regarding the Sacred Months: Are they still sacred in the sight of Allah the Exalted, or have they been abrogated? What is the evidence for this?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The questioner asks about the Sacred Months, saying: Are they still sacred in the sight of Allah the Exalted, or have they been abrogated? What is the evidence for this?
The Shaykh : The Sacred Months are four, as Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:36] They are three consecutive months: Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and Muharram, and one separate month, which is Rajab.
These Sacred Months have a special emphasis on avoiding injustice, whether it is injustice between a person and his Lord or injustice between him and creation. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Baqarah 2:217].
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed regarding fighting in these four Sacred Months: is its prohibition still in effect, or has it been abrogated?
The majority of scholars hold that it has been abrogated, because Allah the Exalted commanded fighting the polytheists in general. Others among the scholars held that the prohibition, meaning the prohibition of fighting in these months, remains, and that it is not permissible for us to initiate fighting against the disbelievers in them. However, it is permissible for us to continue fighting even if the Sacred Months are entered, and it is also permissible for us to fight them if they initiate fighting against us in these months.
Therefore, the issue is one of scholarly disagreement: is it permissible to initiate fighting in them, meaning in these four Sacred Months, or is it not permissible?
The matter in this regard is entrusted to the rulers who manage the affairs of war and jihad.
The Shaykh : The Sacred Months are four, as Allah the Exalted 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. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them
إن عدة الشهور اثنا عشر شهراً في كتاب الله يوم خلق السموات والأرض منها أربعة حرم ذلك الدين القيم فلا تظلموا فيهن أنفسكمThese Sacred Months have a special emphasis on avoiding injustice, whether it is injustice between a person and his Lord or injustice between him and creation. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said:
They ask you about the sacred month - about fighting therein. Say, "Fighting therein is great
يسألونك عن الشهر الحرام قتال فيه قل قتال فيه كبيرThe scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed regarding fighting in these four Sacred Months: is its prohibition still in effect, or has it been abrogated?
The majority of scholars hold that it has been abrogated, because Allah the Exalted commanded fighting the polytheists in general. Others among the scholars held that the prohibition, meaning the prohibition of fighting in these months, remains, and that it is not permissible for us to initiate fighting against the disbelievers in them. However, it is permissible for us to continue fighting even if the Sacred Months are entered, and it is also permissible for us to fight them if they initiate fighting against us in these months.
Therefore, the issue is one of scholarly disagreement: is it permissible to initiate fighting in them, meaning in these four Sacred Months, or is it not permissible?
The matter in this regard is entrusted to the rulers who manage the affairs of war and jihad.