7 Great Things to Remember with the Start of Rajab

We have been told secrets of creation which can help us to make the most of our short time on earth. One of those secrets is that of time.

There are certain times of every day and certain times of every year which are filled with more mercy and blessings than other times.

By making use of these times, we are able to increase the speed of our journey towards perfection.

There are three months of the year which are the Spring of Spirituality. This year, both the Spring of Nature and the Spring of Spirituality occur at the same time.

The three months of Rajab, Sha`bān and Ramaďān are the Spring of Spirituality. It is in this Spring that dying hearts come to life once more and that living hearts ascend into the Heavens of Light.

These three months are like a magnificent tablecloth filled with every kind of delicious and colourful food. Each person takes according to his own capacity.

Imām Khāmene’ī relates that when he visited Imām Khomeinī after the month of Ramaďān, he noticed that he had become more radiant and this was understood even from his gestures.

The people of knowledge yearn for an entire year for the coming of this Spring.

Dear brothers and sisters! Let us make the most of this Spiritual Springtime and let us not allow these blessed days to escape us. Before we know it, the month of Ramaďān shall be leaving us. Let us ensure that when we say goodbye to the month of Ramaďān, we are not the same people who entered the month of Rajab!

These months are here to change us, to elevate us, to remind us of our true identity and to make us join the rows of angels as they remember the Beloved…

Some points to remember:

1. Recommended actions only have an effect when we are performing all of the duties that are obligatory on us (Wājibāt) and staying away from all that is forbidden on us (Muharramāt). This is always the priority. However, performing some recommended actions gives us the strength and energy needed to perform all of our duties and refrain from all that is forbidden.

2. There are many recommended actions for the blessed months of Rajab, Sha`bān and Ramaďān. We can refer to the books of Supplications – such as Mafātīhul Jinān – to find them.

3. The small good action that you perform regularly has a much greater effect than a big good action that you perform only once or twice.

4. No supplication or Dhikr is higher, more virtuous or effective than the Blessed Qur’ān. These sacred months are a great chance for us to increase our closeness to the book of Allāh by reciting, memorising and contemplating on its blessed verses.

5. Increasing our knowledge of Islām is obligatory and a Muslim who knows this but doesn’t make time to increase his knowledge is comitting a sin.

6. Being aware about the state of the Ummah is a duty upon us. We must strive to help our oppressed brothers and sisters in any way we can, including by praying for them.

7. We need to be careful to not overburden ourselves with recommended actions. Just like body builders who increase their physical strength by increasing the heaviness of their weights slowly, we also must increase our spiritual weights slowly. If we attempt to do too much then we can damage ourselves. And if we do too little then we won’t grow at all. Therefore having the right balance is extremely important.

By Sayyid Haidar Hassanain

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