Pocket Companion · Part 2 of 9

Hijri Companion

أَشْهُرُ السَّنَةِ

Scholarly review: pending

This text comes from the Sabīl print library. Its scholarly review is still in progress; every item will carry its reviewers’ names and the date once two scholars have signed it.

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Pocket Companion · 02 of 09

Hijri Companion

أَشْهُرُ السَّنَةِ

Ashhurus-sanah

The Islamic year — its sacred months, its fasts, its seasons of mercy.

2 · The twelve months

3 · Fasts of the year

4 · Ramaḍān

5 · Dhul-Ḥijjah & ‘Arafah

6 · Muḥarram, Sha‘bān, Shawwāl

7 · The four schools

8 · Twelve-month tracker

Bukhārī · Muslim · the four Sunan. School positions stated where they differ.

02The twelve months

Four are sacred — fighting is forbidden and sin is graver in them.

1 · Muḥarram · sacred

2 · Ṣafar

3 · Rabī‘ al-Awwal

4 · Rabī‘ ath-Thānī

5 · Jumādā al-Ūlā

6 · Jumādā al-Ākhirah

7 · Rajab · sacred

8 · Sha‘bān

9 · Ramaḍān · fasting

10 · Shawwāl · six days

11 · Dhul-Qa‘dah · sacred

12 · Dhul-Ḥijjah · sacred · ḥajj

Qur’ān 9:36; Bukhārī · ṣaḥīḥ — “the year is twelve months, of which four are sacred.” The month begins at the sighting of the new moon.

03Fasts of the year

Ramaḍān · Obligatory · the whole month

Mon & Thu · Weekly · deeds are raised

13, 14, 15 · Ayyām al-Bīḍ, each month

6 of Shawwāl · With Ramaḍān = a year

9 Dhul-Ḥijjah · ‘Arafah · two years expiated

9 & 10 Muḥarram · ‘Āshūrā · one year expiated

Most of Sha‘bān · He ﷺ fasted it most

1–9 Dhul-Ḥijjah · The ten best days

Never fast

The two ‘Eids, and 11–13 Dhul-Ḥijjah (ayyām at-tashrīq). Friday alone, and the day of doubt before Ramaḍān, are disliked.

Bukhārī, Muslim · ṣaḥīḥ

04Ramaḍān

The month

Fast dawn to sunset · Tarāwīḥ after ‘Ishā’ · seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights of the last ten · i‘tikāf in the last ten · Zakāt al-Fiṭr before the ‘Eid prayer.

Bukhārī, Muslim · ṣaḥīḥ

Breaking the fast

ذَهَبَ الظَّمَأُ وَابْتَلَّتِ الْعُرُوقُ وَثَبَتَ الْأَجْرُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ

Dhahabaẓ-ẓama’u wabtallatil-‘urūqu wa thabatal-ajru in shā’allāh

Thirst is gone, the veins are moistened, and the reward is certain, if Allah wills.

Abū Dāwūd · ḥasan — break on dates, or water.

Laylat al-Qadr

اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي

Allāhumma innaka ‘afuwwun tuḥibbul-‘afwa fa‘fu ‘annī

O Allah, You are Most Forgiving and love forgiveness, so forgive me.

Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah · ṣaḥīḥ — taught to ‘Ā’ishah for that night.

05Dhul-Ḥijjah & ‘Arafah

The first ten

No days are greater for righteous deeds. Fast, give, recite, and multiply takbīr from the 1st to the ‘Aṣr of the 13th.

Bukhārī · ṣaḥīḥ

Takbīr of the days

اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ

Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illallāh, wallāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, wa lillāhil-ḥamd

Allah is greatest; none is worthy of worship but Allah; and to Allah belongs all praise.

Athar of Ibn Mas‘ūd · sound — said aloud after each farḍ, 9–13 Dhul-Ḥijjah.

Best du‘ā of ‘Arafah

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ

Lā ilāha illallāhu waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahul-mulku wa lahul-ḥamd, wa Huwa ‘alā kulli shay’in qadīr

None is worthy of worship but Allah alone…

Tirmidhī · ḥasan — “the best du‘ā is the du‘ā of the Day of ‘Arafah.”

06Muḥarram, Sha‘bān, Shawwāl

Muḥarram

The best fasting after Ramaḍān is in Allah’s month, Muḥarram. Fast the 9th and 10th — or the 10th and 11th — not the 10th alone.

Muslim · ṣaḥīḥ

Sha‘bān

He ﷺ fasted more of Sha‘bān than any month but Ramaḍān. Settle missed fasts of the previous year before the new Ramaḍān.

Bukhārī, Muslim · ṣaḥīḥ

Shawwāl

Six days, consecutive or spread, after ‘Eid al-Fiṭr: “whoever fasts Ramaḍān then six of Shawwāl, it is as though he fasted a whole year.” Make up missed Ramaḍān days first.

Muslim · ṣaḥīḥ

Rajab

A sacred month — but no specific fast, prayer or ‘umrah is established in it. Popular Rajab practices rest on weak reports.

Ibn Ḥajar, Tabyīn al-‘Ajab

07The four schools

Where practice differs, all positions are within the Sunnah.

Witr · Wājib (Ḥanafī) · sunnah mu’akkadah (others)

Qunūt · 3rd rak‘ah before rukū‘ (Ḥanafī) · after rukū‘, last half of Ramaḍān (Shāfi‘ī) · in Ṣubḥ (Mālikī) · in Witr (Ḥanbalī)

Tarāwīḥ · 20 rak‘ahs (Ḥanafī, Shāfi‘ī, Ḥanbalī) · 36 (Mālikī custom) · 8 also authentic

Six of Shawwāl · Recommended by all; Imām Mālik was cautious about publicising it

‘Āshūrā · 9+10 preferred; 10+11 sufficient

Travel fast · Fast or break — both authentic; break if it is hard

08Twelve-month tracker

Mon · Thu · the three white days · extra.

M · Th · 13 · 14 · 15 · +

Muḥarram

Ṣafar

Rabī‘ I

Rabī‘ II

Jumādā I

Jumādā II

Rajab

Sha‘bān

Ramaḍān

Shawwāl

Dhul-Qa‘dah

Dhul-Ḥijjah

Year ______ AH

Lines with a dotted edge give the sound of the Arabic, worked out by rule from its vowel marks. They are not from the print titles and have not been reviewed: where one differs from the Arabic, the Arabic is right.