I asked Muhammad b. Rashid about the meaning of the word hamah. He replied: The pre-Islamic Arabs used to say: When anyone dies and is buried, a bird comes forth from his grave. I asked: What did he mean by safar ? He said: I heard that the pre-Islamic Arabs used to take evil omen from safar. So the Prophet ﷺ said: There is no safar. Muhammad (b. Rashid) said: We heard someone say: It is a pain in the stomach. They said that it was infection. Hence he said: There is no safar.  

كَانَتِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةُ تَقُولُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَمُوتُ فَيُدْفَنُ إِلاَّ خَرَجَ مِنْ قَبْرِهِ هَامَةٌ قُلْتُ فَقَوْلُهُ صَفَرَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَسْتَشْئِمُونَ بِصَفَرَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لاَ صَفَرَ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ وَقَدْ سَمِعْنَا مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ وَجَعٌ يَأْخُذُ فِي الْبَطْنِ فَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ هُوَ يُعْدِي فَقَالَ لاَ صَفَرَ