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Fifth: It is recommended to begin with offering the famous Salat Salman (The Prayer of Salman al-Farisi), which consists of thirty units. On the first of Rajab, it is advisable to offer ten units of this prayer separating each couple with a Taslim. In each unit, one should recite Surah al-Faatehah one time, Surah al-Tawheed three times, and Surah al-Kafirun three times. After Taslim, it is recommended to raise the hands up and say the following litany:
لَا اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ
There is no god save Allah,
وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيْكَ لَهُ
the One and Only Who has no partner.
لَهُ الْمُلْكُ وَ لَهُ الْحَمْدُ
To him is the kingdom and to Him is all praise.
يُحْيِيْ وَ يُمِيْتُ
He gives life and causes to die
وَ هُوَ حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوْتُ
while He is Ever-living and never dies.
بِيَدِهِ الْخَيْرُ
In His hand is the good
وَ هُوَ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ۔
and He has power over all things.
The following litany should be said thereafter:
اَللّٰهُمَّ لَا مَانِعَ لِمَا اَعْطَيْتَ
O Allah, verily, none can ever divest him whom You decide to give,
وَ لَا مُعْطِيَ لِمَا مَنَعْتَ
none can ever give him whom You decide to deprive,
وَ لَا يَنْفَعُ ذَا الْجَدِّ مِنْكَ الْجَدُّ۔
and nothing can ever stop that which You decide.
Then, one should pass the hands over the face.
Other ten units of this prayer should be offered on the fifteenth (i.e. middle) of Rajab in the very aforementioned form and litanies. However, the following litany should be added after the first one:
اِلَهًا وَاحِدًا اَحَدًا
The Lord Who is One, One and Only,
فَرْدًا صَمَدًا
Singular, and Besought by the all,
لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ صَاحِبَةً وَ لَا وَلَدًا۔
has betaken neither a wife nor a son.
The last ten units of this prayer should be offered on the last day of Rajab in this very form; rather, the following litany is added after the first one:
وَ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّدٍ وَ اٰلِهِ الطَّاهِرِيْنَ
May Allah send blessings to Muhammad and upon his Household, the Immaculate.
وَ لَا حَوْلَ وَ لَا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ الْعَلِيِّ الْعَظِيْمِ۔
There is neither might nor power save with Allah, the Most High, the All-great.
Then, one should pass the hands over the face and submit his requests.
This greatly advantageous prayer must not be neglected. However, Salman has another prayer, to be offered on this day, which consists of ten units in each of which Surah al-Faatehah should be recited once and Surah al-Tawheed three times. This prayer brings about a great reward; it achieves forgiveness of all sins, protects against the grave torture and the chastisement on the Resurrection Day, and saves from leprosy, elephantiasis, and pleurisy.
Sayyid Ibn Tawus has also mentioned, in his book of Iqbal al-A’mal, another prayer that is offered on the first of Rajab.
According to some narrations, Imam Muhammad al-Baqir (a.s.) was born on the first of Rajab, AH 57. Yet, I believe that his birth was on the third of Safar.
According to some narrations, Imam Ali al-Hadi al-Naqi(a.s.) was born on the second of Rajab, AH 212. He departed life on the third of Rajab, AH 254, in Surra-man-Ra’a (currently Samarra’, Iraq).
On the word of Ibn ‘Ayyash, Imam Muhammad al-Jawad al-Taqi(a.s.) was born on the tenth of Rajab.