God Arises
Review
~ 45 ~
infidelity,’ for it gave tamperers an undue
advantage over others, who would obviously
hesitate to fight during the sacred months.
Certain scholars have written that it was the general
practice among Arabs to regard particular years as
consisting of fourteen months instead of twelve. A
commentator of the Quran, Abdullah Yusuf Ali,
points out that: The intercalation of a month after
every three years as practised by some nations in
order to make an adjustment in the calculation of
months does not come under the heading of
nasa’
,
which is prohibited.
‘It also upset the security of the Month of
Pilgrimage. In the verse (9:36) this arbitrary and
selfish conduct of the pagan Arabs which abolished
a wholesome check on unregulated warfare which
is condemned.’
Another commentator, George Sale remarks:
This was an invention or innovation of the
idolatrous Arabs, whereby they avoided
keeping a sacred month, when is suited not
their convenience, by keeping a profane
