Rajab: A Momentous History

There are momentous times in the history of all peoples. Momentous days, weeks and months. The Muslims are no
exception. To the contrary, Islamic history overflows with events and occurrences worthy of the mention, and indeed
worthy of remembrance. Such comes with no surprise given the fact that the Islamic civilisation brought a new dawn
to the world of the 7th century, as it established itself in the Middle East before moving forth to conquer land after
land, bringing with it knowledge, civilisation and real progress.
It is well-known that the holiest of months in the Islamic lunar calendar is Ramadan. A month with unrivalled historic
significance, both at the time of the Prophet (saw) and after him. A significance which shadows a heavy burden on
the other eleven months, sometimes rendering their magnitude miniscule in its grandeur. In any absolute analysis
nevertheless, all the Islamic months have their unique significance. Here we look at one such month, which races
towards us, in this, the 1429th year after hijra. That month is Rajab, and it is indeed a month which carries a
momentous history. In particular, Rajab saw four events in Islamic History which belong in the category of those
which changed the course of history.
It was in Rajab of the 10th year of Prophethood (620 CE) that al-Isra wa l-Miraj occurred. In one night the Prophet
(saw) went from Makkah to Jerusalem, then to the heavens and beyond. The spiritual significance of Prophetic
journey is only matched by the importance of its timing with regard to the Prophetic mission. Having lost his uncle
Abu Talib who had protected him from the beginning of his call, as well as his beloved wife Khadija (ra), the Prophet
(saw) was in a difficult situation. The Makkans openly declared their campaign of torture and persecution. It was in
this dire situation, at the height of the struggle between Islam and Kufr, that Allah decided to show his chosen servant
some of His greatest signs, taking him in one night, nay a part thereof, to the sacred mosque in the sacred lands of
Jerusalem and from there to the highest heavens.
Rajab also saw one of the glorious military victories of the Messenger (saw); the Battle of Tabuk, which occurred in
the 9 AH, and marked the completion of Islamic authority over the whole Arabian Peninsula. Notwithstanding the
intense heat and the long journey to al-Sham from Madinah, an army of 30,000, Muslim moved relentlessly towards
al-Sham. The Roman armies were encamped at Tabuk ready to raid the Muslims, but when they heard of the size and
strength of the Muslim army coming towards them, and that they were led by the Messenger of Allah himself, they
were terrified and rushed back into the interior of al-Sham to the safety of their fortresses. This left the Messenger
(saw) with an easy task of occupying Tabuk without a fight. He stayed there for a month dealing with other minor
resisting forces and also sent letters to the leaders and governors under Roman control in the area, who made peace
with him and agreed to pay the Jizyah.
It was also in Rajab, of the year 583 AH (1187 CE), that Salah al-Din marched into Jerusalem, liberating it from the
clutches of the European crusaders who had taken it and ruled it for close to a century. This conquest was not only
significant because of the inalienable importance of Jerusalem in Islam, but also because of its role as being one of
the crucial stabs in crusader efforts to conquer Muslim lands. A few months earlier Salah al-Din annihilated the
Crusader army of Guy of Lusignan and Raymond III of Tripoli in the Battle of Hittin. This was a major disaster for the
Crusaders and a turning point in the history of the Crusades to the favour of the Muslims.
Centuries later, in 1342 AH (1924 CE), the month of Rajab again brought a history-setting event upon the Muslim
Ummah. This time, unlike the previous two, it was not an occurrence worthy of praise, though certainly worthy of
remembrance. On the 28 of Rajab, corresponding to the 3rd of March, the Khilafah was officially abolished at the
hands of Mustafa Kemal Pasha. That institution which united the Muslims and implemented the Shariah was
abolished. That institution which for centuries had played out its role of being a shield for the Muslims was removed.
What happened afterwards was to be expected. Without a shield, the Muslims, their resources and their lands were
no more than war booty to the disbelieving colonialists, who had been pulling the strings to make sure that the
Khilafah was eradicated and replaced by secular rule.
These four events in Islamic History are indeed momentous events. They are events which set the course of history in
a specific direction. They are events worthy of our remembrance and commemoration. Not a Western
commemoration, but an Islamic one. We commemorate not by partying the night away, nor by extravagant marches
and trumpet-blowing, nor by building statues and monuments of men. Rather our commemoration is in turning to
Allah in worship and contemplation: praising Him for his great favours, and seeking forgiveness for our shortcomings.
Our commemoration is in praying extra prayers, reciting more Quran and making extra dhikr. Our commemoration is
in reflecting upon our situation today, as individuals and as an Ummah, and assessing it in light of our Islamic
obligations. Our commemoration is in resolving our will to fulfill our obligations towards our Creator to the best of our
ability.
As we enter another Rajab, we should familiarise ourselves with our great history, and take the opportunity to do the
above things with pure sincerity to Allah (swt) and with the sole motivation of seeking His pleasure. We should reflect
upon al-Isra wa l-Miraj and ask: as we find ourselves in the midst of a an intense struggle between Islam and kufr,
this time in the form of Western secular liberalism, are we resolving our will and engaging with the aim of making
Islam dominant? We should reflect upon Salah al-Dins liberation of Jerusalem and ask: what are we doing knowing
well that the holy city is occupied yet again and has been so for over fifty years? Where is the Salah al-Din of today?
We should reflect upon the destruction of the Khilafah and ask: what is our contribution to the Islamic revival and
efforts to re-establish the Khilafah? What are we doing to fulfill our collective obligation to Allah of ruling by Islam and
being the role model of humanity, leading her towards progress and success in both worlds?
We must ask these questions in taking lessons from our history, as we venture into our future.