📘 ❞ The Month of Safar ❝ كتاب ــ محمد صالح المنجد

عن كتاب 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 traveled 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 bless-
ings of Allaah be upon him).

5. False ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning Sa-
far.





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, making it earlier

than it actually was or postponing it, and secondly, they had supersti-
tions concerning it.

(1) 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-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab.

This is confirmed in the Book of Allaah, where Allaah says (interpre-
tation 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
make it earlier according to their whims and desires, such as putting
Safar in place of Muharram!
They used to believe that ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj was one
of the most evil of actions. There follow some of the comments of the
scholars on that.
(a) It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas () said:
“They used to think that ‘Umrah during the months of
Hajj was one of the most evil of actions on earth. They
would make Muharram Safar, and they used to say,
‘When the wounds of the camel's back heal up (after they








in Jahiliyyah and in Islam.