الآية رقم (37) - إِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ زِيَادَةٌ فِي الْكُفْرِ يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ يُحِلِّونَهُ عَامًا وَيُحَرِّمُونَهُ عَامًا لِّيُوَاطِؤُواْ عِدَّةَ مَا حَرَّمَ اللّهُ فَيُحِلُّواْ مَا حَرَّمَ اللّهُ زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ

(37) - (Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful another year to correspond to the number made unlawful by Allah and [thus] make lawful what Allah has made unlawful. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds; and Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.)

(إِنَّمَا النَّسِيءُ) (Indeed, the postponing [of restriction within sacred months]): The (postponing) refers to the act of delaying the sanctity of one month to another. The Arabs believed in the sanctity of the sacred months, adhering to the tradition of Ibrahim (PBUH). However, as their livelihoods were largely based on hunting and raiding, this custom had affected their material interests. It was challenging for them to refrain from such activities for three consecutive months. Sometimes, they might face war during some of the sacred months, and dislike to delay, and thus attempt to postpone the sanctity of a sacred month to another. They would procrastinate the sanctity of Muharram to Safar, making Safar sacred and deeming Muharram permissible. If they needed to delay the sanctity of Safar, they would postpone it to Rabi’ al-Awwal, and so on, month after month, until the sanctity extended to cover the entire months of the year. There are many opinions regarding the first person who initiated the practice of Nasi’ (of restriction within sacred months). Al-Kalbi mentioned that the first person who did so was a man from the Kinanah tribe known as Nua’im ibn Tha’laba. Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, stated that the first person to introduce Nasi’ was Amr ibn Luhay ibn Qam’a ibn Khindif.

Allah (swt), not only defined the number of these sacred months , but also their names.

(يُضَلُّ بِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا) (those who have disbelieved are led [further] astray,): It is the devil who leads them astray.

(زُيِّنَ لَهُمْ سُوءُ أَعْمَالِهِمْ ۗ) (Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds): The devil adorned things for them.

وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ)) (And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.): Allah (swt) revealed the Quran as guidance for all people:

  إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ 

(Indeed, this Qur’an guides to that which is most suitable) (Al-Isra: 9)

 

Therefore, you should adhere to this guidance, which is the Directional Guidance. If you follow it, you will receive the Assistance Guidance. Whereas, if you reject the Directional Guidance, Allah (swt) does not guide those who choose disbelief.