Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The same True Cause (Mu’aththir Haqiqi) who first afflicted the camel with mange, He is the one who afflicted the others as well. If mange were due to contagion, then the first camel would not have become mangy, because at that time there was no other mangy camel. Therefore, just as a camel can contract mange without contact with another, so too can others contract it naturally. In this, contagion has no role.
(2)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established from this hadith that the belief in the fatality of the disease of Safar is completely incorrect. A person does not die from any disease, but rather, death comes when his appointed term (ajal) ends. And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Alu, that is, the owl, is a predatory bird; it cannot see during the day, so the poor creature comes out at night. Out of fear of people, it mostly lives in forests and deserted places. The Arabs considered the owl to be inauspicious; their belief was that after a person dies, his soul enters the form of an owl and wanders about, crying out. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) refuted this absurd notion.

Ṣafar is a worm of the stomach that gnaws at the stomach when hungry; sometimes a person even dies because of it. The Arabs considered this illness to be contagious. Imam Muslim has narrated these very meanings of Ṣafar from Jabir (radi Allahu anhu). Some have said that Ṣafar refers to the month that comes after Muharram. The Arabs also considered it inauspicious. Even now, in India, some people consider the period of "thirteen fasts" (terah tezi) to be inauspicious and do not conduct marriages during these days.

Hadith Commentary:
Among the Arabs, there was a belief that when the bones of a murdered person became decayed and old, an owl would emerge from his skull, which would circle around his grave and cry out, "Thirst, thirst."
If revenge for the deceased was taken, then it would become satisfied.
Based on this superstition, those people would insist on taking revenge by any means possible.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) refuted this absurd notion. Thus, in one narration, Ibn Jurayj asked ‘Ata:
"What is 'haamah'?" He replied:
People think that it is a bird which is the human soul that keeps crying out, whereas it is not the human soul but rather an earthly bird.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Medicine, Hadith: 3918)

Certain Issues Regarding the Month of Safar

➊ In an authentic hadith it is mentioned that:
«ولا صفر»
And «صفر» (there is) nothing. [صحيح بخاري: 5707 وصحيح مسلم: 3220]

In the explanation of this hadith, Muhammad bin Rashid al-Makḥūlī rahimahullah (d. after 260 AH) states:

«سمعناً أن أهل الجاهلے ة يستشئمون بصفر»

We have heard (from our teachers) that the people of the Age of Ignorance used to consider Safar as inauspicious. [سنن ابي داود: 3916 وسنده حسن]

«أيلما يتوهمون أن فيه تكثر الدواهي والفتن»

That is, they had the delusion that in Safar, calamities and tribulations occur in abundance. [ارشاد الساري للقسطلاني ج8 ص374]

Even in the present era, some people hold the belief that in Safar there is “Tirah Tezi” (thirteen sharpness), due to which utensils and other items break and people suffer losses. However, this false belief is exactly the same as the belief of the people of ignorance.

➋ There is no evidence in the Book or the Sunnah for the custom of “Choori” at the end of Safar. The following information about Safar is recorded from the book “Taqwīm-e-Tārīkhī” by the Islamic Research Institute, Islamabad:

27 Safar 1 AH – Migration began

12 Safar 2 AH – Jihad made obligatory

Safar 32 AH – Death of Abdur Rahman bin Awf

Safar 35 AH – Death of Abu Talhah al-Qari

Safar 43 AH – Death of Muhammad bin Salamah

Safar 50 AH – Death of Safiyyah bint Huyayy

Safar 52 AH – Death of Imran bin Husayn

Safar 56 AH – Death of Abdullah bin Amr

Safar 66 AH – Death of Jabir bin Samurah radi Allahu anhum ajma‘īn

Safar 157 AH – Death of Imam Awza‘i rahimahullah

Written by: Maulana Abu Abdur Rahman Muhammad Arshad Kamal hafizahullah

Published in: Monthly Al-Hadith, Issue 101, page 47
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1: Some people consider the month of Safar to be a month of misfortune, do not conduct marriages in it, remain involved in various superstitions, and even avoid starting businesses, whereas the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: «وَ لاَ صَفَرَ» and there is no (evil or disease) in Safar. [صحيح بخاري: 5757]

Also see the great and beneficial book by the respected Maulana Muhammad Arshad Kamal hafizahullah: “Islamic Months and Their Introduction” (pp. 80–82)

➋ Some people believe that there is “Tirah Tezi” in Safar and that severe calamities, afflictions, and diseases descend.

This belief is completely wrong, ignorance, and a result of superstition.

➌ Some people, especially in the month of Safar, clean spider webs, whereas there is no evidence for this specific act, and cleanliness is better in every month and every day and night.

➍ Some people cook “Choori” on the last Wednesday of Safar and narrate stories, whereas there is no basis for this in the Shari‘ah.

➎ Remember that there is no authentic hadith regarding any special virtue of the month of Safar.

➏ In the month of Safar, Mada’in was conquered, and the Battle of Siffin took place.

And the following imams of hadith passed away:

Imam Awza‘i, Imam Yahya bin Sa‘id al-Qattan, Imam Ali (bin Musa) al-Ridha, Imam Tabarani, Imam Ibn Shahin, Imam Nasa’i rahimahullah, the hadith scholar Hakim al-Naysaburi, Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi and others rahimahumullah

For details, see “Islamic Months and Their Introduction” (pp. 91–95)

Written by: Habib ur Rahman Hazrawi

Published in: Monthly Al-Hadith, Issue 112, pages 46–47
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The month of Safar is the second month of the Islamic year. It is called Safar because during it, cities would become empty as people would set out for battles.

Safar and Taking Omens

Some people of weak faith take bad omens from this month. Taking a bad omen means to consider something devoid of goodness and blessing, for example, not starting any work, not beginning a business, avoiding marriage, or not sending off daughters. These people believe that any work started in this month will be inauspicious and devoid of goodness and blessing.

Reasons for Taking Bad Omens

The first reason for taking bad omens is that these people believe that in this month, calamities and other evils and tribulations descend, and they rely on some fabricated ahadith regarding this. For example, see: [موضوعات الكبريٰ ح886]

The second reason is that in the Age of Ignorance, fighting and warfare were considered forbidden in the month of Muharram, and this prohibition of fighting remained until Safar. But when the month of Safar arrived, fighting and warfare would resume, so this month was considered inauspicious.

Refutation of Taking Bad Omens from Safar

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radi Allahu anhu that he said the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

«لا عدوٰي ولا طيرة ولا هامة ولا صفر»

No disease is contagious, nor is there any bad omen. There is no reality to the owl, nor is there any inauspiciousness in Safar. [صحيح بخاري: 5757]

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas‘ud radi Allahu anhu that he said the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

«الطيرة شرك، الطيرة شرك ثلاثًا و ما منا الا ولٰكن اللّٰه يذهبه بالتوكل»

Taking bad omens is shirk, taking bad omens is shirk. He said this three times. And each one of us is affected by some suspicion, but Allah, the Lord of Might, removes it through reliance (tawakkul) upon Him. [سنن ابي داود: 3910]

Hadith Commentary: Leprosy (juzam) is a well-known severe disease in which the blood becomes corrupted and the entire body begins to decay. In the end, the fingers of the hands and feet fall off. Although the completion of any illness is by the command of Allah, mixing closely and gathering together with a leper is a cause (of transmission), and avoiding the cause is required by wisdom. This is not contrary to reliance (tawakkul) upon Allah. When one holds the belief that a cause only has an effect when the Causer of causes (Musabbib al-Asbab), that is, the Lord, grants it effect.

Some have said: You (the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) previously said, “Keep fleeing from the leper,” but this is not contrary (to the above). Your intent was that most people who fear harm are weak, so it is better for them to stay away from the leper, lest if they are afflicted by any ailment, they attribute its cause to proximity to the leper and fall into shirk (associating partners with Allah). Thus, this ruling is for the general public, and the elite (khawas) are permitted; even if they remain close to a leper, there is no harm.

It is narrated in a hadith that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) ate with a leper and said, “Eat in the name of Allah, with trust in Allah and reliance upon Him.” The same ruling applies to cities afflicted by plague.

Allamah Ibn Qayyim (rahimahullah) has written in “Zad al-Ma‘ad” that the negation of contagion (ta‘diyah) in the hadiths was to eliminate superstition. That is, to think that disease flies and attaches itself (by itself), and in this sense, there is absolutely no contagion in diseases. The intent is not to deny contagion in its essence. Allah, the Exalted, has created contagion in many diseases. Therefore, one should not fall into superstition in this matter.

The belief regarding “hamah” among the Arabs was such that they thought about certain birds: if they sat in a place and began to call, that place would become desolate. The Shari‘ah refuted this, stating that prosperity and ruin do not occur due to the call of any bird, but rather by the will of Allah, the Exalted. Even today, the ignorant masses hold the same belief about owls. Some have similar superstitions regarding beehives. All these are corrupt beliefs; it is necessary for a Muslim to avoid such false notions.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Illness is subject to the command of Allah Almighty, but mingling with a person afflicted with leprosy is one of its causes, when Allah creates effect in it.
Avoiding the causes of illness is not contrary to reliance (tawakkul) upon Allah.
To those with weak faith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: "Flee from the leper as you would flee from a lion," so that, due to Allah’s decree, if the illness is contracted, their belief is not corrupted—lest they say:
"This illness came to us from such-and-such person."
Thus, this ruling is for the general public, and whoever has strong faith is permitted to eat, drink, and associate with a leper, just as the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sat and ate with a leper and said:
"Eat in the name of Allah, relying and trusting upon Him."
(Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, al-At‘imah, Hadith: 1817)
Although this narration is weak in its chain, it is nonetheless permissible for a person of faith and certainty to eat with such a person, but one should not stare fixedly at such a patient so that his heart is not hurt, as is mentioned in the narration:
"Do not stare fixedly at those suffering from leprosy."
(Sunan Ibn Majah, at-Tibb, Hadith: 3543)

(2)
A person afflicted with leprosy should keep himself apart from the general public so that others are not harmed by him. Thus, it is mentioned in the hadith that there was a leper in the tribe of Thaqif.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sent him a message:
"Return, for we have accepted your pledge of allegiance."
(Sahih Muslim, as-Salam, Hadith: 5822 (2231))

Hadith Commentary:

For example, if a sick person hears news of health and well-being, or if someone going to battle meets a person on the way whose name is Fath Khan (Victory), then a good omen (fa’l) can be taken from this that, insha’Allah ta’ala, victory will be ours in the battle.

Hadith Commentary:
The explanation of good omen (fa’l) has been given in the hadith: it is a good word that a person hears from someone unintentionally.
In one hadith, it is mentioned that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) never took bad omens from anything.
When you (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would send an agent (a worker or envoy), you would ask his name; if the name was pleasing, you would become happy and the effects of happiness would be visible on your face, and if the name was not pleasing, then the effects of displeasure would also appear on your face.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Medicine, Hadith: 3920)
The explanation of permissible omen (fa’l) has already been given by us under the aforementioned heading.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary:
Benefits and Issues:
Both bad omens and good omens are taken from tiyarah (superstition),
therefore it is stated,
the best part of a good omen is taking a good omen,
which a person feels upon hearing good words,
for example, if someone is ill and hears "Ya Salim" (O Salim),
he takes it as a good omen for health and safety,
if someone is in need,
and hears "Ya Najee‘",
"Ya Wajid",
"Ya Rashid", etc., he takes it as a good omen for the fulfillment of his purpose or need,
because this is having good expectations from Allah and being hopeful for His mercy and goodness, whereas taking a bad omen is despairing and losing hope in Allah’s mercy and goodness,
which is a disliked thing.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:

Lā Now’:

The setting of a star and the rising of its opposite is not a cause or reason for rainfall, nor does it have any role in bringing about rain. Yes, it can be a time indicator or a sign for rainfall. The One who sends down rain is Allah alone. Therefore, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has declared attributing rain to the stars as disbelief (kufr).

Benefits and Issues:
➊ Among the superstitions of the Arabs was the belief that if someone was killed and retribution was not taken, then a bird (an owl) would emerge from the skull of the deceased, which would hover over him and cry out, "Thirst, thirst." If retribution was taken, it would become satisfied; otherwise, it would not. Due to this superstition, those people would insist on taking revenge by any means possible.

➋ Some people considered the month of Safar to be inauspicious and would not undertake important tasks during it. Another meaning of this will be mentioned in the next narration, 3914.

Benefits and Issues:
➊ The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), in response to the objection of the Bedouin, explained that everything happens by the will (mashiyyah) of Allah, the Exalted. One should not think that a single mangy camel caused the rest of the camels to become mangy; rather, everything happens from Allah and by His will. There are many camels in a herd that remain safe from this disease.

➋ The prohibition of mixing a sick camel with a healthy one is for the purpose that people of little knowledge do not fall into baseless superstitions.

➌ There is nothing surprising in Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) narrating a hadith and then denying it, because forgetfulness is a human trait.

Benefit:
This hadith proves that no disease is contagious, and this is the truth. The warnings of doctors to people that there are germs, that they spread further, that this illness will continue to spread, and therefore one should stay away from the patient—this is all nonsense. No illness has the power to transfer by itself. When not even a single leaf can move without the command of Allah Ta'ala, then how can a disease be transmitted further? Rather, it is also worth understanding that when there is pain and discomfort in one part of the body, it cannot go to another limb (for example, if there is pain in the index finger, the pain does not go to the thumb, etc.), so how is it possible that a disease transfers from one person to another? Everything in the world is subject to the command of Allah Ta'ala.

Furthermore, in this hadith, the condemnation of taking omens in an incorrect manner is mentioned. In the era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), some people would make a bird fly before doing something, and then, based on a good or bad omen, would decide whether to proceed or not. Here, as a point of warning, it is stated that the Qur'an and Hadith strongly refute the ignorances of the era of Jahiliyyah, but unfortunately, the majority of the Muslim Ummah appears to be acting upon the ignorances of the ignorant. Some are taking omens from pigeons, while others are trying to determine their fate from the lines of their hands. All these are practices from the era of Jahiliyyah, and it is from these very acts that the Shari'ah prohibits. But it is regrettable that some Muslims perform these ignorant acts with great pride and pay no heed to the Qur'an and Hadith.

Additionally, from the example of camels in this hadith, it is proven that one should give an example to the questioner or the audience that they can understand well, and that the example should also be relevant to those people. Farmers may not understand the example of scientists—so understand this.