As per the Islamic calendar, Muharram is the year’s first month. The Muharram festival marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar. The first day of Muharram, when the Islamic New Year is celebrated, is thought to be especially holy. On the tenth day of Muharram, which is also the first Islamic month, the Shia Muslim community mourns the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, the son of Hazrat Ali and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad.
The Islamic calendar is lunar and 11–12 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, which is used in most western countries. You should know the following important Muharram facts, significance, historical details, and tales.
All Muslims are inspired by this month to begin something new and maintain optimism about the future, even during the most trying times. In India, the month of Muharram began on July 31 of this year. Muslims observe the Ashura feast on the tenth day of the Muharram month. Ashura is observed this year on August 8. By Islam, Imam Hussain, the fourth caliph Hazrat Ali’s son and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, perished in the Battle of Karbala (680 AD) on the tenth day of Muharram. Ashura is therefore observed on the tenth day of Muharram.
Significance
Muharram’s grief has a terrifying real-life cause. Muharram means forbidding in Arabic. It is a month of meditation and sadness. This month is significant among the Islamic calendar’s 12 lunar months because it is thought that the Prophet Muhammad referred to it as the “Sacred Month of Allah.”
On this day of sorrow, which falls within the extraordinarily holy month of Muharram, Shia Muslims lament Imam Hussein’s and his family’s demise. They honor their sacrifice, say prayers, and refrain from participating in festive activities.
The mourning period, which begins on the first of Muharram and lasts for 10 days until the passing of Imam Hussein, officially begins on that day. They wear black attire, refrain from eating and drinking, and fast until the tenth day, known as the “Day of Ashura,” to express their sadness. Some people even wait until the afternoon to break their fasts to honor Imam Hussein. Their grief over the loss of their leader Hussain, who was also seen as Allah’s representative, is symbolized by this agonizing ceremony. But most mourners march in procession and weep aloud while singing “Ya Hussain.”
The Battle Of Karbala
One of the important occasions that occurred in the month of Muharram was the Battle of Karbala. On the tenth day of Muharram, also known as Ashura, the horrific Battle of Karbala took place during the 61st year of the Islamic calendar. The conflict involved an army dispatched by the Umayyad caliph Yazid I and a small group led by Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. Imam Hussein was martyred during it in the year 690 CE.
Yazid I, the Umayyad caliph, and his substantially larger army engaged in combat with a tiny number of Imam Hussain, his companions, and family members. The friends and relatives of Imam Hussain, including women and young children, made up his small army. However, they were surrounded by tens of thousands of solid enemy forces. After being kidnapped, Hussain and his friends endured three days without food or water in the sweltering desert. The brutal military, who also kidnapped the women as hostages, brutally murdered Hussain and his child.
Muslims mourn the lost lives of the innocents throughout the entire month of Muharram. Throughout the entire month of Muharram, people remember Hussein Ibn Ali, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson. Since the intensity of the conflict and the murder of the Prophet’s grandson during a month when fighting is forbidden, many Shias mourn and remember the courage of the Prophet’s family.
Significant dates
Shiite Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Hussain, the Prophet Muhammad’s great-grandson and Hazrat Ali’s son, throughout the world. The community participates in mourning marches on Ashura, which marks the culmination of the 10 days. On the ‘Day of Ashura,’ Shiite Muslims march in procession, and some practice self-flagellation to represent Imam Hussein’s suffering. In the observances, believers also chant “Ya Ali” and “Ya Hussain.” Muslims who practice Sunni Islam observe the day by praying and fasting.
How do people celebrate Muharram?
Muharram is a festival celebrated by Muslims of the Shia and Sunni faiths. On the other hand, Shia Muslims observe the Day of Ashura differently. Because it is Husayn ibn Ali’s Memorial Day, Shia Muslims observe a period of mourning for these ten days. They wear all black and attend special prayer services in mosques and other public places. On the Day of Ashura, many Sunni Muslims quickly thank God for preserving Moses and his followers by dividing the Red Sea. Shia Muslims participate in Ashura processions and wear black on this day. Men beat themselves on their naked backs with a whip during the “Matam” processions. “The parade attendees chant Ya Ali” and “Ya Hussain.”
Instead of participating in parades on the streets, they stay away from weddings and other celebrations. They beat their chests to commemorate Husayn ibn Ali’s sacrifice and join in with shouts. Sunni Muslims typically observes a ten-day fast in remembrance of Moses’ victory over Egypt’s ruler during this time. Anyone who fasts during this time is said to get rewards from Allah.
Although it is more common in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and Karnataka, Muharram is observed across the country. The Muslim community in Kerala, known as Mappilas, holds ceremonies in memory of Husayn ibn Ali throughout the month of Muharram. Hyderabad hosts processions and parades where Shia Muslims recite the Ziarat Ashura. There are known references to the martyrs of the Karbala Battle in this work.
Conclusion
The Islamic New Year is said to have begun on the first of Muharram. It is regarded as a treasured and vital festival by the Muslim people. It is one of the four holy months in the Islamic calendar.