Bayhaqi 9775 — Those who disliked calling Muharram "Safar"

Ibn Abi Najih narrates from Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him), concerning "rafath" and "fusuq" [Surah al-Baqarah: 197], that rafath means sexual intercourse, fusuq means disobedience, and there is no disputing in the days of Hajj. He said: It is not a month that is moved forward or back; rather the month of Hajj has become clear, there is no doubt about it. This was because they used to drop the month of Muharram, that is, cancel it. Then they would say: Safar is in exchange for Safar. And sometimes they would drop the month of Rabi' al-Awwal and give it the name of Rabi' al-Thani.
The Shaykh said: There is a difference of opinion about the Hajj of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) before the Hajj of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), whether he performed it in Dhu al-Qa'dah or in Dhu al-Hijjah. Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said that he performed it in Dhu al-Qa'dah, while according to some it was performed in Dhu al-Hijjah itself.