Holy Qur'an “whenever Zakariya entered the sanctuary to (see) her, he found with her food. He said: O Mariam! whence comes this to you? She said: It is from Allah. Surely Allah gives to whom He pleases without measure.” [3: 36] Allah then stresses the importance of this place, “ There did Zakariya pray to his Lord…” [3: 37] as one in which prayers are answered, having become holy as Maryam's place of worship. Here we see that a place, whether a mosque or a sanctuary, once it becomes holy, can provide blessings and rewards to those who worship in it or send oil to, in the case of Masjid al-Aqsa. This is for a place, consisting of nothing more than four inanimate walls, what then of asking a pious person for dua? That is the case of the intercession of the Prophet (s).

There is another narration from Abu Dawud in which the Prophet was asked by Abu Dharr which was the first masjid placed on earth. The Prophet replied, “Al-Masjid al-Haraam.” (The mosque Sayyidina Ibrahim made in Makka). Then he asked which was next. “Masjid al-Aqsa.” (in Jerusalem). Abu Dharr asked how much time was in between the two. “Forty years. Sayyidina Ibrahim made the Mosque in Makka, Sayyidina Y'aqub founded Masjid al-Aqsa then his son Sayyidina Sulayman finished it.”

One of the great scholars of Quranic exegesis, al-‘Ala'i said, ‘On the Night of Ascension the Prophet had five different vehicles. The first was the Buraq, a winged creature which carried him from Makka to Masjid al-Aqsa. The second was the Ascension by which the Prophet (s) reached the sky of this world, as- sama' ad-dunya .' There are two explanations for Mi`raj: either the Buraq carried the Prophet (s) up or a ladder that descended and took the Prophet up very rapidly. ‘The third vehicle was the wings of angels taking the Prophet up to the seventh heaven. The fourth vehicle was the wings of Jibril (as) from the seventh heaven to sidrat al-muntaha . The fifth vehicle was ar-raf raf to ka`ba kawsayn .' The Prophet (s) stopped in ten different stations: the seven heavens and the eighth at the Furthermost Lote Tree, sidrat al-muntaha. The ninth is where he heard the sound of the angels' pens writing people's actions. The tenth level was at the Throne. And Allah knows best.' ( Tafsir ruh al maani. Al-alusi. Dar al-fikr. Tafsir surat bani israil )

Allah supports His prophets with miracles ( m'ujizat ) to be able to go beyond the laws of physics and beyond the constraints of our human realities. If Allah grants a miracle we should not view it as something improbable otherwise we will be like scientists who cannot understand anything beyond the physical laws of the universe.

These miraculous events happened on the Night of the Night Journey and Ascension, Laylat al Isra wal Miraj. The many hadith of Isra were authenticated by numerous huffaz (hadith masters) such as Ibn Shihab, Thabit al-Banani, and Qatada. Some scholars have different opinions on when this night occurred. Imam Nawawi said that it happened in Rajab. In ar-Rawda, Nawawi says it happened 10 years and 3 months after the beginning of the prophecy, while in Fatawa he states it was after five or six years of prophecy. Whatever the case, all scholars say that the Isra and Miraj took place both in body and spirit.



Allah said in the Holy Qur'an



75. So also did We show Ibrahim the malakut kingdom and glories behind the magnificent powers and laws of the physical universe that he might have certitude.

76. When the night covered over him he saw a star. He said ‘This is my lord.' But when it set he said, ‘I do not love those that set.'

77. When he saw the moon rising in splendor he said, ‘This is my lord.' But when the moon set he said, ‘Unless my Lord guides me I shall surely be among those who go astray.'

78. When he saw the sun rising in splendor he said, ‘This is my lord.' But when the sun set he said, ‘O my people, I am innocent and free from the sin of you giving partners to Allah.

79. ‘For me I have set my face firmly and truly towards the One Who created the heavens and the earth, and I am not one who gives partners to Allah.' (Al-An'am 6:75-79).

Allah opened the kingdom of heavens and earth to Sayyidina Ibrahim without an Isra or Miraj. He opened Prophet Ibrahim's baseera (spiritual vision) to see the wonders of the universe from where he was on earth. Allah showed him what is beyond the laws of the physical universe through the eyes of his heart. Yet immediately after this verse where Allah has shown Ibrahim the glories behind the physical universe, in verse 76 Ibrahim sees a star and says, ‘This is my lord!' In verses 77 and 78 he similarly “mistakes” the moon and sun for his lord.

Allah showed Ibrahim (as) the truth, and he is conveying the heavenly message. If he tried to directly present unseen spirituality to those who worship only physical objects, they would not understand it. How could he explains the heavens and glorifying the Lord to those who only understand literal meanings and physicality and not interpretative meanings or spirituality? Ibrahim was trying to gently tell the people ‘don't worship the stars, or moon, or sun. Go beyond what you can see physically.' Ibrahim knew the reality of the universe as Allah had shown it to him. The verses of the stars, moon, and sun are for the non-believers, to slowly build up their beliefs. They rejected anything beyond the comprehension of their minds. He wanted everyone to be under Allah's mercy so he was trying to let them understand by process of elimination that there is a spiritual dimension. He eliminated the star (something small), then the moon, then the sun (the biggest heavenly body). This means don't run after things of this worldly life but run after the spiritual dimension which is beyond the laws of the physical universe.

In our time, materialistic scientists and certain narrow minded Islamic sects try to negate spirituality, the fourth dimension, which Allah showed to Ibrahim (as). Those rejecting the spiritual dimension of Islam are falling into the same trap as the people of Ibrahim. The Prophet (s) said, ‘ akhwaf ma akhafu ala ummati ash-shirk il-khafi what I fear most for my community is the hidden shirk (associating partners to Allah).' For a person to be prideful of himself. Sayyidina Ibrahim was shown the realities of this universe and tried to guide his people to Allah. Finally, in verse 79 he reaffirms his true belief in Allah and his turning away from worldly distractions. From his place on earth, Ibrahim was shown by Allah (swt) the malakut of heavens and earth.

Sayyidina Musa did not see this malakut , but he was able to hear and talk to Allah from Mount Sinai. Although Ibrahim was granted to see in spiritual dimensions, and Musa was granted to hear Allah directly, both of their bodies were still on earth and subject to its physical laws. Sayyidina Ibrahim's vision and Sayyidina Musa's hearing went beyond the physical through the power of the soul, but their bodies did not move beyond the physical world.

However, Allah made Prophet Muhammad to move in spiritual dimensions with his physical body in complete freedom from the physical laws. Allah called the Prophet, ‘ li nuriyahu min ayatina to show him from Our signs...'(Isra 17: ????) Allah showed Ibrahim malakut of this universe, but He showed Muhammad His signs. Allah moved the Prophet in body and spirit beyond the physical laws of this universe and showed him His signs ‘ ayatina Our signs.' This possessive form relating the signs as being Allah's directly indicates a greater honor and knowledge bestowed to the Prophet as opposed to knowledge about Allah's creation in general. The malakut of samawat (heavens or skies) and ard (earth) shown to Ibrahim were the workings of this physical universe and did not reach to Paradise. Allah's signs are directly related to Allah and are not associated with this world.

Imam Nawawi and the late Imam Mutwalli Sh'arawi side with the majority of scholars in interpreting this to mean that the Prophet saw his Lord another time- not that he saw Jibril another time as claimed by some. Nawawi relates in his commentary on Sahih Muslim, “Most of the scholars say that the Prophet saw his Lord with the eyes of his head ra'a rabbahu bi ‘aynay ra'sihi.”



Fa awha ila abdihi ma awha

53:10 Allah revealed to His servant what he revealed

Ma kadhaba al-fu'adu ma ra'a

53:11 The Prophet's heart in no way falsified what it saw.

A fatumarunahu ala ma yara

53:12 Will you then dispute with him about what he saw?

Wa laqad ra'ahu nazlatan ukhra

53:13 And he saw Him again another time

ainda sidrat al-muntaha

53 :14 at the Lote-tree of the ut