I'm in Cote d'Ivoire and people are fasting for the month of Rajab. Is it a true Ibadat or a Bid'ah? Please answer with any helpful information to get the right position.

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There is a difference of opinion among the scholars concerning fasting the entire month of Rajab. Some scholars believe that it is desirable to fast the month of Rajab for the following reasons:

A) General encouragement for fasting. This, in fact, is a comprehensive rule with so many proofs.

B) Special encouragement for fasting the sacred months; i.e. Rajab, Thul-Qi'dah, Thul-Hijjah and Muharram. In addition to that, the majority of Muslim scholars believe that it is recommendable to fast those months, especially Rajab. They based their opinion on the following Ahadeeth.

1) Mujeebah Al-Baahili reported from his father (or uncle) that the Prophet told him: “Fast during the sacred months and then stop (fasting); fast during the sacred months and then stop (fasting).” [Ahmad and Abu Dawood]

The Wording of this Hadeeth is Abu Dawood's.

Al-Bayhaqi reported the same Hadeeth in as-Sunan and in ash-Shu'ab, and Ibn Sa'd reported it also.

2) Usama Ibn Zayd narrated: “I said: “O Allah's Messenger! I never find you fasting in any other month like you do during the month of Sha'baan.” The Prophet said: “That is a month that the people neglect. It comes between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are raised to the Lord of the Worlds. I love that my deeds be raised while I am fasting.” [Ahmad and an-Nasaa'i]

Ash-Shawkani said in his book Nayl al-Awtaar: “As for the apparent meaning of words, Sha'baan is a month the people (Companions) neglect. It is between Rajab and Ramadan; they mean that it is desirable to fast Rajab since it appears that the Companions honor Sha'baan with fasting as they honor Ramadan and Rajab (with fasting)”. It is also possible that those words mean that the Companions honor Sha'baan with fasting as they honor Rajab with sacrifices, since it was a habit of people before Islam to honor it with sacrifices as proven in the Sunnah. But, we think the first opinion is more correct. Islam eradicated the habits of the pre-Islamic period.

But, the goal is to state the permissibility of fasting Rajab from the general and special points of view.

In general, there are many Ahadeeth that urge Muslims to fast during the sacred months, and Rajab is one of them. Besides, there are many Ahadeeth concerning the permissibility of unfixed fasts. Then, Ash-Shawkaani mentioned some Ahadeeth concerning the excellence of fasting Rajab as recorded by Al-Tabaraani, Al-Bayhaqi, Abu Nu'aym and Ibn 'Asaakir.

He added: As-Sibki related from Muhammad Ibn Mansoor al-Sam'ani who said that “There is no strong narration in the Sunnah concerning the desirability of fasting Rajab. Then, all narrations that were related in this matter were Dha’eef (weak).”

According to a narration of Ibn Abu Shaybah in his book Al-Musannaf, ‘Umar used to beat the hands of people to put them in bowls and say: 'Eat! It is a month that was honored before Islam.”

Another narration from Ibn Abu Shaybah, Zayd Ibn Aslam said: ‘Allah's Messenger was asked about the fasting of Rajab and he said: “Why don't you fast in Sha'baan?.”

Another narration from Ibn 'Umar indicates that it is disliked to fast (the entire month of) Rajab.

Ash-Shawkani added: “It is clear that if special narrations do not constitute a proof to the desirability of fasting during Sha'baan, Rajab, general narrations constitute such an evidence, since there is no proof that makes fasting disliked.”

As for Abu Daawood 's narration from Ibn 'Abbaas that the Prophet ‘Forbade fasting Rajab.’; we state that Zayd Ibn 'Abdul Hameed and Daawood Ibn ‘Ataa’ are weak.

Here, we state that al-'Iz Ibn 'Abdus-Salaam dispraised those who prevented people from fasting the month of Rajab as recorded in Al-Fataawa al-Fiqhiyah al-Kubra of Ibn Hajar al-Haytami.

However, some scholars believe that it is disliked to fast during the month of Rajab, including the scholars of the Hanbali School of jurisprudence based on the above-mentioned narration of the Hadeeth by Ibn 'Abbaas about 'Umar asking people to eat and stop fasting in this month of Rajab.

Imam Ibn Qudaamah, may Allaah have mercy be upon him, said in his book 'al-Mughni': “It is disliked to single out Rajab with fasting.”

As for fasting the sacred months, the Hanbali School of jurisprudence agreed in their majority about the desirability of fasting during these months. Then, the Hanbali School of jurisprudence believe if a person abandons fasting one day of Rajab, out of reprehensibility of fasting it, he is doomed. Al-Mirdawi said in his book Al-Insaaf: “It is disliked to single out Rajab with fasting. This is the opinion of the Hanbali school, and it is one of the school's issues that are not agreed upon with others.”

Then he added: ‘We understand from the words of the compiler that it is not disliked to single out any other month except Rajab with fasting, and this is correct and there is no disagreement on this point. In other words, reprehensibility is eliminated by breaking the fast during the month of Rajab even for one day or by fasting another month of the year.”

Thus, it becomes clear that fasting the month of Rajab is a controversial issue among the scholars of Islam and it is forbidden to use it as a reason to cause discord and disputes among Muslims. Therefore, a person can follow the opinion of the majority of the scholars or the opinion of the Hanbali School of jurisprudence. But, fasting some days of Rajab is desirable according to the opinion of all the scholars without any difference of opinion in this regard and it is not an innovation.

Finally, we believe that the opinion of the majority of the scholars is the preponderant one.

For more benefit on fasting the Month of Rajab, please refer to Fatwa 401620, 90475, 3512, and 1745.

Allah knows best.