Safar

Overview

Safar is the second month of the Islamic Hijri calendar. The name derives from the Arabic word for empty, traditionally referring to the empty homes of pre-Islamic Arabs who would leave their dwellings during this month for trade and battle. In the early Islamic period, some communities held superstitions about Safar being an unlucky month, but the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ explicitly rejected such beliefs in an authentic hadith, declaring that there is no ill omen in Safar.

Notable Observances

Safar contains no major canonical observances and is not classified among the four sacred months. It is, however, a month of historical significance: the Prophet ﷺ migrated from Mecca to Medina in late Safar of the thirteenth year of his prophethood, an event commemorated through the Hijri calendar itself. Many scholars use Safar as a month of intensified Qur'an study and personal religious renewal in preparation for the upcoming month of Rabi al-Awwal.