Superstition and Islam
The fundamental belief of Islam is the oneness of Allah (Tawheed), which means that Allah is unique in His essence, attributes, and authority. He alone provides sustenance, is the giver of life and death, and holds ultimate power over everything. Success and failure, benefit and harm—all occur by His will. This concept of Tawheed liberates individuals from submitting to anyone other than Allah and frees them from all forms of servitude, including superstition.
Superstition: A Form of Servitude
Superstition is essentially a form of slavery where a person begins to link trivial things to the outcomes of their life. For example, considering the sighting of a certain animal as a bad omen, or thinking that the presence of a particular bird signifies upcoming trouble. Similarly, some people believe certain months, days, or stones are either unlucky or lucky. All these beliefs are signs of superstition.
A person with firm faith in Tawheed is free from such false ideas. Even in educated societies, some people fall into the trap of superstition because their belief in Allah is not complete.
Arab Superstitions
Before Islam, various superstitions were prevalent among the Arabs. For example, they would take omens by observing birds before embarking on a journey, believing that if the bird flew to the right, it was a good sign, and if it flew to the left, it was bad luck. They considered the owl an unlucky bird and believed that the month of Safar was inauspicious. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) rejected all such false beliefs. He said that there is no truth in diseases spreading on their own, bad omens from birds, the ill-fate of owls, or the month of Safar being unlucky.
Another common superstition was that some devils roamed the desert and misled travelers, known as “Ghoul.” The Prophet (ﷺ) also denied this idea.
Islamic Teachings and Reality
Islam established such a firm belief in Tawheed that people kept superstition far away from themselves. A companion of the Prophet, Hazrat Zunairah, was tortured until she lost her sight after accepting Islam, and people claimed that this was due to her rejection of their gods. However, her faith remained steadfast, and she believed that her blindness was by Allah’s will. The Prophet (ﷺ) prayed for her, and her sight was restored.
Similarly, when Egypt was conquered during the caliphate of Hazrat Umar (رضي الله عنه), the people believed that the Nile River would only flow if a virgin girl was sacrificed to it. Hazrat Umar sent a letter addressing the Nile, saying that if it flows by Allah’s command, then it will flow, and if not, they have no need for it. The Nile began to flow, and it never dried up again without the need for human sacrifice.
Refuting the Superstition of Safar
The Prophet (ﷺ) explicitly denied the belief in the misfortune associated with the month of Safar. Despite this, some people still believe that the 13th day of Safar or the last Wednesday of the month is unlucky, although Islam rejects the notion that any specific time or day is unlucky. The Prophet (ﷺ) said that if bad luck were to exist in anything, it would be in women, homes, or mounts, but this was only to illustrate that no object or time inherently brings misfortune.
The Prophet’s (ﷺ) Denial
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) firmly rejected these false beliefs and clarified that there is no misfortune or ill fate associated with the month of Safar. He said:
وَقَالَ عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا سَلِيمُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مِينَاءَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ لاَ عَدْوَى وَلاَ طِيَرَةَ وَلاَ هَامَةَ وَلاَ صَفَرَ، وَفِرَّ مِنَ الْمَجْذُومِ كَمَا تَفِرُّ مِنَ الأَسَدِ ”.
Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “(There is) no ‘Adwa (no contagious disease is conveyed without Allah’s permission). nor is there any bad omen (from birds), nor is there any Hamah, nor is there any bad omen in the month of Safar, and one should run away from the leper as one runs away from a lion.” (Sahih Bukhari: 5707)
Note: The majority of scholars interpret this to mean that these things in and of themselves do not transmit or cause harm through supernatural or hidden means but that Allah is ultimately in control and any fearful superstition around these is false.
In this hadith, the Prophet (ﷺ) refuted the superstitions that were widespread at the time and made it clear that the month of Safar is just like any other month, without any misfortune or bad omens.
Safar in Islamic history
Many significant events in Islamic history occurred during the month of Safar, but associating any of these events with misfortune or bad luck is incorrect. The Prophet (ﷺ) and his companions traveled during this month and engaged in battles, which proves that the month of Safar holds no special status or ill-fate in Islam.
The Reality of Safar’s Superstition
The belief in the misfortune of the month of Safar is a remnant of ignorance, which Islam has eradicated. The Prophet (ﷺ) clearly refuted the notion that there is any bad luck in Safar. Every Muslim is obligated to reject this belief and embrace the teachings of Tawheed in Islam, understanding that all times, days, and months are filled with Allah’s mercy and blessings.
Islam’s Message
Superstition is the result of a lack of knowledge and awareness. Islam’s belief in Tawheed frees individuals from superstitions and baseless fears. A nation that has complete faith in Allah is protected from such false beliefs. It is unfortunate when people, even with knowledge and faith, still fall into superstition. Islam guides individuals out of this slavery and towards a life of freedom and peace.
Islam is a simple and monotheistic religion that liberates people from all forms of false beliefs and superstitions. Allah Almighty has clearly stated in the Qur’an:
وَلَن يُؤَخِّرَ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِذَا جَآءَ أَجَلُهَا ۚ وَٱللَّهُ خَبِيرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ
But Allah will never give respite to anyone, once his appointed time will come. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do. (Surah Al-Munafiqun: 11)
In Islam, there is no room for believing that any time, day, or month brings bad luck. Everything happens by Allah’s will, and only He can bring benefit or harm. A Muslim must have complete faith in Allah and remain distant from all forms of superstitions and baseless beliefs.
https://pk.islamteaching.com/%d8%a7%d9%88%db%81%d8%a7%d9%85-%d9%be%d8%b1%d8%b3%d8%aa%db%8c-%d8%a7%d9%88%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d8%b3%d9%84%d8%a7%d9%85/