The Sacred Months, the Reason for Their Name, and Fasting in Them
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, this person asks: What are the sacred months, why are they called sacred, and is it permissible to fast in these months?
Answer:
Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said:[At-Tawbah 9:36] meaning that fighting is forbidden in them. These are three consecutive months: Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram. These three are consecutive, and Rajab is a single month. Thus, the total is four months in which fighting is forbidden. This is to enable people to perform Hajj and to enable people to perform 'Umrah in Rajab. This is from the favor of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. The scholars differed on whether the prohibition of fighting in these months remains or has been abrogated, due to the saying of the Exalted: [At-Tawbah 9:5] The sacred months mentioned are the ones Allah mentioned at the beginning of Surat al-Tawbah, where Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, gave the disbelievers a respite: [At-Tawbah 9:2]. He, Exalted and Majestic is He, said: "So move about in the land for four months," meaning there is no fighting in them. Then, after that, Allah commanded fighting. So, does the prohibition of fighting continue in these months, or is it abrogated by His saying: [At-Tawbah 9:5]? [At-Tawbah 9:5] Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Honorable Shaykh, this person asks: What are the sacred months, why are they called sacred, and is it permissible to fast in these months?
Answer:
Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said:
Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred.
إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌAnd when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them
فَإِذَا انسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْSo travel freely, [O disbelievers], throughout the land [during] four months
فَسِيحُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍkill the polytheists wherever you find them
فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْand capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush
وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍThe presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
فتاوى على الهواء 13-10-1436هـ — af.org.sa (5:18)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.