Rajab is the seventh month of the Islamic calendar. The lexical definition of the classical Arabic verb rajaba is “to respect” which could also mean “be awe or be in fear”, of which Rajab is a derivative. This month is regarded as one of the four sacred months in Islam in which battles are prohibited.
Rajab, the seventh month of the lunar year, stands apart from the other sacred months. It is thus called ‘Rajab al-Fard’ or ‘Rajab the Separate One’. Allah made it sacred in order to preserve people’s safety during ’Umrah, the minor pilgrimage.
The purpose of the sacred months
As mentioned above, the sacred months allowed pilgrims to travel safely to and from the holy lands. This particular purpose is less relevant today, when we don’t need a whole month to travel to Makkah!
