The sacred months (al-ashhur al-hurum)
The sacred months (*al-ashhur al-hurum*) are four months of the Islamic year: Rajab, Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah and Muharram.
What it means for me: One answer names the same four months, in Arabic and in English. Another says it is recommended to fast in them.
Example: A reader sees Rajab approaching on the calendar. A relative says it is a sacred month, and the reader wonders what that means and what it changes.
Do not confuse with: A common belief about marriage. One answer says the statement that marriage or consummation is not permissible in these months is false. It says the idea stems from the customs of the pre-Islamic era of ignorance (*Jahiliyyah*).
If scholars differ: One answer reports a split on fighting. It says the majority of scholars believe the prohibition of initiating combat in these months has been abrogated. Others hold that it remains, it adds. Abrogated means set aside by a later ruling. Another reports that some scholars are of the view that rewards and punishments are multiplied in them. Both are reported here, not decided. A mufti is the reference for your own case.
See the term in context
Is one who performs Umrah during the sacred months and then Hajj in the same year considered to be "mutamatti‘" (one performing Tamattu‘ Hajj), and is it permissible to repeat Umrah and exit the state of ihram between them before Hajj?
Whoever performs 'Umrah during the months of Hajj, coming from outside Makkah (Afaq), then stays in Makkah after completing their 'Umrah until they assume ihram for Hajj, is considered a Mutamatti' (one performing…
Do the Hijri months, especially the Sacred Months, and words such as "the Two Holy Sanctuaries" and "Friday" and "Halal," as well as "Mecca" and "Medina," possess a sanctity that necessitates preserving papers and products upon which these words are written, to prevent them from being thrown in the trash? And is there sin incurred by discarding chicken bags labeled "Slaughtered according to the provisions of Islamic Sharia" while they are stained with blood?
The names of the Hijri months, Mecca and Medina, the phrase "the Two Holy Sanctuaries" (al-Haramain), Friday, and the word "halal" (permissible) do not attain the reverence due to the names of Allah and the Prophets.…
Will my repentance be accepted after committing the abomination of adultery during the sacred months and contracting a venereal disease, given my fear of the disease returning and that my repentance came after the affliction and not before it? And how do I make up for the missed prayers and days of Ramadan, the number of which I do not know?
Praise be to Allah, Who has accepted your repentance for your great sin. You must continue on the path of righteousness, observing acts of obedience, performing obligations, abstaining from prohibitions, and increasing…
Questions that use it
How many days must one fast during the Sacred Months? And is fasting on Mondays and Thursdays of every month the same as fasting during the Sacred Months, or is it unrelated?
What are the Sacred Months, and are rewards and sins multiplied therein?
What are the Sacred Months, and is it forbidden for us to fish during them?