Islamic Studies
Mohamedarif Mohamed Suleman (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) is a digital marketing specialist and an Educator-cum-Trainer. He has involved himself in community organisations and matters from a young age, and through his writings, continues to speak of social and cultural reform to this day. He is also the founding moderator of this forum.
The month of Safar, the second month of the Islamic lunar calendar, holds significant religious, historical, and spiritual importance in Islam, particularly within the Shi´a tradition. While it is a time marked by mourning and reflection, it has also been surrounded by various cultural superstitions, particularly the belief that Safar is an unlucky or inauspicious month for important or auspicious activities. Here is an exploration of Safar’s significance in Shi´a Islam and a critical examination of these superstitions from an informed, authentic Shi´a perspective.
The belief that Safar is an unlucky or inauspicious month for important or auspicious activities
Historical and Religious Significance of Safar
Safar follows the sacred month of Muharram and precedes the month of Rabi’ al-Awwal. Its literal meaning in Arabic is “empty,” referring historically to the Arab tribes’ practice of vacating their homes as battles resumed after the sacred months ended. It is a month remembered for pivotal events in early Islamic and Shia history, including:
The arrival of the captives of Karbala to Syria after the tragedy of Aáshura (1 Safar, 680 CE)
The martyrdom of Imam al-Hasan al-Mujtaba (AS) (7 or 28 Safar, 670 CE)
The birth of Imam Musa al-Kadhim (AS) (7 Safar, 745 CE)
The passing of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) (28 Safar, 632 CE)
The martyrdom of Imam al-Rida (AS) (last day of Safar, 818 CE)
The observance of Arba’in on the 20th of Safar, the 40th day of mourning after Imam al-Husayn’s martyrdom, is one of the most significant religious commemorations in Shia Islam, marked by pilgrimage and mourning ceremonies.
Throughout Safar, Shia believers engage in majalis (mourning assemblies), sermons, recitations of Ziyara (pilgrimage salutations), and acts of worship and charity. Safar, thus, is a time for mourning, spiritual reflection, and religious education.
Its literal meaning in Arabic is “empty,” referring historically to the Arab tribes’ practice of vacating their homes as battles resumed after the sacred months ended
Dispelling Misconceptions and Superstitions
The origin of superstitions surrounding the month of Safar largely traces back to pre-Islamic Arab customs and beliefs that were prevalent during the Jahiliyyah period, before the advent of Islam. These superstitions characterise Safar as an ill-omened, unlucky month associated with calamities, disease, misfortune, and evil spirits.
Several historical and cultural factors contributed to these beliefs.
War and Crime After Sacred Months: The Arabs recognised four sacred months – Dhul Qa’dah, Dhul Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab – during which fighting was forbidden. Once these months ended, particularly after Muharram, the month of Safar began, during which warring tribes would resume battles, raids, thefts, and various crimes. Homes were often left empty as people went on expeditions or to fight, a fact that gave Safar its literal meaning of “empty” (Safar). This association with conflict and lawlessness fostered a negative perception of the month.
Association with Disease and Calamities: Pre-Islamic Arabs believed that Safar was a month in which illnesses and disasters were more prevalent. A striking superstition held that Safar was “a serpent dwelling in the stomach of man,” stirring up sickness and misfortune during its period. Consequently, people avoided starting new ventures or significant life events in Safar, fearing divine or cosmic misfortune.
Religious and Ritual Beliefs: Some superstitions involved religious prohibitions – for example, the belief that performing Umrah during the months of Hajj was sinful, and the idea that Umrah was only permissible after the month of Safar had passed and wounds from pilgrimage (on camels) had healed. These customs further reinforced Safar’s image as a “forbidden” or inauspicious month.
Cultural Transmission and Persistence: Despite the coming of Islam, certain pre-Islamic ideas about Safar’s unluckiness persisted culturally. Some groups continued to treat Safar as a time to refrain from marriage, business, or travel due to fears of evil spirits, misfortune, or increased calamities. These beliefs were widespread across various Muslim societies, though they were not grounded in authentic Islamic teachings.
The Indo-Pak influence, particularly within South Asian Muslim societies, has played a notable role in reinforcing and perpetuating superstitions surrounding the month of Safar. Although the core origin of Safar-related superstition lies in pre-Islamic Arab practices, cultural and social dynamics in the Indian subcontinent have contributed to the persistence and intensification of such beliefs.
Cultural Context of Superstition in South Asia
Superstitions related to astrology, luck, evil spirits, and auspicious or inauspicious times are deeply embedded in many parts of South Asia due to a blend of religious, cultural, and historical factors. In Pakistan and India, even among Muslims, beliefs in black magic, evil eye, taweez (amulets), and omens are widespread despite Islam’s clear rejection of superstition and magic.
For example, the reliance on spiritual healers (Pirs) and faith-based superstition remains common in rural and urban areas alike, reflecting syncretic practices that blend Islamic teachings with local folk beliefs. This cultural landscape naturally supports the continuation of myths associating certain months or days with bad luck.
Specific Reinforcement of Safar Superstition
The general superstition about Safar’s unluckiness has been passed down culturally in Indo-Pak Muslim communities, often mingled with indigenous beliefs about auspicious timing similar to Hindu astrology and ritualistic practices surrounding eclipses and certain lunar days
Popular narratives in Pakistan and India often caution against conducting marriages, business deals, travelling, or other major activities during Safar, reflecting the region’s social transmission of such taboos beyond pure Islamic sources
This cultural reinforcement happens despite the fact that Islam, including authoritative Shi´a and Sunni scholarship, clearly rejects such superstitions and stresses that no month is inherently unluckyHowever, Shia Islam firmly rejects these superstitions as baseless and without foundation in authentic religious teachings:
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) categorically stated, “There is no bad omen and there is no Safar,” negating any notion of inherent misfortune attached to the month. This hadith and others clearly instruct believers not to associate any month or time with bad luck.
Legitimate Shi´a scholarship emphasises that attributing ill fortune to Safar stems from cultural and historical misunderstandings – such as the pre-Islamic Arab practice of warring immediately after sacred months, not from divine decree
Prominent Shi´a scholars, such as Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi and others, caution against superstitions and stress reliance solely on Allah (SWT)’s will, dismissing the obsessions with unlucky times as ignorance detrimental to faith.
Hence, Shi´a doctrine clearly delineates that Safar is just like any other month, neither inherently lucky nor unlucky. Muslims are encouraged to reject superstitions and not let unfounded fears prevent them from performing good deeds or important life events during this month.More from this author
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