Safar: Complete Guide to the Second Islamic Month, History, Virtues, and Dispelling Myths

Safar stands as the second chapter of the Islamic lunar calendar, immediately following the sanctified gateway of Muharram. While Muharram commands reverence through its legal inviolability as one of the four sacred months, Safar occupies an equally vital place in Islamic thought for a fundamentally different reason. It serves as an enduring theological monument to monotheistic clarity, sound reasoning, and reliance upon Allah (Tawakkul), utterly stripping away the superstitions that plagued ancient societies.

For centuries before Islam, the arrival of Safar was shadowed by anxiety and pessimistic folk beliefs. Ancient Arab tribes viewed this particular moon as an omen of misfortune, war, disease, and spiritual vulnerability. When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received revelation, he confronted these fatalistic delusions directly. Through explicit prophetic declarations, Islam cleansed the month of all perceived curses, establishing that time itself belongs entirely to Allah and that no single hour, day, or month possesses inherent power to bring harm or misfortune to human beings.

Beyond its theological importance in demolishing superstition, Safar is rich with monumental historical turning points. It was during early Safar that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companion Abu Bakr as-Siddiq completed their hidden stay in the Cave of Thawr and set forth across the desert in the historic Hijrah towards Madinah. It was in Safar that the first military patrols took place, that marriages of noble companions were contracted, and that prominent figures embraced Islam. In this authoritative guide, we provide a complete analysis of Safar, covering its linguistic origins, its historic manipulation in pre-Islamic times, the prophetic refutation of bad omens, key historical milestones, authentic acts of worship, and practical answers to common modern misconceptions.

1. Linguistic Roots and Historical Etymology: Why is it Named “Safar”?

Classical Arabic lexicographers and historians, such as Ibn Manzur in Lisan al-Arab, Al-Jawhari in As-Sihah, and Al-Fairuzabadi in Al-Qamus Al-Muhit, document two primary linguistic roots for the naming of the month of Safar:

The first and most widely accepted derivation links the name to the Arabic word Sifr (صِفْر), meaning “empty,” “vacant,” or “void.” In the era preceding Islam, the three consecutive sacred months (Dhu al-Qi’dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram) enforced a mandatory ninety-day cessation of tribal conflict, raiding, and combat across the Arabian Peninsula. During those three sacred months, tribes remained confined to their territories and homes. The moment the crescent of Safar was sighted, the restrictions were lifted. The men of Arabia immediately mobilized, departing their settlements for travel, distant trade journeys, nomadic grazing, and military excursions. Consequently, their villages and homes emptied out completely, giving rise to the famous Arabic expression: safirat al-buyoot (the houses became vacant). Thus, the month was named Safar because it left dwellings empty of their inhabitants.

The second linguistic derivation connects the name to Sufr (صُفْر) or Al-Sufrah (الصُّفْرَة), which denotes the color yellow. According to early philologists, when the seasonal names of the months were codified in northern and central Arabia during the fifth century CE under the leadership of Kilab ibn Murrah (the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ), Safar coincided with late summer and early autumn. During this seasonal transition, tree foliage turned golden and yellow, and arid winds swept yellow dust across the desert plains. Other scholars noted that prevailing seasonal fevers during that transitional climate caused patients’ complexions to turn sallow and pale yellow, further associating the time with the descriptor of yellowness.

In archaic pre-Islamic usage, the ancient tribes frequently spoke of Al-Safarayn (the Two Safars) to designate the first two months of the year in tandem. The first month was designated as Safar al-Awwal (which was sacred and later became exclusively known as Al-Muharram), while the second month was called Safar al-Thani. With the advent of Islam, the divine decree firmly separated the two months. Muharram was elevated with the distinct honorific Shahr Allah al-Muharram (the Month of Allah, the Inviolable), while Safar retained its singular, individual title as the second month of the lunar cycle.

2. The Pre-Islamic Distortion: An-Nasi’ and the Manipulation of Safar

To fully grasp the historical and religious status of Safar, one must examine the ancient pagan practice known as An-Nasi’ (arbitrary postponement or intercalation). The pre-Islamic Arabs found it difficult to endure three consecutive months of non-aggression during Dhu al-Qi’dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram. Because their tribal economy and social standing frequently depended on raiding, revenge skirmishes, and territorial dominance, ninety days of complete peace caused severe frustration among restless chieftains.

To circumvent this divine law while maintaining the outward illusion of honoring four sacred months, pagan leaders instituted an official called Al-Qalammas from the tribe of Banu Kinanah. At the conclusion of the pilgrimage season in Mina, Al-Qalammas would stand before the gathered tribes and arbitrarily announce changes to the sacred calendar. If the tribes wanted to wage war immediately, he would declare: “We have made Muharram non-sacred this year and postponed its sanctity to Safar.”

Through this manipulative tactic, the pagans raided and fought during Muharram and then treated Safar as a sacred month in its place. In subsequent years, they would shift the months back and forth, disrupting the true astronomical alignment of the sacred cycles. This corruption caused total confusion across the peninsula, resulting in people observing the pilgrimage at incorrect times during various decades.

The Holy Quran explicitly abolished this corrupt system, condemning it as an egregious manipulation of truth. In Surah At-Tawbah (9:37), Allah revealed:

During the historic Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada’) in the tenth year of the Hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ formally declared that time had completed its cycle and returned to the exact configuration set at the creation of the universe. From that moment forward, no tribe could trade Muharram for Safar, establishing an incorruptible lunar calendar that Muslims adhere to until this day. To learn more about how this celestial calendar operates, explore our guide on how the Hijri calendar works.

3. Dispelling Ancient and Modern Superstitions: “No Bad Omen in Safar”

Perhaps the most critical theological theme associated with Safar is the total eradication of superstition. In the pre-Islamic Jahiliyyah, Arabs believed that Safar was inherently cursed. They regarded it as an unlucky time when misfortunes increased, business transactions were prone to failure, marriages were doomed to dissolve, and journeys would end in tragedy.

This superstition stemmed from two primary misconceptions: first, the sudden outbreak of seasonal illnesses that occasionally accompanied the shifting weather during that time of year; and second, the resurgence of bloodshed and tribal warfare that erupted the moment the peace of Muharram concluded. Because sudden deaths and armed confrontations spiked in Safar, superstitious minds attributed the destruction to the month itself rather than human choices.

When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered the message of Islam, he attacked this irrational fatalism at its foundation. In a famous, authentic tradition recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet ﷺ declared:

Scholars of hadith, including Imam Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani in Fath al-Bari and Imam Ibn al-Qayyim in Miftah Dar al-Sa’adah, highlighted three complementary meanings for the Prophet’s statement “and no Safar” (wa la Safara):

First, it is an explicit denial of the belief that the month of Safar brings misfortune, evil, or spiritual bad luck. A month is an inanimate division of time created by Allah; it possesses neither consciousness nor independent agency. Good and evil happen solely through the decree, wisdom, and will of Allah.

Second, it refutes the pagan practice of An-Nasi’ mentioned earlier, where Arabs swapped Safar with Muharram to legalize warfare.

Third, it rejects an ancient folk claim that Safar was a venomous parasite or mythical creature dwelling in the human abdomen that attacked people during this particular season.

The Rejection of “Akhir Chahar Shanbah” (The Last Wednesday of Safar)

Despite clear prophetic guidance, certain cultural superstitions managed to resurface in later centuries in various regions. One widespread misconception that arose in parts of the Indian subcontinent, Persia, and the Levant is the concept of Akhir Chahar Shanbah (the Last Wednesday of Safar). Adherents of this myth claimed that 320,000 tribulations and afflictions descend upon the earth on the final Wednesday of Safar, making it the most calamitous day of the year.

In response to this fabricated belief, people began inventing unwarranted rituals. Some gathered to perform four units of prayer with specific surahs recited a fixed number of times, followed by writing Quranic verses on parchment, dissolving the ink in water, and drinking it to ward off supposed annual curses. Other communities advised against starting projects, traveling, or conducting marriages during that week.

Eminent Islamic authorities across all mainstream schools of thought have consistently condemned these practices as groundless innovations (Bid’ah). Great scholars such as Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Imam ash-Shatibi, and modern councils of jurisprudence have reiterated that there is no authentic hadith or reliable historical report indicating that afflictions descend on the last Wednesday of Safar. In fact, attributing evil to a specific day directly contradicts the prophetic prohibition against Tiyarah (taking bad omens).

4. Monumental Historical Milestones that Occurred in Safar

Rather than being an era of misfortune, historical records demonstrate that Safar witnessed some of the most consequential triumphs, foundational events, and heroic turning points in early Islamic history. A review of classical biographies (Seerah Nabawiyyah) highlights several watershed moments:

1. The Departure of the Prophet ﷺ on the Great Hijrah (1 AH)

The turning point of Islamic civilization, the migration from Makkah to Madinah, unfolded in Safar. When the Quraish leadership convened at Dar an-Nadwah and plotted to assassinate the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Allah commanded him to emigrate. On the night of 27 Safar, the Prophet ﷺ slipped past the assassins while Ali ibn Abi Talib lay in his bed to return entrusted belongings. The Prophet ﷺ joined Abu Bakr and took shelter in the Cave of Thawr for three nights before embarking on their desert trek on the first of Rabi’ al-Awwal. Thus, Safar served as the silent staging ground for the survival and establishment of the Muslim state. You can read more about this period in our detailed account of the history of the Hijri calendar and Umar ibn al-Khattab.

2. The Expedition of Al-Abwa / Waddan (Safar 2 AH)

In Safar of the second year after Hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ personally led his very first military expedition, known as Ghazwat al-Abwa or Waddan. The mission aimed to intercept Quraish trade caravans, re-establish strategic deterrence, and forge non-aggression alliances with neighboring desert tribes, such as the Banu Damrah. The mission concluded successfully with a formal treaty signed between the Muslims and Banu Damrah without bloodshed, demonstrating diplomatic acumen and securing the southern approaches to Madinah.

3. The Blessed Marriage of Fatimah az-Zahra and Ali ibn Abi Talib (Safar 2 AH)

Shortly following the Battle of Badr in the second year of Hijrah, the blessed wedding of the Prophet’s youngest daughter, Fatimah az-Zahra, to his cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib took place in the month of Safar. This blessed union produced the noble lineage of Al-Hasan and Al-Husayn, the leaders of the youth of Paradise. The fact that the Prophet ﷺ married his most beloved daughter in Safar provides definitive historical proof that the month carries no evil omen or hindrance to marriage.

4. The Tragedy of Bi’r Ma’una and Ar-Raji’ (Safar 4 AH)

Safar also witnessed great tests of endurance for the young Muslim community. In Safar 4 AH, tribes betrayed Muslim delegations at Ar-Raji’ and Bi’r Ma’una. At Bi’r Ma’una, seventy elite companions who had memorized the Holy Quran (known as Al-Qurra’) were ambushed and murdered after being invited under false pretenses to teach Islam. The news caused intense sorrow in Madinah. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prayed Qunut an-Nawazil (the supplication of distress) continuously in the dawn prayers for an entire month, seeking justice and divine succor. This historical event demonstrated that trials occur by Allah’s wisdom to elevate the status of martyrs, not because of calendar omens.

5. The Conquest of Khaybar (Safar 7 AH)

Following the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah in late 6 AH, the Muslim army marched toward the heavily fortified oasis of Khaybar in Muharram and completed its conquest in Safar 7 AH. Khaybar had served as the central headquarters of hostile conspirators who incited regional tribes during the Battle of the Trench. Under the courageous leadership of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the fortresses fell one by one, securing the economic stability of Madinah and removing a persistent military threat.

6. The Conversion of Khalid ibn al-Walid and Amr ibn al-As (Safar 8 AH)

In Safar of the eighth year of Hijrah, two of the greatest military strategists and statesmen in Arabian history, Khalid ibn al-Walid and Amr ibn al-As, accompanied by Uthman ibn Talha, traveled together from Makkah to Madinah to declare their faith in Islam before the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. When the Prophet saw them approaching, he remarked with immense delight: “Makkah has cast before you the pieces of its liver (its finest sons).” Their conversion in Safar paved the way for the peaceful conquest of Makkah months later and the subsequent expansion of Islam across the Middle East and North Africa.

7. The Mobilization of Usama’s Army and the Prophet’s Final Illness (Safar 11 AH)

In late Safar 11 AH, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered the preparation of a formidable military expedition destined for the northern borders of the Levant to confront Byzantine forces, appointing nineteen-year-old Usama ibn Zayd as supreme commander. During those same final days of Safar, after visiting the cemetery of Baqi’ al-Gharqad to pray for the deceased companions, the Prophet ﷺ experienced the onset of the severe headache and fever that marked his final illness, which concluded with his noble passing in early Rabi’ al-Awwal.

5. Fiqh and Virtues: What Acts of Worship are Prescribed in Safar?

A central question that arises among Muslims is whether Safar possesses unique prescribed acts of worship, such as specific prayers or mandatory fasts. From the perspective of orthodox Islamic jurisprudence (Fiqh), Safar has no uniquely mandated rituals exclusive to its name. There are no specialized “Safar prayers,” nor is there an exclusive “Safar fast” found in authentic Sunnah.

However, this does not mean that Safar is devoid of virtue or spiritual opportunity. Every lunar month provides a blank canvas for the believer to draw closer to Allah through regular voluntary devotions (Nawafil). The practices recommended during Safar are the universal Sunnah acts prescribed throughout the entire Islamic year:

1. Fasting the White Days (Ayyam al-Beed)

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ consistently encouraged fasting three days each month, specifically the 13th, 14th, and 15th days of the lunar month, known as Ayyam al-Beed (the White Days, named after the nights illuminated by the full moon). In an authentic hadith, Abu Dharr narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “If you fast three days of a month, then fast the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth.” Fasting these three days yields the reward of a continuous fast, as each good deed is multiplied tenfold. You can check the exact dates of the White Days each month on our Hijri date today daily tracker.

2. Regular Monday and Thursday Fasting

Outside the White Days, observing voluntary fasts on Mondays and Thursdays is a beloved Sunnah. When asked about fasting on Mondays, the Prophet ﷺ replied: “That is the day on which I was born, and the day on which revelation was sent down to me.” In another narration, he explained that deeds are presented to Allah on Mondays and Thursdays, and he preferred his deeds to be presented while fasting.

3. Preserving Morning and Evening Remembrances (Adhkar)

The most effective shield against anxiety, unfounded fears, and actual harm is maintaining regular prophetic supplications. Rather than resorting to superstitious amulets or superstitious practices, the Prophet taught his followers comprehensive prayers of protection. Among the most potent is the supplication reported by Uthman ibn Affan:

4. Strengthening Family Ties and Giving Charity

Because historical superstitions discouraged social gatherings or beginning long-term projects during Safar, Islamic scholars emphasize actively defying those false notions by doing the opposite. Initiating marriages, expanding charity (Sadaqah), visiting relatives, and launching business initiatives during Safar are praiseworthy actions that practically demonstrate full trust in Allah’s providence.

6. Safar in the Modern Lunar Calendar: Astronomical Sighting and Civil Calculations

As the second month of the lunar calendar, Safar’s beginning and duration are governed by celestial mechanics. The Islamic month consists of either 29 or 30 days, depending entirely on the movement of the moon around the Earth. An Islamic year cannot have an arbitrary 31-day month, nor can a month drop below 29 days. To understand the mathematical balance of lunar years, read our breakdown on how many days are in a Hijri year and Hijri month.

On the evening of the 29th day of Muharram, moon-sighting committees across the Muslim world convene at sunset to look for the slender crescent moon (Hilal). If observers sight the crescent with the naked eye or optical telescopes, Muharram concludes at 29 days, and the following day is officially declared the 1st of Safar. If the crescent is obscured by clouds or fails to meet astronomical visibility criteria, Muharram completes its full 30-day count, and Safar begins on the subsequent morning.

In addition to local observational sighting, modern civil authorities utilize established astronomical calculations for administrative planning. For example, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia follows the official Umm al-Qura Calendar, which pre-determines the start of Safar based on geocentric conjunction (the astronomical new moon) and moonset occurring after sunset in Makkah. For an in-depth explanation of why different nations may begin Safar on consecutive days, read our comprehensive analysis on moon sighting vs calculated calendar systems.

Because the lunar year is roughly 10 to 12 days shorter than the solar Gregorian calendar, Safar shifts through all four seasons over a 33-year cycle. While Safar may occur during warm summer months in one decade, it gradually shifts into winter and spring thirty years later. To explore the mathematical reasons behind this annual migration, review our scientific guide on why Islamic dates change every year, or convert any historical Safar event to its exact solar date using our Hijri to Gregorian converter.

7. Practical Muslim Checklist for the Month of Safar

To help Muslims maximize their spiritual rewards and live according to prophetic principles throughout Safar, here is an organized spiritual roadmap:

8. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About the Month of Safar