Muharram 2022: Know everything about Al Hijri date, rituals, significance here

The Islamic lunar calendar begins with Muharram and continues with Safar, Rabi-al-Thani, Jumada al-Awwal, Jumada ath-Thaniyah, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Zu al-Qadah, and Zu al-Hijjah. Muharram is the most sacred month in Islam after Ramadan or Ramzan, and it marks the beginning of the lunar calendar that Islam follows.

In contrast to the Gregorian calendar, which has 365 days, the Islamic calendar has 354 days divided into 12 months. The Islamic New Year, also known as Al Hijri or Arabic New Year, is celebrated on the first day of Muharram because it was during this holy month that Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina, but Muslims mourn on the 10th day of the month, known as Ashura, in remembrance of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussain Ibn Ali's martyrdom in Karbala.

Know the date of Muharram:
Following the sighting of the crescent moon, the month of Dhul-Hijjah 1443 AH will end on Friday, July 29, 2022, and the first day of Muharram 1444 will be on Saturday, July 30, 2022, in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and other Gulf countries or those that follow KSA's moon sighting.

India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom (UK), Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Morocco will be preparing to see the crescent moon of the Holy Month of Muharram after the maghrib prayers on Friday, July 30, 2022. If the crescent is seen, the first day of Muharram will be observed in the countries mentioned above on July 30, 2022.

If the moon sighting committees declare that the crescent moon has not been sighted on Friday, i.e., July 29, 2022, July 30 will be counted as the 30th day of Dhul Hijjah 1443, and the month of Muharram or the Islamic New Year 1444 AH will begin on Sunday, July 31, 2022, in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom (UK), Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Morocco.

Know about the history and significance of Muharram:
The word Muharram means 'not permitted' or 'forbidden,' Muslims refrain from participating in activities such as warfare and instead use it as a time of prayer and reflection. Fasting on this day is considered a 'sunnah' because, according to Sunni tradition, Prophet Muhammad kept a Roza on this day after Prophet Musa or Moses.

On the other hand, Shia Muslims abstain from all joyous events during this period and observe the fast on the tenth day of Muharram, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the son of Hazrat Ali and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad, in Karbala.

Know about rituals of Muharram:
Allah delivered the children of Israel from Pharaoh in the month of Muharram. Prophet Musa fasted on this day, the 10th of Muharram, as a sign of gratitude to Allah. When Prophet Muhammad travelled from Mecca to Medina in the month of Muharram in 622 CE, he learned from the Jews that they fasted on this day in the manner of Prophet Musa.

To encourage his followers to express their gratitude to Allah, Prophet Muhammad instituted a two-day fast, one on the day of Ashura and the day before, on the 9th and 10th of Muharram. These are Sunni Muslims' traditional practices.

Muslims remember the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson, Hussain Ibn Ali, in Karbala on the 10th of the month, known as Ashura. On Ashura, the Shia community remembers the massacre in which Imam Hussain was said to have been beheaded during the battle of Karbala. To mark public mourning and remember the pain inflicted on their great leader and his family, members of the Shia community wear black clothes, observe abstinence, fast, and march in processions.

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