Article: The Month of Safar

Assalamu Alaikum.

Does Safar have any special virtues? No but the pre-Islamic Arabs did have a lot of misconceptions about this month.

Here’s a detailed article that talks about their beliefs during this month as well as some of the strange things that some Muslims do during it.

Here’s the article:

[I had intended to put up this article at the beginning of Safar. Still, better late than never, alhamdulillah.]

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http://www.islamqa.com/en/ref/books/86

The Month of Safar

Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah.

The month of Safar is one of the twelve Hijri months, and it is the month which comes after Muharram.  Some of the (scholars) said that it is so named because of the emptying (isfaar) of Makkah (i.e., its people would all leave) when they travelled during this month. It was also said that this month is named Safar because they used to raid other tribes at this time, and they would leave those whom they encountered bereft of their possessions (sifran min al-mataa’) – i.e., they would take all their belongings away and they would leave them with nothing.

(See Lisaan al-‘Arab by Ibn al-Mandhoor, part 4, p. 462-463)

Our discussion of this month will cover the following points:

1.     What has been narrated concerning it from the Arabs of the Jaahiliyyah.

2.      What has been narrated in Islam that contradicts the views of people of the Jaahiliyyah concerning this month.

3.     Innovations and corrupt beliefs concerning this month that exist among people who claim to be Muslims.

4.     What happened in this month of military campaigns and important events in the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

5.     False ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning Safar.

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1. What has been narrated concerning it from the Arabs of the Jaahiliyyah.

The Arabs were guilty of two serious wrongdoings concerning the month of Safar. Firstly, they played about with it, bringing it forward or postponing it, and secondly, they had superstitions concerning it.

(i) It is known that Allaah created the year and the number of its months is twelve, four of which Allaah has made sacred, in which it was forbidden to fight, out of respect for these months. These months are: Dhu’l-Qi’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab.

This is confirmed in the Book of Allaah, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein…”

[al-Tawbah 9:36]

The mushrikeen were aware of that, but they used to postpone it or bring it forward according to their whims and desires, such as putting Safar in place of Muharram!