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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

History of Safar Month and Islamic Refutation of Misfortune Myths

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The month of Safar in the Hijri calendar has historically been associated with superstitions and the belief that it brings misfortune.
  • Islamic teachings, particularly sayings of Prophet Muhammad, refute these myths, stating that no month inherently brings bad luck.
  • The name Safar originates from Arab customs of leaving homes for travel or war, and historical beliefs linked it to stomach ailments or a type of heat that caused sickness.

The second month of the Hijri calendar, Safar, has long been shrouded in superstition, with pre-Islamic Arab societies associating it with misfortune and bad luck. However, Islam firmly debunks these notions, emphasizing that no specific month carries inherent ill fortune.

The historical context of Safar is tied to the practices of ancient Arab communities. According to scholars like Ibn Mandzur, the name 'Safar' can mean 'empty' or 'yellow.' This likely relates to the custom of Arabs leaving their homes for war or extensive travel, leaving their dwellings empty. Some accounts suggest those left behind would lament, "People have emptied our city, leaving us poor and without possessions."

No disease is contagious on its own without Allah's permission, nor is there any omen from the owl, nor is there any Safar (month or disease), nor is there any Hammah (a spirit of the dead or a snake that enters the stomach of the deceased).

— Prophet Muhammad SAWRefuting pre-Islamic superstitions about contagious diseases and the month of Safar.

Further deepening the superstitions, the pre-Islamic Arabs believed Safar was a type of illness residing in the stomach or a harmful hot wind that caused sickness. These beliefs were directly contradicted by the advent of Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, "No disease is contagious on its own without Allah's permission, nor is there any omen from the owl, nor is there any Safar (month or disease), nor is there any Hammah (a spirit of the dead or a snake that enters the stomach of the deceased)."

Another hadith clarifies, "There is no 'adwa (contagion), no shafar (superstition about the month of Safar), and no Hammah (superstition about ghosts)." When a Bedouin asked about scabby camels potentially infecting healthy ones, the Prophet responded, "Who infected the first one?" This highlights that all events are by Allah's decree, countering the idea of inherent bad luck in a specific month or natural contagion without divine will. Understanding this history helps Muslims adhere to Islamic teachings rather than succumbing to unfounded myths.

Who infected the first one?

— Prophet Muhammad SAWResponding to a question about contagious diseases, emphasizing divine decree over inherent contagion.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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