Fath al-Rabbani

Benefits: … The belief of the polytheists was that even after Hajj, it is not permissible to perform ‘umrah until the month of Dhu al-Hijjah ends. This is what they are expressing in this statement. However, the objection is that after Dhu al-Hijjah comes the month of Muharram, but in this verse the polytheists mention Safar, which comes after Muharram. The answer to this is that the polytheists, for their own purposes, used to alter the order of the sacred months. Here, they placed Muharram in the position of Safar and Safar in the position of Muharram. The reason for this is that the three sacred months—Dhu al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram—are consecutive. Now, it was difficult and constraining for them to refrain from fighting and such activities for three consecutive months, so after Dhu al-Qa‘dah and Dhu al-Hijjah, instead of Muharram, they would consider the month of Safar. Allah Ta‘ala has described this injustice of the polytheists as follows: {اِنَّمَا الـنَّسِیْئُ زِیَـادَۃٌ فِیْ الْکُفْرِ یُضَلُّ بِہِ الَّذِیْنَ کَفَرُوْا یُحِلُّوْنَہٗ عَامًا وَّیُحَرِّمُوْنَہٗ عَامًا لِیُوَاطِئُوْا عِدَّۃَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ فَیُحِلُّوْا مَا حَرَّمَ اللّٰہُ زُیِّنَ لَھُمْ سُوْٓئُ اَعْمَالِھِمْ وَاللّٰہُ لَا یَھْدِیْ الْقَوْمَ الْکَافِرِیْنَ۔} … “Indeed, the postponing (of a sacred month) is an increase in disbelief by which those who disbelieve are led astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful (another) year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah and (thus) make lawful what Allah has made unlawful. The evil of their deeds has been made pleasing to them; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” (Surah al-Tawbah: 37)

But what is even more regrettable is that in this era, Muslims do not even have the awareness of which are the sacred months and when they begin, and thus they are completely heedless of observing the proper etiquette of these months. The sacred months are four: Dhu al-Qa‘dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. Their etiquette is that one should not violate their sanctity by disobeying Allah Ta‘ala during them.