Safar: The Second Islamic Month
Suggest editSafar (Arabic: صفر) is the second month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Its name is derived from a root word meaning "empty" or "to travel," historically attributed to the practice of the Arabs leaving their homes empty as they traveled or went to war during this time. Safar is not among the four sacred months, and it carries no special religious status. However, it is a month that requires discussion because of persistent superstitions and misconceptions that must be corrected in light of authentic Islamic teaching.
Historical Context of the Month's Name
Classical Arab lexicographers offered several explanations for the name Safar. One common view is that the Arabs would leave their homes empty (sifr means empty in Arabic) during this month to gather provisions or conduct raids. Another explanation relates it to the yellowing of leaves (safra') during this season in the Arabian Peninsula. A third view links it to travel (safar), as people would journey in this month after the sacred month of Muharram concluded. These are historical and linguistic explanations rather than religious significance.
Refuting Superstitions About Safar
Among the most important aspects of the Islamic position on Safar is the firm rejection of superstitions associated with it. Pre-Islamic Arabs regarded Safar as an unlucky or ill-omened month. Some traditions mistakenly carried into Muslim communities the notion that Safar is a month of misfortune, hardship, or increased afflictions. The Prophet ﷺ explicitly refuted such beliefs: "There is no such thing as 'adwa [the pre-Islamic belief that disease spreads automatically by itself], no bad omen from birds (tiyarah), no hama, and no Safar" (Bukhari and Muslim). The mention of Safar in this hadith alongside other pre-Islamic superstitions makes the Islamic position clear: assigning bad luck, negative characteristics, or inauspiciousness to the month of Safar is a form of superstition forbidden in Islam.
Unfortunately, in some Muslim communities, practices persisted such as avoiding marriage contracts in Safar, refraining from travel at its beginning or end, or treating the last Wednesday of Safar as particularly ominous. None of these practices have any basis in authentic Islamic texts, and scholars across the madhabs have consistently condemned them as remnants of pre-Islamic ignorance (jahiliyyah).
Notable Historical Events
Several significant events in Islamic history occurred during the month of Safar. The migration of the Prophet ﷺ from Mecca to Madinah began in Safar of the 1st year of Hijra (though the Hijra calendar itself begins with Muharram). The Battle of Abwa, the first military expedition of Islam in which the Prophet ﷺ personally participated (though no fighting took place), occurred in Safar of the 2nd year of Hijra. The Prophet ﷺ himself fell ill during Safar in the 11th year of Hijra, the illness from which he ultimately passed away — in Rabi al-Awwal. These events are noted historically but do not make Safar either cursed or blessed in any theological sense.
Proper Conduct During Safar
A Muslim approaches Safar as they do any other month outside the sacred months: with regular worship, avoidance of sins, and reliance on Allah. Belief in Qadr (divine decree) is the proper antidote to superstition — whatever befalls a person is by Allah's will and wisdom, not by the "unluckiness" of a month. The Prophet ﷺ taught that a believer should say, when they see or hear something they dislike: "Allahu Akbar, tawakkaltu ala Allah" (Allah is the Greatest, I place my trust in Allah), or "La ilaha illa Anta, subhanaka inni kuntu min al-zalimin" (the prayer of Yunus). Every month is an opportunity for good deeds, repentance, and drawing closer to Allah. The Muslim uses the passage of months as a reminder of the brevity of life and the importance of preparing for the Hereafter.