The last Wednesday of Ṣafar has long been observed by many Sunni scholars and Sufi traditions as a time to increase prayer, remembrance of Allah, charity, and heartfelt supplication while affirming that benefit and harm come from Allah alone. This article explores the devotional practices transmitted by the pious including the Tijānī, Naqshbandī, and Hadrami traditions,while distinguishing them from pre-Islamic superstitions that the Prophet ﷺ explicitly rejected.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May abundant blessings and peace be upon our master Muḥammad ﷺ, his family, his companions, and all those who follow them with excellence until the Last Day.

اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَى سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ ❁ الْفَاتِحِ لِمَا أُغْلِقَ ❁ وَالْخَاتِمِ لِمَا سَبَقَ ❁ نَاصِرِ الْحَقِّ بِالْحَقِّ ❁ وَالْهَادِي إِلَى صِرَاطِكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ ❁ وَعَلَى آلِهِ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ وَمِقْدَارِهِ الْعَظِيمِ ❁

Allāhumma ṣalli ʿalā sayyidinā Muḥammadin, al-fātiḥi limā ughliqa, wa-l-khātimi limā sabaqa, nāṣiri l-ḥaqqi bi-l-ḥaqqi, wa-l-hādī ilā ṣirāṭika l-mustaqīmi, wa-ʿalā ālihi ḥaqqa qadrihi wa-miqdārihi l-ʿaẓīm.

O Allah, send prayers upon our master Muhammad, the opener of what had been closed, and the seal of what had come before, the defender of the Truth by the Truth, and the guide to Your straight path, and upon his family, according to the full measure of his rank and his immense stature.

As a student of knowledge, I have long been fascinated by the devotional practices preserved by the scholars and saints of Islam. Throughout Islamic history, the righteous inherited many forms of remembrance (dhikr), supplication (duʿāʾ), charity, and voluntary prayers which they practiced,not as obligations upon the Ummah,but as means of seeking Allah's mercy during particular times and circumstances.

Among these inherited traditions are the devotional practices associated with the month of Ṣafar, particularly its final Wednesday.

A Necessary Clarification

Before discussing these practices, it is essential to remember the authentic teaching of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ:

"There is no contagion (independent of Allah's decree), no evil omen, no owl, and no Ṣafar."

(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim)

The scholars explain that the Prophet ﷺ abolished the pre-Islamic belief that the month of Ṣafar possesses an intrinsic power to bring misfortune or calamity. Harm and benefit come only from Allah.

For this reason, many scholars even preferred to refer to the month as Ṣafar al-Khayr ("the Blessed Ṣafar") or Ẓafar ("Victory"), emphasizing hope rather than superstition. The scholars of Tarim, for example, encouraged gatherings of Qur'an, remembrance, and supplication during the last Wednesday of Ṣafar rather than fear of the month itself.

Thus, the practices mentioned below should be understood as optional acts of devotion, intended to seek Allah's gentleness (luṭf), mercy, and protection,not because the month itself independently causes harm.

The Four-Rakʿah Prayer

One of the best-known practices is a four-rakʿah voluntary prayer performed between sunrise and before Ẓuhr on the last Wednesday of Ṣafar.

This prayer appears in Kanz al-Najāḥ wa al-Surūr by Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd Quds and has also been transmitted in several Sufi traditions. According to the translated text:

In each rakʿah one recites:

·       Sūrat al-Fātiḥah once

·       Sūrat al-Kawthar seventeen times

·       Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ five times

·       Sūrat al-Falaq once

·       Sūrat al-Nās once

After the prayer, specific supplications are recited seeking Allah's protection from every trial and affliction.

The Tijānī Transmission

Within the blessed Ṭarīqah Tijāniyyah, additional practices have been transmitted.

Imam Fakhruddīn al-Owaisī relates that Sayyidinā Shaykh Aḥmad al-Tijānī (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) affirmed the importance of this prayer, and that Shaykh Aḥmad Sukayrij mentioned it in Jināyāt al-Muntasib. He further relates that Shaykh al-Islām Ibrāhīm Niasse (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) permitted his disciples to perform it, and that Mawlānā Shaykh Ḥasan Cissé (raḥimahu Allah) also encouraged its observance.

According to this transmission, after completing the prayer one recites the verse:

وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

"Allah prevails over His affair, but most people do not know." (Qur'an 12:21)

three hundred and sixty times, followed by the recitation of Jawharat al-Kamāl three times before making duʿāʾ.

It should be noted that these practices belong specifically to the spiritual inheritance of the Tijāniyyah and are not presented by its scholars as obligations upon all Muslims.

The Daily Adab of Ṣafar

Among the Naqshbandī mashāyikh, a number of devotional etiquettes are recommended throughout the month of Ṣafar.

These include:

·       Reciting the Shahādah three times.

·       Seeking forgiveness (Astaghfirullāh) abundantly, often three hundred times.

·       Giving daily charity with the intention of seeking Allah's protection.

·       Reciting Sūrat al-Fīl seven times.

·       Reciting Āyat al-Kursī seven times.

On the final Wednesday, some Naqshbandī teachers additionally recommend blowing over oneself and one's family after reciting Sūrat al-Fīl, increasing charity, and occupying oneself with remembrance of Allah.

Again, these are presented as inherited spiritual disciplines within that tradition rather than universally established Sunnah.

The Practice of the Scholars of Tarim

The blessed scholars of Tarim preserve yet another beautiful custom.

Rather than emphasizing fear of calamity, they gather after ʿAṣr in open places on the outskirts of the city, engaging in remembrance of Allah, supplication, and righteous companionship. Later in the evening, light-hearted gatherings are held to dispel anxiety and strengthen hearts with trust in Allah.

Their practices could be found here:
https://muwasala.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Last-Wednesday-of-%E1%B9%A2afar.pdf

This reflects a profound spiritual principle: safety lies in gathering for obedience to Allah, remembrance, and righteous company.

Charity: A Practice Agreed Upon

Perhaps the most universally beneficial recommendation found across these traditions is charity.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught that charity extinguishes sins and is a means of repelling hardship by Allah's permission. Whether during Ṣafar or any other month, giving for Allah's sake remains among the greatest means of drawing near to Him.

A Balanced Understanding

It is important not to exaggerate these reports.

Some scholars have narrated that trials are apportioned on the last Wednesday of Ṣafar, while others remained silent regarding such narrations. These reports do not possess the same authority as the Qur'an or rigorously authentic Prophetic hadith.

Therefore, the believer should neither ridicule these inherited practices nor consider them obligatory. Whoever performs them seeking Allah's mercy while believing that only Allah benefits and harms has followed a path taken by many righteous scholars and saints. Whoever leaves them bears no blame.

As Imam al-Junayd famously taught, every spiritual path must remain firmly bound to the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Concluding Thoughts

The month of Ṣafar is neither cursed nor inherently unfortunate. Every day belongs to Allah.

Yet if the righteous have encouraged additional prayer, abundant istighfār, charity, Qur'an, and heartfelt duʿāʾ during this time, then these are acts that only increase a servant's reliance upon his Lord.

May Allah make us among those who seek His protection through sincere worship, whose hearts remain free from superstition yet full of reverence for the spiritual inheritance of the righteous.

"Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs." (Qur'an 3:173)

May Allah protect us from every outward and inward calamity, grant us well-being in this world and the next, and make our final affair one of goodness.

Āmīn.

Selected References

·       Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Kitāb al-Ṭibb (Hadith: "Lā Ṣafar").

·       Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Kitāb al-Salām (Hadith: "Lā Ṣafar").

·       Shaykh ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd Quds, Kanz al-Najāḥ wa al-Surūr (translation in The Last Wednesday of Ṣafar).

·       Imam Fakhruddīn al-Owaisī, Ṣalāh for the Last Wednesday of Ṣafar.

·       Muwasala, The Last Wednesday of Ṣafar.

·       Naqshbandi.org, Safar Etiquette.

·       Shaykh Adnan Kabbani, The Daily Awrād of Ṣafar.