The Month of Safar - Innovations & Superstitions

Allah says....

Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so it was ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them, four are sacred. That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein…” (At-Tawbah, v:36) The month of Safar is one of the twelve Hijri months, and it is the month which comes after Muharram.

Its Name- Safar (صفر )

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.

Incorrect beliefs & Superstitions concerning the month of Safar

These were well known among the people of the Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic era), and still exist among some of those who claim to be Muslims. 

1. 4 Rak'aat naafil prayer, prayed on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar, with specific soorah & no. of times soorah are read in it.
2. People do not conclude marriage contracts during Safar
3. Many people believe that it is not permissible to break a stick, knot ropes, or entwine fingers when concluding a marriage contract for this leads to failure of the concerned marriage and disharmony between the spouses
4. Some believe that no one should marry or be circumcised in the month of Safar.
5. Every year, 320,000 calamities come down, and all of that comes down on the last Wednesday of Safar.
6. Or there a special dua for Safar or ‘travelling or marriage in Safar is haraam (forbidden)

Ahadeeth  of the Prophet About Safar & Superstition:

It is narrated from Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم

لا عَدْوَى وَلا طِيَرَةَ وَلا هَامَةَ وَلا صَفَرَ

There is no 'adwaa, no tiyarah, no haamah and no Safar 

'Adwaa (contagion, transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allaah). Tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens). Haamah (refers to a Jaahili Arab tradition described variously as: a worm which infests the grave of a murder victim until he is avenged; an owl; or the bones of a dead person turned into a bird that could fly). Safar (the month of Safar was regarded as “unlucky” during the Jaahiliyyah) 

Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen رضي الله عنه said:  

The words “no Safar” refers to the month of Safar, which the Arabs used to regard as inauspicious, especially for marriage. And it was said that it was a stomach disease that affected camels and was transmitted from one camel to another.

It is more likely that what is meant by Safar here is the month, and that what is meant by saying “no Safar” is that it is not to be regarded as inauspicious, rather it is like any other time, during which good or bad things may be decreed.

This does not mean that these things do not happen, because they do happen. Rather it is a statement that they do not have any effect. The One Who causes things to happen is Allah. If any of these things has a known effect then that is valid and real; if any of them is imagined to have an effect, then that is invalid and false. Thus the hadeeth demonstrates that if there is a valid effect, it cannot be attributed to that thing itself (rather the One Who causes it to happen is Allah). If the effect is merely imagined, then this hadeeth is stating that it has no effect in the first place.

Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:

 قال : ” لا هامة ولا صفر “ ، زاد مسلم وغيره  ولا نَوء ولا غُول 

“No haamah and no Safar.” In narration of Muslim and others add the words: “No naw’ and no ghoul.” 

It was said that they used to have superstitions concerning the month of Safar, so the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: “No Safar”.

And it was said that the Arabs used to believe that there was a snake in the stomach which would harm a person when he had intercourse, and that this was contagious, so the Lawgiver denied that. Maalik said: “The people of the Jaahiliyyah would regard Safar as not being sacred one year and as sacred the next year. 

Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:

لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ صَفَرَ خَلَقَ اللَّهُ كُلَّ نَفْسٍ وَكَتَبَ حَيَاتَهَا وَرِزْقَهَا وَمَصَائِبَهَا

There is no 'Adwa nor safar. Allah created every soul, so He wrote its life, its provision, and its afflictions”. 

Fatawa About Different Superstitions & Innovations in Safar:

Shaykh Bin Baaz said regarding doing Marriage contracts & or entwining fingers etc during Safar:

Safar, just like all other months, does not bring good or evil, as good is only from Allah سبحانه و تعالى and evil is predestined by Him. Moreover, it is authentically reported that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم annulled the concept of pessimism when he said: “There is no 'Adwa, nor is there any Tiyarah, nor is there any Hamah, nor is there Safar”

The same applies to pessimism about entwining fingers, breaking a stick, etc., when concluding a marriage contract. Such beliefs are false, baseless, and thus they should not be adopted by a Muslim. 

The Permanent Committee was asked about marrying or be circumcision in the month of Safar. They replied:

What is mentioned with regard to the prohibition of marriage or circumcision during the month of Safar is superstition. Being superstitious of months, days, birds and similar animals is not permissible.

The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said: There is no 'Adwa, nor is there any Tiyarah (evil omen), nor is there any Hamah, nor is there Safar (the month of Safar was believed to bring bad luck during Jahiliyyah).

Being superstitious about the month of Safar falls under forbidden pessimism that discourages from acting and is one of the acts of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic time of ignorance) that was annulled by Islam. 

The Permanent Committee was asked about a dua (11) distributed and said in Safar (asking Allah by Tawassul of  Al-Hasan, Al-Husayn, the honor of the Messenger صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم & names of Allah). They replied:

This is an innovated Dua in terms of being specified to be said at a certain time. It also includes Tawassul (supplicating to Allah by virtue of the status of…) by Al-Hasan, Al-Husayn, the honor of the Messenger and names which are given to Allah although they are stated neither in the Qur’an nor in the Sunnah. It is not permissible to name Allah except with what He has named Himself in His Book or revealed to His Messenger Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم

Tawassul by people or by the virtue of their status in Dua is a Bid'ah (innovation in religion), and every Bid'ah is misguidance and a means to Shirk. Accordingly, the circulation of this Dua should be prevented in addition to getting rid of any of its copies. It seems that it is innovated by the Shiites. 

The Permanent Committee was asked about a specific 4 Rak'aat prayer that is prayed on the last Wednesday of Safar, that if prayed in specific manner, Allah protect him by His generosity from all the calamities that come down on that day, and they will not come around him.

They replied:

We do not know of any basis in the Qur’an 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 Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم 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.”

Whoever attributes this prayer and the things that are mentioned with it to the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم or to any of the Sahaabah رضي الله عنهم is fabricating serious lies, and Allah will give him the punishment for liars which he deserves. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Salaam al-Shuqayri said:

The ignorant have the habit of writing down the verses of salaam such as“Salaam (peace) be upon Nooh (from Us) among the 'Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!””  (soorah As-Saafaat 37:79) etc. on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar, then they put them in vessels and drink it and seek blessings from it, and they give it as gifts to one another, because they believe that this will take away bad things. This is a false belief and a blameworthy superstition, a reprehensible innovation which must be denounced by everyone who sees it. 

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