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News ID: 87535
Publish Date : 12 February 2021 - 22:04

A Blessed Birthday & the 1st of Rajab

By: Seyyed Ali Shahbaz

"Rajab is the great month of Allah. No other month equals it in sanctity and merit. During this month fighting against the infidels is prohibited… Surely, whoever fasts a day of Rajab secures Allah’s greatest pleasure, distances himself/herself from Allah’s  wrath and one of the gates of hell is closed for him.”
These are the remarks of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) on the first of the four sacred months of the Islamic Calendar, in which the Gates of Divine Mercy are flung open. He also said God Almighty grants the reward of a hundred thousand good deeds to those who recite "la ilaha il-Allah” (no god but Allah) a thousand times during Rajab and shall build for them a hundred cities in paradise.
On the 1st of this sacred month, Prophet Muhammad’s (SAWA) Namesake and 5th Divinely-Designated Heir, Imam Muhammad Baqer (AS), was born in Medina in the year 57 AH.
It is interesting to note that the Seal of Messengers had prophesied his great-great grandson as "Baqer al-Uloum” (Splitter and Spread of Sciences) and sent his greetings through his loyal disciple Jaber ibn Abdullah al-Ansari over half-a-century earlier, in order to guide the seekers of truth of the subsequent generations.
His birth anniversary and reflection on his exemplary life opens our minds, sharpens our insight, uplifts our hearts, refreshes our souls, strengthens our spirit, and firms up our faith with renewed fervour for availing of the showers of Mercy that our Loving Creator sends down in Rajab for those striving towards Divine Favours and forgiveness.
It would be repetitive to say Imam Muhammad Baqer (AS) had the honour of lineal descent from Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) on both sides – his father Imam Zayn al-Abedin (AS) being the son of Prophet’s younger grandson Imam Husain (AS), and his mother Fatema (SA) being the daughter of the Prophet’s elder grandson, Imam Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS).
Here is one of the famous sayings of the 5th Imam on the authority of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA):
"This (Islam) is a firm and decisive Faith! Scale its heights, but calmly! Don’t put excessive weight of prayer on your bodies! Don’t be like a rider who tires his animal by travelling more than it possibly can! It may fail to carry you to your destination! Satan has misguided some of our people and made them abstain from meat and other delicacies. Such abstention is against the Shari’ah.”
Imam Baqer (AS) thus encouraged people to marry, raise children, and cater to their needs in lawful and legal manner, but at the same time, fulfill their duties towards Allah the All-Merciful Creator.
On his authority, the ayahs of the Holy Qur’an explained, the legal code of Islam defined, and accounts of the prophets of the past penned down.   
He thus strengthened the foundations of the School of the Prophet’s Ahl al-Bayt, which would flower and reach its peak under his son and successor, Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS), at whose over 4,000 scholars and students learned different branches of sciences, ranging from theology and jurisprudence to medicine and astronomy.
Imam Baqer (AS), who despite his grooming of scholars, would at times love to toil under the blazing sun of Arabia by personally engaging in farming in order to set the practical example of dignified labour for earning of legal and lawful subsistence bread, has said the following:
"There is no job better than farming and there is no benefit better than the benefit of farming, because benevolent and malevolent grazing animals and birds benefit from it and pray for the farmer.”
The 5th Imam’s mission which lasted 19 years from 95 AH to 114 AH when it was cut short by a fatal dose of poison givin on the orders of Hesham bin Abdul-Malik, the self-styled caliph of the usurper Omayyad regime at the age of 57 years, used to fully observe the devotions of the sacred month of Rajab – some of which we reproduce here for the benefit of our readers.
The Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) quotes the Prophet as saying: "God Almighty shall forgive all the sins of the person who recites these phrases every day and night throughout the months of Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadhan. Recite each of the following three times: Surah al-Hamd, Ayat al-Kursi, the Surahs Kafiroun, Towheed, Falaq, and Naas. Then, say thrice "Subhan-Allah, wal-hamdu lillah, wa la ilaha il-Allah wa-Allah-o Akbar, wa la howla wala quwatta illah billah” (Glory be to Allah, All Praise belongs to Allah, there is no god except Allah, and Allah is Greater; there is no power or force except what derives from Allah, the Exalted and Almighty). Then say each of the following thrice. "Allahumma salle ala Muhammadin wa aal-e Muhammad” (O Allah, bless Muhammad and the Progeny of Muhammad). "Allahmum-maghfir-lil-momineen-wa’l-mominaat” (O Allah, forgive the faithful, men and women). Thereafter say four hundred times "Ashtaghfirullah wa atubu ilayh” (I beseech Allah for forgiveness, and turn to Him penitently).”
According to Imam Ja’far as-Sadeq (AS), the son and successor of Imam Baqer (AS), on the authority of Prophet Muhammad:
"Allah has exalted this month and given it a stupendous sanctity, taking it upon Himself to honour those who fast it. And whoever fasts a single day of the latter part of Rajab it will save him from the severity of the throes of death, from the horrors encountered after death, and from the torments of the grave. Whoever fasts two days of the latter part of this month will cross over with ease the "Sirat” (the sharper than razor-narrower than hair-string bridge over hell that leads to paradise). And whoever fasts three days of the latter part of this month will be secure from the torments and calamities of the Day of the most terrible calamity and will be granted immunity from hell.”
A very famous hadith says, a person who recites in Rajab "Astaghfirullah wa atubu ilayh” seventy times in the morning and seventy times in the evening and thereafter raising his hands says "Allahum∙magh∙fir li wa tub alayya”, should he/she die during Rajab, God shall be pleased with him/her and hellfire shall not touch him/her. The Prophet also said God Almighty shall forgive all the sins of someone who offers ten "raka’ah” of the ritual prayer during one of the nights of Rajab, reciting Surah al-Hamd and Surah Kafiroun once and Surah Towheed thrice in each "raka’ah”.
In conclusion, here is another mind-stimulating statement from Imam Baqer (AS) to ponder upon:
"The exterior of the world is very attractive and in fact it is very destructive! It looks pretty like a snake, soft and cuddly! But its nature is venomous! The wise keeps an eye on its venom and escape from it. The gullible plays with it like a child!