“Indeed, the postponement of the sacred months is an increase in disbelief, by which those who disbelieve are led further astray. They declare it lawful one year and forbidden another, in order to conform to the number of months Allah has made sacred, thereby making lawful what Allah has made sacred. The evil of their deeds has been made fair-seeming to them; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” (37)
Allah, Most High, says: “Indeed, the number of months”—that is, the count of the months—“with Allah is twelve months in the Book of Allah.” They are al-Muharram, Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Thani, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada al-Akhirah, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qadah, and Dhu al-Hijjah.
His saying, “in the Book of Allah,” means: in Allah’s decree. It was also said: in the Preserved Tablet. Abu Jafar recited the words for twelve, nineteen, and eleven with the letter shin unvowelled, whereas the majority recited it with a short a-vowel. “From the day He created the heavens and the earth”: what is meant thereby is the lunar months, which are the months by which Muslims reckon their fasting, pilgrimage, festivals, and all their other affairs.
According to the solar months, the year consists of three hundred and sixty-five days and a quarter; whereas the lunar year falls short of three hundred and sixty days because of the varying lengths of the lunar months. Most commonly, it consists of three hundred and fifty-four days. “Of these, four are sacred”: four of the months are sacred—Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah, Dhu al-Hijjah, and al-Muharram: one stands alone, while three are consecutive. “That is the upright religion”—that is, the sound reckoning.
“So do not wrong yourselves during them.” It was said that the pronoun “during them” refers to all the months of the year; that is, do not wrong yourselves during them by committing sins and neglecting acts of obedience. It was also said that “during them” means during the sacred months. Qatadah said: “Righteous deeds carry a greater reward during the sacred months, and wrongdoing therein is graver than wrongdoing in other months, although”