The month of Safar is one of the months that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) has created for us amongst the many others. No virtue nor any vice has been mentioned by Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) and nor His Messenger ﷺ specifically with regards to this month. No specific mention is of any activity that has been forbidden in the month of Safar for Muslims. All activities and events that are permissible in Shar’iah are allowed to be carried out in Safar. There is no restriction or any sort of superstition connected to the month of Safar. In fact, the Messenger ﷺ has said:
اِنَّ الزَّمَانَ قَد استدَارَ کَھیئتِهِ یَومَ خَلَقَ اللہُ السَّمَوَاتِ وَ الارضَ السَّنة اثنا عَشَرَ شَھراً مِنھَا اربعة حُرُمٌ ، ثَلاثٌ مُتَوالیاتٌ ، ذو القعدة ذوالحجةِ و المُحرَّم و رجبُ مُضر الَّذِی بین جُمادی و شَعبان
The division of time has turned to its original form which was current when Allah created the Heavens and the Earths. The year is of twelve months, out of which four months are sacred: Three are in succession Dhul-Qa’da, Dhul-Hijja and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumadi-ath-Thaniyah and Sha’ban.
(Sahih AlBukhari: 7913
Our beloved Prophet ﷺ has specified the four sacred months out of the twelve given. Fighting in these months is forbidden. No other month has been singled out for any specific matter. What is interesting is that even though no specific month has been specified, people insist on sanctifying few months without evidence. These months are celebrated with innovative and fabricated acts. Many acts of worship have also been derived and associated with these months.
Similarly, the month of Safar has been singled out and it is falsely believed that in this month if there is a celebration such as a wedding or even finalizing of a proposal, the start of a new business or even travel to take place, it will result in bad luck or a bad end. Hence, no new event should take place during the month of Safar.
What amazes me is the fact that how can people accept such a grave thing without evidence? How can the mind and heart accept it to be true without any proof? The very same group would object to solid evidences given from Qur’an and hadith and find excuses not to follow the correct thing, but require nothing when it comes to believing in heresay or what their families have passed down.
As the poet has written:
The heart fails to accept this, the mind cannot fathom it
Sadly, the Muslim Ummah is drowned in traditions. We are lost with the redundant, irrelevant and the peripherals that really do not matter. One of these beliefs is to consider the month of Safar as a bad omen.
Please know that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) has not considered anything as a bad omen. He decides what to bless with His Ultimate Widom. A hadith validates this thought:
Abdullah bin Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
اِن کانَ الشؤم فَفِی الثَّلاثةِ ، المَراءةِ و الفُرسِ الدارِ
There is no transitive disease, no ill omen, and bad luck is found in the house, or wife or horse.
(Sahih Muslim 2225)
If bad omen was to be in people or items, then it would be found in the following mentioned: women, house or a horse. The Prophet ﷺ’s saying has made it very clear that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) blesses a person or a thing and nothing on its own carries any sort of goodness or evil omen. He (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) decides and His is the jurisdiction for all matters.
The example of two men afflicted with the same disease is there. One may heal while the other may not recover from it. The person who has healed has benefitted from the same medicine that did not serve as a means of healing for the other. At times the very same medicine may even cause an adverse reaction in the other.
People ride in cars and may even go to the same destination. One may face an accident while the other would reach safely. We conclude that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) ordains all matters.
Ancient Arabs and the disbelievers used to consider the month of Safar as a bringer of bad tidings. They thought it to be a parasite that is found in the belly of an individual that eats away the person slowly and then penetrates another. This concept was very similar to one having a contagious disease. Hence, these people changed the month of Safar alternatively in a year to Muharram at their own will. They thought by changing the month to Muharram, the sanctity of Muharram will be transferred to this month making it a safe and secure month instead of the evil one as per their false approach.
Our Prophet ﷺ has strictly forbidden any of the above.
Abu Huraira (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
لا عَدو و لاھامة و لا طیرةَ و لا صفر
There is no infection, no safar, no hama.
(Muslim 2220)
What this means is that as per the majority of scholars is that these things in and of themselves do not cause any harm or transmit any damage except that Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) ultimately controls all things. We are not to be superstitious or fearful in any way. This hadith has been quoted by different narrators with a few changed words. This in itself is quite explanatory. The Prophet’s ﷺ use of the word of ‘no’ rejects all other beliefs.
Sadly, such beliefs are found today also amongst many Muslims.
Few special incidents have taken place in the month of Safar that is worth mentioning here.
- After Hijrah, the verses of Jihad were revealed in the month of Safar.
- The first ghazwa (battle in which the Prophet ﷺ also participated). This was called Ghazwa AlAbwa or Waddan.
- The Prophet ﷺ and the mother of believers, Khadija bint AlKhwaulid were married in the month of Safar,
- The Victory of Khaybar took place in Safar.
All of the above brought glad tidings to the Muslims. After learning the above, who can say that Safar is a month that brings bad omen. Who would believe that no work of goodness should be carried out in this month because it will bring bad results? May Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) guide us all. (Aameen)
The word that has been mentioned in the above hadith is ‘haama,’ which I’d like to take a moment to explain. This was also one of the false beliefs of the Arabs. What was said was that the one who is murdered, his soul becomes an owl and roams around at night to take revenge for the murder. It does not rest until it has achieved its purpose until which it remains as a spirit living in that owl. Hence, the Arabs also believed that the sound of the owl also brought an evil omen and chose to stay away from them.
A similar story was also stated about snakes. Many cultures relate this story for bats also. Hence, the Arabs also believed. They believed all of these animals to have strange power. Such stories have been passed on from generations to generations and are still believed and followed by many even today.
The Prophet ﷺ has rejected all such beliefs. I have attempted to lay out the truth with evidence so people can read it and understand its true nature. Hopefully, the reader would have understood that the basis of such fairytales is nothing but a pack of lies or falsehood. May Allah (عَزَّوَجَلَّ) guide us all. (Aameen)
