Some people claim that the Arabs were pessimistic about the month of Safar. What is the ruling of Islamic law regarding pessimism about certain months, such as the month of Safar?

Among the forms of pessimism prohibited by Islamic law is that related to specific months. For instance, if a person regards a certain day or month as associated with fatigue, stress, and difficulties, or lacks success, and so forth of other baseless superstitions, these beliefs can cause them to neglect their responsibilities or avoid any occasion on that day or during that month.

With the general prohibition against superstitious pessimism, which is a pre-Islamic custom, there is also a prophetic prohibition against pessimistic beliefs towards specific times and months. Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no ‘adwa (contagion), no evil omen in [the month of] Safar, and no hamah (omen in the owl)” (Bukhari and Muslim).  In another hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says, “There is no ‘adwa, no tiyara (omens taken from the flight of birds), no hamah, and no evil omen associated with Safar” (Bukhari).

Imam Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr al-Qurṭubi said in Al-Istidhkar (8;424), “As for his words ‘… and no Safar,’ Ibn Wahb said, ‘It is the safar [an illness] which befalls a person until it kills him, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘The safar does not kill anyone.’ Others said, ‘It is the month of Safar, which they regarded as lawful one year and unlawful another year.’ Ibn al-Qasim narrated from Malik something similar.”

Imam at-Tibi noted in Sharh Al-Mishkat (9:2980), … and no Safar: Abu Dawud said in his Sunan that Baqiyyah said, “I asked Muhammad Ibn Rashid about it, and he said, ‘They were pessimistic about the coming of Safar, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘No Safar.’ Ibn Rashid said, “I heard someone saying, ‘It is a pain that takes hold in the stomach; they claimed it is contagious.’ Abu Dawud stated that Malik said, ‘The people of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance regarded Safar as lawful one year and unlawful another year, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘no Ṣafar.’”

As-Suyuti mentioned in Sharhḥ Sunan Ibn Majah (p. 259), “His statement, ‘… and no Safar’ (with two short open front vowels): the Arabs claimed that it is a serpent in the belly, and the biting pain experienced during hunger was believed to be caused by it. It was also said that it refers to the month about which people were superstitious upon its arrival, claiming that many calamities and tribulations increase in that month. It was also said that it refers to an-nasi` [the postponement or reallocation of the sacred months], for the people of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance considered it lawful one year and unlawful another year, substituting Muharram for Safar and including Safar among the sacred months. Allah Almighty says, “Verily the postponing (an-nasi’) is an increase in disbelief” [Quran, 9:37], thus, nullifying all these claims.”

 

The ruling

Based on the above, the superstitious belief that Safar, one of the months of the Hijri year, is a time when calamities and tribulations increase, is among the matters prohibited by Prophetic texts.

And Allah the Almighty knows best.