The Four Sacred Months in Islam

The Quran says that the number of months with Allah is twelve, and that four of them are sacred (Quran 9:36). The same verse tells believers not to wrong themselves during these months.

These months were respected by the Arabs before Islam, and Islam confirmed their sanctity. Some Arabs used to postpone a sacred month to suit their wars, and the Quran condemned this practice (Quran 9:37). The verse reminds us that the calendar is set by Allah, and that time itself can carry a special status.

In a hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari (3197) and Sahih Muslim (1679), Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet ﷺ said in his farewell sermon that time had come round to the same form as on the day Allah created the heavens and the earth. The year has twelve months, and four of them are sacred. Three come one after another: Dhul Qadah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram. The fourth is Rajab of Mudar, which stands alone between Jumada al-Thani and Shaban.

Knowing their order is useful. The last two months of the Hijri year and the first month of the next year make a group of three sacred months in a row. Rajab comes later in the year, on its own.

In the early period of Islam, fighting was forbidden in these months (Quran 2:217). Most scholars say that this prohibition on starting fighting was later abrogated, while some early scholars held that it remains. A qualified scholar should be asked about it.

Early scholars, such as the companion Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him), explained that wrongdoing is more serious in a sacred month, and that good deeds carry a greater reward. Sin is wrong in every month, but in these months a believer should be even more careful about it.

Two of the months are linked to major acts of worship. Hajj takes place in Dhul Hijjah. The Prophet ﷺ performed his Umrah visits in Dhul Qadah, the month before it, apart from the one he performed with his Hajj (Sahih al-Bukhari 4148).

The sacred months are a good time to improve yourself. Good deeds are encouraged in every month, and you can give them extra attention now. For example:

• Pray your five daily prayers on time and add voluntary prayers.
• Read the Quran and reflect on its meaning.
• Give charity, even a small amount.
• Ask Allah for forgiveness and repent from known mistakes.
• Mend family ties and settle disputes.
• Be careful with your speech, your money and your treatment of others.

The Prophet ﷺ taught that the best fasting after Ramadan is fasting in Allah's month of Muharram (Sahih Muslim 1163). Fasting in Muharram is therefore encouraged, especially on the day of Ashura. Voluntary fasting should be done as much as you are able, without harming yourself.

Rajab is a sacred month, and this is clear from the Quran and the Sunnah. However, many stories about special prayers, fixed fasting days or special rewards for Rajab are weak or not authentic. Do not follow a practice only because it is popular. No authentic report singles out a special prayer, a fixed fast or a celebration for Rajab, and this includes the night of the Isra and Miraj, whose date is not established. If you want to do more worship in Rajab, keep to the good deeds that are established and encouraged in every month.

Avoiding injustice is a duty at all times of the year. The sacred months simply remind us to take it more seriously. A gentle reminder: the best use of these months is a sincere change in how we live, not a count of rituals.