The Month of Safar (2)

2. What has been narrated in Islam that contradicts the views of people of the Jaahiliyyah concerning this month

We have quoted above the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah narrated in al-Saheehayn, which explains that the belief of the people of Jaahiliyyah concerning Safar was reprehensible, and that is it simply one of the months of Allaah and it has no will of its own, it simply passes, subject to the control of Allaah.

3. Innovations and false beliefs concerning this month that exist among people who claim to be Muslims.

(1) The Standing Committee was asked:

Some of the scholars in our country claim that in the Islamic religion there is a naafil (supererogatory) prayer which is prayed on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar, at the time of Duha (mid-morning) prayer, (consisting of) four rak’ahs with one tasleem. In each rak’ah one recites Soorat al-Faatihah, Soorat al-Kawthar seventeen times, Soorat al-Ikhlaas 50 times, al-Mi’wadhatayn (the last two soorahs of the Qur’aan) one time each. This is done in each rak’ah, then one says salaam, and when one says salaam it is prescribed to recite “And Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not” [Yoosuf 12:21 – interpretation of the meaning] 360 times, and Jawhar al-Kamaal (the essence of perfection) three times, and to finish by saying,

“Glorified be your Lord, the Lord of honour and power! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him!

And peace be on the Messengers!

And all the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [al-Saaffaat 37:180-182 – interpretation of the meaning].

And they give charity to the poor, and they say that this aayah is especially for warding off the calamities which come down on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar.

They say that every year, 320,000 calamities come down, and all of that comes down on the last Wednesday of Safar, so that is the most difficult day of the entire year. But whoever prays this prayer in the manner described, Allaah will protect him by His generosity from all the calamities that come down on that day, and they will not come around him, but they will affect those who could not do this prayer, like small children. Is this true?

The scholars of the committee replied:

Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon His Messenger and upon his family and his companions.

We do not know of any basis in the Qur’aan 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 Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 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 (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or to any of the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) is fabricating serious lies, and Allaah will give him the punishment for liars which he deserves.

(Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 2/354)

(2) 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 (Noah) (from Us) among the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!”” [al-Saafaat 37:79 – interpretation of the meaning] 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.

(al-Sunan wa’l-Mubtada’aat, p. 111, 112)

Continued…