Issue NO.128 – August 2023 : Safar 1445

Our entry into the month of Safar is a reminder that there are many misconceptions and
superstitions around it.

The Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him) over 1400 years ago dispelled and debunked these
baseless beliefs and practices as recorded in the Sahih al-Bukhari & Sahih Muslim when he
stated, “There is no contagion, nor is there any evil omen in birds, nor is there any evil
omen in the owl, nor is there any bad omen in the month of Safar”

The basis of superstitions and myths arise from an inherited practice of the past, cultural
traditions, hearsay and misrepresentation of teachings based on flawed understanding of text
without context and interpretation by Learned Ulama.

One such myth is that the simple uttering of bismillah, “just say bismillah and eat” over any
food renders it Halaal for consumption. This statement is a direct quote of the Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) who said these words to his noble Companions (Allah be
pleased with them all). As narrated By ‘Aaishah (Allah be pleased with her): “A group of people
said to the Prophet (peace be upon him), “Some people bring us meat and we do not know
whether they have mentioned Allah’s Name or not on slaughtering the animal.” He said,
“Mention Allah’s Name on it and eat.” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The problem lies in the fact that it is usually quoted out of context. Those people had embraced
Islam recently and it was felt that they may have inadvertently omitted the ‘bismillah’ when
slaughtering. The Prophet (peace be upon him) thus dispelled the doubt on the slaughter
conducted by those Muslims and responded to the specific situation accordingly.

The reliance on the belief of saying the name of Allah over any meat regardless of its source and
preparation and that somehow it has the power to make the meat permissible is seriously flawed.
There is no basis for this and it is a misunderstanding of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him)
statement.

Those who have brought the truth and have acknowledged it are those who have fear of
Allah. (Chapter 39 – Verse 33)