Muharram
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Muharram (Arabic: محرم) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four months of the year in which fighting is prohibited. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar.
Muharram is so called because it was unlawful to fight during this month; the word is derived from the word ‘haram’ meaning forbidden. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months, excluding Ramadan. Some Muslims fast during these days. The tenth day of Muharram is called Yaumu-l 'Ashurah, meaning, ‘the tenth day’, and it is a day of voluntary fasting. Fasting differs among the Muslim groupings; mainstream Shia Muslims stop eating and drinking during sunlight hours but do not fast until the evening. Sunni Muslims also fast during Muharram and on either the ninth or the eleventh day, the choice of which additional day being at the discretion of the individual.
==Muharram and Ashura==
The word "Muharram" is often considered synonymous with Ashura. Ashura, which literally means "tenth" in Arabic, refers to the tenth day of Muharram. The religious significance of Ashura, as is relevant to Sunni Muslims who form the majority (85%) of Muslims, can be summarised from a report regarding Prophet Muhammed as follows:
" Prophet Muhammed arrived in Madinah and found the Jews observing fast on the day of ‘Ashura… They said: "It is the day of great (significance) when Allah delivered Moses and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people, and Moses observed fast out of gratitude. And we also observe it." Then Prophet Muhammed responded: "We have more right, and we have closer connection with Moses than you have"; so he observed fast and gave us orders to observe it." [Reported by Ibn Abbas, Ref: Sahih Bukhari and Muslim]
The Shi'a believe the above hadith to be a fabrication by the Umayyads, after the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, as a part of their campaign to turn the 10th of Muharram into a day of rejoicing. These traditions are of the same genre as those which say that it was on the 10th of Muharram that Noah's ark rested on Mount Ararat, the fire became cool and safe for Abraham, and Jesus ascended to the heaven. In the same category came the traditions exhorting the Muslims to treat 'Ashura as a festival of joy, and to store one's food-grain on this very day as it would increase one's sustenance and bring the blessings of Allah to the household.
The day of Ashura also has the historical significance of the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, which however took place well after the demise of Prophet Muhammed, and should not be confused with the religious significance of Ashura. However the Shia Muslim community attributes religious significances to the day of Ashura connected with this event.
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[edit] Timing
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Muharram migrates throughout the solar years. The estimated start and end dates for Muharram are as follows (all future dates are estimates):
- 1426 AH – First day: February 11, 2005; last day: March 11, 2005
- 1427 AH – First day: January 31, 2006; last day: March 1, 2006
- 1428 AH – First day: January 20, 2007; last day: February 18, 2007
- 1429 AH – First day: January 10, 2008; last day: February 8, 2008
[edit] Fasting During Muharram (according to Sunni doctrine)
Muhammad was asked: "Which prayer is the best after the obligatory (five daily) prayers?"
He said: "Prayer during the middle of the night."
Muhammad was then asked: "Which fast is the best after the fast of Ramadan?"
He replied: "The (voluntary fasts during the) month of God that you call Muharram."
Fiqh-us-Sunnah, Volume 3, Number 125
[edit] Islamic Events
- On 1 Muharram, the Islamic New Year is observed by Muslims.
- On 1 Muharram, Shi'ite Muslims begin the observance of the Commemoration of Muharram which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala. Imam Husayn entered Karbala.
- On 7 Muharram, access to water was banned on Husayn by Yazid's order.
- On 10 Muharram, the Day of Ashurah is commemorated by Muslims as the anniversary of the death of Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of Muhammad. But the Shi'ite Muslims attach much greater importance to this day. Sunni Muslims also fast on this day to commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husayn.
- On 25 Muharram, Fourth Imam Hazrat Zain-ul-Abedin was poisoned.
- On 27 Muharram, Mesum was killed.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The four months named in Sahih Al-Bukhari
- ALShiaTalk
- Dates of Muharram until 2016
- Islamic-Western Calendar Converter (Based on the Arithmetical or Tabular Calendar)
- Recommended activities on Muharramar:محرم (شهر)
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