The first month of the Islamic New Year is called Muharram.
Muslims do not celebrate nor congratulate each other on the start of the Islamic New year.
However the first month of the Islamic Calender called Muharram is one of the 4 sacred months of the Year in Islam.
So What Should Muslims Do on the First Month of The Islamic Year called Muharram?
It is encouraged for Muslims to offer voluntery fasts in this month as the best fasting after Ramadan is the fasting in Muharram.
We should try to fast in particular the day of Ashoorah which occurs on the 10th of Muharram and the day before it i.e the 9th of Muharram.
The Importance of Ashoora and Why Should Muslims Fast on the day of Ashoora
Allah says :
“Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein.” [al-Tawbah 9:36]
Al-Bukhari (3167) and Muslim (1679) narrated from Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The division of time has turned to its original form which was current the day Allah created the heavens and earth. The year consists of twelve months of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and al-Muharram, and Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha’ban.”
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah al-Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night.” (Muslim, 1163)
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best of fasting after Ramadaan is fasting Allah’s month of Muharram.” (reported by Muslim, 1982).
The phrase Allaah’s month, connecting the name of the month to the name of Allaah in a genitive grammatical structure, signifies the importance of the month. Al-Qaari said: The apparent meaning is all of the month of Muharram. But it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) never fasted any whole month apart from Ramadan, so this hadeeth is probably meant to encourage increasing one’s fasting during Muharram, without meaning that one should fast for the entire month.
It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to fast more in Shabaan. It is likely that the virtue of Muharram was not revealed to him until the end of his life, before he was able to fast during this month. (Sharh al-Nawawi ala Saheeh Muslim).
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I never saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) so keen to make sure he fasted any day and preferring it over another except this day, the day of Ashura (Ashoora), and this month – meaning Ramadaan. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1867.
So When is the Islamic Year New Year?
The Islamic calendar has 12 month and is based on a lunar calendar rather than a solar calendar. Which means that each month can be either 29 days long or 30 days long, depending on the sighting of the moon. Therefore it is about 8 to 10 days shorter than the Solar calendar
In 2024 the Islamic New year is on the Sunday 7th of July 2024 and in 2025 it will be 8-10 days earlier and in 2026 it 8 to 10 earlier than 2025 and so on.
What is the Islamic calendar called?
In order to document events in Islamic history. The companions of the Prophet peace be upon him decided choose the first year for the Islamic Calendar during the time of Umar’s khaliphate.
They chose the first year of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar to be the year in which our beloved Prophet peace be upon him Migrated to the city of Madinah in Present day Saudi Arabia.
The year was a turning point for the Muslims who had suffered persecution for 13 years at the hands of the Non Muslims of Makkah.
They Migrated to Madinah were they were welcomed by the Ansar. The Prophet peace be upon him on his arrival established a Masjid (Mosque) and later the Islamic State was established in Madinah.
From there the Muslims were able to defend themselves from evil people who wanted to persecute them and kill them simply because they said that “none has the right to be worshiped accept Allah” They were able to protect themselves from an impending genocide and many genocides that for to follow.
It was a one united state built by Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him, the best human to live on the face of the earth. It’s laws and goverance was according to Islam.
Allah says of the Sahabah:
You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma’rûf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islaam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allâh……. (Quran 3: 110).
Thus Islam Produces the most civilized society when that society accepts Islam and lives by the Shariah.
Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allâh, and in His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him)] including all obligations ordered by Islâm] and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures. (Quran 98:7 )
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the model of Human perfection. He was the ultimate leader, ultimate commander, ideal husband. best father, best friend. He was the walking Quran. And those who followed him are honored in this world and the next. AbuBakr, Umar. Uthman, Ali, Khadija, Aisha, Fatima, Khalid bin Walid and the list goes on. More than 1400 years have past and still billions of Muslims love and admire both the Prophet (peace be upon him) and His Companions (male and female, young and old) and will do till the end of this world. Islam raised their status so high because they took the Quran as their constitution and The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as their teacher and leader. Allah praised them and gave them victory after victory against their enemies.
Allah says about Sahabah:
“And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajiroon (the Emigrants from Makkah) and the Ansar (the citizens of Al-Madeenah who helped the Muhajiroon) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.” [9:100]
After the Prophet peace be upon him passed away these Sahabah companions of the Prophet peace be upon him lead the state and defending it and its Islamic values from enemies both foreign and domestic.
Abu Bakr became its first leader (khalif). He was a fairly wealthy man, due to his piety and wanting to defend Islam he gave up most of his wealth for various Islamic needs of the state during the Prophet peace be upon him’s time. Many other pious people tried to compete with him in this pious act such as Umar who one day when the state was in need of money thought this time he would beat AbuUbakr by giving half of all his welfare. However, AbuUbakr came and gave all of his wealth. He said he had left behind Allah and His Prophet for his family.
When he became khalif he wanted to have another job to feed himslef and his family but he was persuaded to not take a asecound job but rather assign himself a salary. He assigned himself a salary such that his wife saved up money for a whole month to be able afford to make him a meat dish. When she had told him what she had done he said it seemed his salary was too high that his wife could save enough money from it to be able to buy meat so he reduced it. Such was his concern to use whatever wealth the state had for defending it and Islam and feeding the poor. All of the rightly guided khalifs were similar. They were not busy building mansions of places. Their Muslim citizens were similar. Those who were very good buisiness men they gave volunterily much of their earnings to they state to be used for its defence, for the poor and other Islamic purposes. Genocides are not stopped merily by holding protests
