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The Month of Safar

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

category: Special Months & Times

source: Islam-QA.com

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With regard to superstitions concerning the month of Safar, these were well known among the people of the Jaahiliyyah, and still exist among some of those who claim to be Muslims.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "(There is) no 'Adwa (no contagious disease is conveyed without Allah's permission), nor is there any bad omen (from birds), nor is there any Haamah, nor is there any (bad omen in the month of) Safar, and one should run away from the leper as one runs away from a lion." (narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5387; Muslim, 2220)

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The word 'Safar’ was interpreted in several ways:

Firstly that it refers to the well-known month of Safar, concerning which the Arabs were superstitious.

Secondly that it refers to a stomach disease of camels, which is passed from one camel to another, and that this mentioned in conjunction with the word 'adwa (contagion) in the sense of mentioning something specific in conjunction with something general.

Thirdly that 'Safar’ means the month of Safar, and that what is referred to here is the postponing of Sacred Months by which those who disbelieved were led astray, when they would delay the sacred months and make Safar sacred one year and not the next.

The most correct of these views is that what is meant is the month of Safar, concerning which there were many superstitions during the Jaahiliyyah.

Times have no effect (on people’s lives) and Allaah never decreed that it should have any effect. Like any other month, both good and bad may be decreed during this month.

If a particular action is completed on the twenty-fifth of Safar – for example – some people note the date and say, "It has been finished on the twenty-fifth of this good month of Safar." This is like refuting one innovation with another, because there are no good or bad months. Hence some of the salaf denounced those who, when they hear the hooting of an owl, say, "It is good, in sha Allaah." It cannot be said that this is good or bad, it is simply the sound of a bird, like any other bird.

The four things which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) denied (in the hadeeth referred to above) indicate that we must put our trust in Allaah and be sincere and determined; the Muslim should not feel helpless when faced with these things.

If a Muslim does pay any attention to such things, one of the following must apply in his case:

Either he pays attention to them in deciding whether to go ahead or refrain, in which case he is basing his actions on something that is not real.

Or he does not pay attention to them with regard to deciding whether to go ahead or refrain, but he still feels some kind of worry or anxiety. Although this is not as bad as the first case, he should not pay any attention to these things at all, rather he should depend only on Allaah.

The denial of these four things is not a denial of their existence, for they do exist; it is a denial of their having any effect on things, for the One Who affects things is Allaah. If there is a reason that is known to have effects, then this is a real reason, and any reason which is merely imagined is a false reason. So we deny its effect and it has no effect." (Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 2/113, 115)

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

We have quoted above the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah narrated in al-Saheehayn, which explains that the belief of the people of Jaahiliyyah concerning Safar was reprehensible, and that is it simply one of the months of Allaah and it has no will of its own, it simply passes, subject to the control of Allaah.

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

The Standing Committee was asked:

Some of the scholars in our country claim that in the Islamic religion there is a naafil (supererogatory) prayer which is prayed on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar, at the time of Duha (mid-morning) prayer, (consisting of) four rak’ahs with one tasleem. In each rak’ah one recites Soorat al-Faatihah, Soorat al-Kawthar seventeen times, Soorat al-Ikhlaas 50 times, al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur’aan) one time each. This is done in each rak’ah, then one says salaam, and when one says salaam it is prescribed to recite "And Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not" [Yoosuf 12:21 – interpretation of the meaning] 360 times, and Jawhar al-Kamaal (the essence of perfection) three times, and to finish by saying,

"Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of honour and power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him! And peace be on the Messengers! And all the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Lord of the 'Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)." [al-Saaffaat 37:180-182 – interpretation of the meaning]

And they give charity to the poor, and they say that this aayah is especially for warding off the calamities which come down on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar.

They say that every year, 320,000 calamities come down, and all of that comes down on the last Wednesday of Safar, so that is the most difficult day of the entire year. But whoever prays this prayer in the manner described, Allaah will protect him by His generosity from all the calamities that come down on that day, and they will not come around him, but they will affect those who could not do this prayer, like small children. Is this true?

The scholars of the committee replied:

Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon His Messenger and upon his family and his companions.

We do not know of any basis in the Qur’aan or in the Sunnah for the naafil prayer mentioned in the question. We have no proof that any one among the salaf of this ummah or the righteous people of its later generations did this naafil prayer. Rather it is a reprehensible innovation.

It was narrated that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever does an action which is not in accordance with this matter of ours [Islam], will have it rejected." And he said: "Whoever innovates something in this matter of ours that is not part of it, will have it rejected."

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