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This type of Salah is also not based on any
sound source of Shari'ah. Therefore, almost all the
jurists and scholars of Shari'ah have held that the Salah
of Raghai'b is a baseless practice and it is not
permissible as a recognized practice of this month. It is
true that there is a tradition, narrated by Razin, the
author of a book of Hadith, which attributes the origin
of this practice to the Holy Prophet (SAW) but almost all
the scholars of the science of Hadith have held it to be
absolutely unauthentic. Therefore, no importance can be
attached to it.
Distribution of Breads
Another baseless practice in the month of
Rajab is that the people bake special types of breads
and, after reciting some verses and prayers on them,
distribute them among their friends and neighbours. This
custom has two different shapes.
1) In some communities, this custom is
celebrated on 17th of Rajab on the assumption that
Sayyidna Ali (RA)was born on llth of Rajab and the 17th
of Rajab is the day on which his 'Aquiqa (Shaving of his
head) was performed. In order to celebrate this happy
event, the breads of some special type are prepared and
after reciting Surah-Al-Mulk on them, they are
distributed among the relatives and friends. These breads
are generally called "breads of Tabarak" because
Surah-Al-Mulk is usually recited on them.
This practice is baseless because it is
never proved that Sayyidna Ali (RA) was born on llth of
Rajab or that his Aquiqa was performed on 17th of this
month and as explained earlier, even if these events are
proved to have happened in those days, their
commemoration through these specific rituals is not
warranted by the Shari'ah.
2) A more common practice of this type is
observed on 22nd of Rajab whereby some breads and meals
of a special type are prepared and distributed among the
people. Since these special meals are usually placed in
some bowls made of clay, the custom is usually known as
"Koonda", an Urdu equivalent of such bowls. It is usually
believed that the custom is designed to make
'isal-al-thawab to the soul of Sayyidna Jafar Al-Sadiq
who himself has directed his followers to observe this
custom and has promised them that whoever observes it,
his desires will be fulfilled.
All these assumptions also have no basis at
all, neither historically, nor according to the
principles of Shari'ah. In fact, the date of 22nd of
Rajab has no concern whatsoever with Sayyidna Jafar
al-Sadiq, According to the historians, he was born on 8th
of Ramadan 80 A.H. and died in Shawwal 148 A.H. No
specific event of the life of Sayyidna Jafar al-Sadiq is
proved to have happened on this date.
The people believing in the custom refer to
a coined story mentioned in an unauthentic book named
"Dastaan-e-Ajeeb".
Briefly stated, the gist of the story is
that a poor woodcutter lived in Madinah in the days of
Jefar Al-Sadiq. He went abroad to earn his livelihood.
His wife was employed in the house of the Prime Minister.
Once she was cleaning the courtyard of the Prime Minister
when Sayyidna Jafar al-Sadiq passed by her. It was 22nd
of Rajab. He advised her to bake some breads of a special
type and make 'isal-al-sawab to him. According to this
story, he promised her that if her desire is not
fulfilled after this practice, she can catch hold of him
at the Doomsday. On hearing this, the woman made a vow
that if her husband will come back with a considerable
wealth, she will observe the custome of 'Koonda'. On the
same day her husband, who was in another country, found a
valuable treasure in the earth and came back with it to
Madinah where he established himself as a rich man and
started living in a magnificent castle. When his wife
told the story to the wife of the Prime Minister, she
disbelieved her and because of this disbelief, she and
her husband, the Prime Minister, were punished by Allah.
He was removed by the king from the Prime Ministership
and was imprisoned in a jail and was ordered to be hanged
While being in the prison, the wife of the Prime Minister
remembered that she had disbelieved the story of Jafar
al-Sadiq told to her by her maid servant and their misery
might be the punishment of their disbelief.
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