Mighty Muharram -

A new 1442 Hijri year sets in for us to prepare for better times

New beginnings

There are many important days and months in the Islamic calendar, but only one of those is the start of the Islamic year, and that’s just one thing that makes Muharram such a special point of the Hijri calendar.

Muharram is blossoming before us, and at Islamic Relief USA, we’re looking forward to starting off a new Hijri year 1442, with gratitude and focus. The Hijri calendar was established by the second Umar Ibn Al-Khattab (ra), starting from the year that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) set out from Makkah to Medina.

Blessed meanings

Muharram itself means “Sacred” and as such, has been classed as a sacred month by Allah. It is reported in Bukhari that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said that, “The year is twelve months of which four are sacred, the three consecutive months of Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab Mudar which comes between Jumadah and Sha’ban.”

“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve (lunar) months in the register of Allah (from) the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them.” (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:36)

Get in gear

In addition to being a sacred month, as the first month of the Islamic calendar, the month of Muharram represents an opportunity for new beginnings, bringing with it the chance to earn more blessings from Allah.

It was narrated by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stated that, “The best of fasting after Ramadan is fasting Allah’s month of Muharram.”

Thus, the importance of Muharram is clear to see, it’s important to set the year off in the best way possible by fasting, and seeking forgiveness from Allah. It’s also a timely reminder that another year has passed since the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) set out from Mecca to Medina. A journey that would change the course of Islam, and with it an impact that is still being felt today, and will continue to reverberate until the Day of Judgment Insha’Allah.