fortunate people from a lake called ‘Rajab’; the doors of Hell will close for them and the doors of paradise will open for them; their fasts will become a means of erasing their sins and in the unbearable heat, hunger and thirst of the Day of Judgement, arrangements will be made for their food and rest.

After listening to such excellent virtues and blessings of Nafl fasts, we should all try our best to keep Nafl fasts along with the obligatory fasts. The arrival of Rajab-ul-Murajjab is as if the season of fasting has started. First, the fasts of Rajab-ul-Murajjab and then the fasts of Sha’ban-ul-Mu’azzam.

Let’s listen to a beautiful letter of Ameer-e-Ahl-e-Sunnat دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ relating to the persuasion of keeping Nafl fasts and its virtues:

A letter from ‘Attar

﷽

Having circled around the Holy Ka’bah, having kissed the blessed Green Dome, enriched with the blessings of those who fast in Rajab-ul-Murajjab, Sha’ban-ul-Mu’azzam and Ramadan-ul-Mubarak, Salaam from Sag-e-Madinah Muhammad Ilyas Attar Qaadiri Razavi to all Islamic brothers, Islamic sisters, teachers and students of Madrasa-tul-Madinah and Jami’a-tul-Madinah:

اَلسَّلَامُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَ رَحۡمَةُ اللّٰهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهٗ

اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِيۡنَ عَلٰي كُلِّ حَالٍ

اَلْـحَمْـدُ لـِلّٰـه! The days of happiness are coming once again. The month of Rajab-ul-Murajjab has started. The seed of worship is sowed in this month, watered with the tears of repentance in Sha’ban-ul-Mu’azzam and the harvest of mercy is gathered in the month of Ramadan-ul-Mubarak.

Three months of fasting

O those who value Rajab-ul-Murajjab! If studying, teaching, or earning Halal are not affected, your parents do not prevent you, and nobody’s rights are violated, get ready as soon as possible to keep as many Nafl fasts along with the obligatory fasts of Ramadan. Apply Qufl-e-Madinah by eating less at the time of Sahari and Iftar. May the blossoms of fasting appear in every home and in all my Jami’a-tul-Madinah and Madaris-ul-Madinah! So begin fasting from the very first day of Rajab-ul-Murajjab.

Excellence of the first three fasts in Rajab

How great is the excellence of fasting on the first three days of Rajab-ul-Murajjab?! Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ عَـنْهُمَا has narrated that the Noble Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has said, ‘The fast of the first day of Rajab is atonement for three years, the fast of the second day is atonement for two years, the fast of the third day is atonement for one year and then the fast of each remaining day is atonement for one month.’ (Al-Jami’-us-Sagheer lis-Suyuti, pp. 311, Hadees 5051; Fadaail Shahar-e-Rajab lil-Khallaal, pp. 64)