“Lo! The number of months with Allah is twelve months by Allah’s ordinance in the day that He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred: that is the right religion. So wrong, not yourselves in them.”
In the Islamic calendar, four months out of the twelve are considered to be sacred. This means that these months are more spiritually significant than others and carry more blessings for Muslims to attain. Muharram is the first of the four holy months. It is the start of the Islamic year and provides a perfect way for Muslims to start the year with blessings and righteous deeds.
What is Muharram in Islam?
The Prophet Muhammad PBUH said that “the year is composed of twelve months, out of which four months are sacred months. Three of these sacred months are in succession (Dhul-Qa’da’, Dhul-Hijja, and Muharram), and the fourth one is Rajab of Mudar, which comes between Jumadi-ath-Thaniyah and Sha’ban.”
The significance of Muharram goes way deeper than most realize. It is one of the chosen months of Allah SWT and has a strong relationship with Islamic history. It symbolizes the Prophet’s migration from Makkah to Madina so that Islam could spread its roots and strengthen its presence. It is also the month in which Prophet Musa PBUH was given victory over the tyranny of Pharaoh.
Furthermore, Muharram is also the month in which the Battle of Karbala took place. This battle is regarded as one of the most heartbreaking tragedies to ever occur in the history of Islam.
Muharram & The Migration Of The Prophet PBUH
When the hostility of the people of Makkah reached new heights, Allah SWT commanded the Muslims to migrate so they could worship their Lord and spread the religion in peace. One of the reasons that the migration is significant in Islamic history is that the official Hijri calendar, or the Islamic calendar, was formed as a result of the migration.
In a narration attributed to Abu Musa, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) states, “I saw myself emigrating from Makkah to a land with date-palm trees in a dream. I believed this land to be Yamamah or Hajar. However, it was Al-Madinah, Yathrib.”
(The hadith continues onward.)
Ibn al-Tin stated that the Prophet PBUH was shown the place of migration in a way that could apply to Madinah (then called Yathrib), including other places. However, he was then shown the feature unique to Madinah, which made it clear that Madinah was the city where the migration would happen.
Battle Of Karbala
The city of Karbala has a rich history. It is the place where a significant battle of Islamic history took place. The Battle of Karbala was fought on 10th Muharram, 680 CE. The reason for this battle’s significance is that the Muslims were outnumbered. Hussain RA had a tiny group of people with him, which included women and children. They were fewer than a hundred, while the opposing forces were in the thousands. Unfortunately, Hussain RA and his group were horribly massacred, and despite the immense loss, their legacy lives on to this day.
Muharram & The Day Of Ashura
Ashura is an Arabic word that translates to ‘ten.’ Therefore, the day of Ashura marks the tenth day of Muharram. This day holds significant importance for Muslims, as it is a reminder of the struggle, perseverance, and victory of Prophet Musa PBUH in the face of Pharaoh and his army.
According to the Quran, Prophet Musa PBUH was sent as a guide and messenger to the Pharaoh and the Israelites. After years of hardship and hostility, the people followed Musa AS to put an end to the cruelty they had been facing. However, when they reached the Red Sea, the people were struck with fear, but Allah SWT parted the sea for them, and they crossed it without any harm. When Pharaoh and his army tried to follow after them, the sea closed up and all of them drowned.
The Muslims fast on this day to thank Allah SWT for granting Musa AS victory over the Pharaoh. This tradition has been mentioned in numerous hadith, and the Prophet PBUH encouraged his followers to do the same. Furthermore, this practice is much older than the migration, because when the Prophet PBUH came to Madinah, he saw the Jews also fasting on this day.
Ibn ‘Abbas narrated that when the Prophet PBUH arrived at Madina, he saw the Jews were fasting on the day of Ashura, and they said “This day Moses became victorious over the Pharaoh.” Hearing this, the Prophet PBUH said to his companions, “You have more right to celebrate the victory of Moses; therefore, observe the fast of Ashura.”
Many hadiths state the blessings of fasting on the 10th of Muharram, such as,
The Prophet PBUH states, “Fasting on the 10th of Muharram, I hope, will be an expiation for the sins of the previous year.”
One thing to note is that the fast of Ashura is voluntary and has no obligations, meaning if somebody doesn’t fast on this day, they won’t be sinful.
Ibn ‘Umar narrated that fasting on the day of Ashura was done by the people of the pre-Islamic times. But after the order of compulsory fasting in the month of Ramadan was revealed, the Prophet PBUH stated, “It is up to the person to fast on the day of Ashura.”
You are right
Disgusted with your naration of Muharram. Yazid was a tyrant like his father la and grandfather la. He was in power and the large number of army proves what his intentions were. Of course don’t forget the celebrations yazid (may Allah SWT wrath be on him) had after the event of Karbala. His own wife, daughter and son cursed him for this calamity. I had no idea what rubbish you are promoting, otherwise I would never have paid for Holy Quran to this site. Absolutely disgusted with article.