The wisdom of creating the months
Selections from the Book The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him …
Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...
Episode (33)
One of the wisdoms behind the establishment, naming, and regulation of the months is that it allows people to determine the timings of their acts of worship and to accurately manage the terms of their contracts and transactions. Allah Almighty clarified this great wisdom in His statement: {They ask you, [O Muhammad], about the crescent moons. Say, "They are measurements of time for the people and for hajj [pilgrimage]."} [Al-Baqarah: 189]. It was narrated from 'Ata' and Al-Dahhak, among others, that Allah made them indicators for Muslims' fasting and breaking of fast, for the waiting periods of their women, and for the due dates of their debts.
Al-Qurtubi said that the phases of the moon's waxing and waning clarify the wisdom behind its changes. This removes confusion regarding oaths, transactions, Hajj, waiting periods, fasting, breaking the fast, pregnancy durations, rentals, and other matters of benefit to the people. A similar concept is found in the verse: {And We have made the night and day two signs, and We erased the sign of the night and made the sign of the day visible that you may seek bounty from your Lord and may know the number of years and the account [of time]. And everything We have set out in detail.} [Al-Isra: 12], and in the verse: {It is He who made the sun a shining light and the moon a derived light and determined for it phases - that you may know the number of years and account [of time].} [Yunus: 5]. Counting the lunar months is easier than counting the days.
- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him, pp. 220-221.
- The Story of Creation, Al-Kharaan, p. 99.
- Al-Jami’ li Ahkam al-Quran, Al-Qurtubi, 2/342.
For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:
The Book of The Story of The Beginning of Creation and The Creation of Adam, peace be upon him on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi:
