Muharram

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Template:Infobox month Template:IslamicMonths sidebar

Muḥarram (Arabic: ٱلْمُحَرَّم‎) is the first month of the Islamic calendar.[1] It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is forbidden.[2] It is held to be the second holiest month after Ramadan.

The tenth day of Muharram, known as the Day of Ashura, bears special significance for Muslims both of Shia and Sunni jurisprudence On this solemn occasion, Shia Muslims grieve the tragedy of Ḥusayn ibn Alī and his family. For both Sunni and Shia Muslims, Husayn's suffering and martyrdom became a symbol of sacrifice in the struggle for right against wrong, and for justice and truth against injustice and falsehood.

Shias mourn the martyrdom of Ḥusayn by abstaining from joyous events. Instead, they hold commemorative events to offer condolences to Imam Husayn and to honor the martyrs by prayer, reading supplications, and holding charity events. Many choose to eat sparingly, but this practice is distinct from fasting. Some (excluding children, elderly or sick) do not eat or drink, avoid entertainment until zawal (afternoon) as a part of their mourning for Husayn. It is a symbolic gesture of remembrance and solidarity with the sufferings endured by Imam Husayn and his companions.[2] In addition, there is an important ziyarat book, the Ziyarat Ashura about Ḥusayn. In Shiʿism, it is popular to read this ziyarat on this date.[3]

Muharram and Ashura[edit]

The word Muharram means forbidden or prohibited. Before Islam, it is said that this month was called as Safer ul Awwal.[2] The sighting of the new moon ushers in the Islamic New Year.

The first month, Muharram, is one of the four sacred months mentioned in the Quran (although not mentioned by name), along with the seventh month of Rajab, and the eleventh and twelfth months of Dhu al-Qi'dah and Dhu al-Hijjah, respectively, immediately preceding Muharram. During these sacred months, warfare is forbidden. Before the advent of Islam, the Quraish and Arabs also forbade warfare during those months.[citation needed]

Before Islam, the Arabs also fasted on the tenth day of Muharram.[4][5] This day also had importance in other Abrahamic religions like Judaism and Christianity.[6][7][8][clarification needed] Muhammad also fasted many times on this day before his prophethood and after his migration to Medina and also ordered the Muslims to fast on this day and ninth and eleventh day as well. But the fasting was optional after Ramadan fasting was made obiligatory.[2] It is narrated by Abu Hurairah that the Prophet Muhammad said, "The most virtuous fasting after the month of Ramadan is (in) Allah's month Al-Muharram."[9]

Muharram and Ashura to the Muslims[edit]

Main article: Mourning of Muharram
Shia Muslims in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in a Hussainiya as part of the commemoration of Muharram
Shia Muslim children in Amroha, India on camels in front of the Azakhana as part of the procession commemorating events on and after Day of Ashura

Ashura, which literally means the "Tenth" in Arabic, refers to the tenth day of Muharram.[10]

According to Sunni Muslims, fasting on Ashura, the tenth day of the Islamic month of Muharram was a practice established by Muhammad in the early days of Islam that commemorates the parting of the Red Sea by Moses.[5][11]

While in Shia Islam, Muharram is a month of remembrance. Ashura is well known in Shia tradition because of its historical significance and mourning for the Shahadat (martyrdom) of Ḥusayn ibn Ali, the grandson of Muhammad.[12][13] Shia Muslims begin mourning from the first night of Muharram and continue for ten nights, climaxing on the 10th of Muharram, known as the Day of Ashura. The last few days up until and including the Day of Ashura are the most important because these were the days in which Hussain and his family and followers (including women, children and elderly people) were deprived of water from the 7th onward and on the 10th, Husayn and 72 of his followers were killed by the army of Yazid I at the Battle of Karbala on Yazid's orders. The surviving members of Husayn's family and those of his followers were taken captive, marched to Damascus, and imprisoned there.

Timing for Muharram[edit]

Template:Hijri to gregorian calendar.svg The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, and months begin when the first crescent of a new moon is sighted. Since the Islamic lunar calendar year is 11 to 12 days shorter than the solar year, Muharram migrates throughout the solar years. The estimated start and end dates for Muharram are as follows (based on the Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia):[14]

Muharram dates between 2020 and 2024
AH First day (CE/AD) Last day (CE/AD)
1442 20 August 2020 17 September 2020
1443 09 August 2021 07 September 2021
1444 30 July 2022 27 August 2022
1445 19 July 2023 16 August 2023
1446 07 July 2024 04 August 2024

Events Related to Imam Husayn and Karbala Tragedy[edit]

Main article: Battle of Karbala
See also: Mourning of Muharram
Scenes in the Taziya procession at the Muharram
  • 2 Muharram: Arrival in Karbala: Imam Husayn, along with his family and followers, embarked on a journey from Mecca to Kufa. However, they were forced to stop at Karbala because of the forces of Yazid who considered an illegitimate ruler and a tyrant by many Muslims. 61 AH (680 AD).[15][16][17][18]
  • 7 Muharram: Blockade and Isolation: The forces of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, led by Umar ibn Sa'ad, surrounded Imam Husayn and his followers, cutting off their access to water and supplies. This blockade continued for several days. 61 AH (680 AD).[19][20][21][22]
  • 10 Muharram: Referred to as the Day of Ashurah (lit. "the Tenth"), the day on which Husayn ibn Ali and his small group of followers including family members and loyal companions, faced an overwhelming Umayyad army estimated to be in the thousands. Imam Husayn refused to pledge allegiance to the tyrannical rule of Yazid. In the one-sided battle that ensued, his companions fought and were martyred one by one. Eventually, Imam Husayn, struck by multiple arrows and attacked by the enemy's forces and also attained martyrdom in the Battle of Karbala.[23][24][25][26][27]

Other Historical Occurrences during Muharram[edit]

  • 5 Muharram: Death anniversary (urs) of Baba Farid, a Punjabi Sufi saint, in 665 AH (1266 AD). His urs is celebrated for six days during Muharram, in Pakpattan, Pakistan.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ Huda (25 June 2019). "Overview of the Islamic Calendar". Learn Religions. Dotdash. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Yaşaroğlu, M.Kâmīl (2006). MUHARREM - An article published in Turkish Encyclopedia of Islam (in Türkçe). Vol. 31 (Muhammediyye - Munazara). Ankara: TDV Encyclopedia of Islam. pp. 4–5. ISBN 978-97-53-89458-6.
  3. ↑ "Ziyarat Ashoora – Importance, Rewards and Effects". almuntazar.com. p. 24. Retrieved 7 November 2019 – via www.duas.org.
  4. ↑ Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 65, Hadith 31
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "ʿĀshūrāʾ: Islamic holy day". Britannica. 28 July 2023.
  6. ↑ Morrow, John Andrew. Islamic Images and Ideas: Essays on Sacred Symbolism. McFarland & Co, 2013. pp. 234–36. ISBN 978-0786458486
  7. ↑ Dabashi, Hamid (20 September 2018). "Yom Kippur and Ashoura: Are Muslims observing a Jewish holiday?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  8. ↑ Makke, Hussain (10 September 2019). "Ashura reminds us that Islam is an integral part of the Abrahamic tradition ǀ View". Euronews. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  9. ↑ Sahih at-Tirmidhi : Hadith 740
  10. ↑ "How Muharram is being observed in India and around the world". The Indian Express. 12 October 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  11. ↑ "Ashura fasting in Muharram 2022: Date, history, significance of Shia and Sunni Muslims' fast in Muharram". Hindustan Times. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Muharram". 8 December 2010. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2010.
  13. ↑ "Muharram 2020: History, Significance And Know All About The Day Of Ashura". NDTV.com. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Gent, R.H. van. "The Umm al-Qura Calendar of Saudi Arabia". webspace.science.uu.nl.
  15. ↑ Hyder, Syed Akbar (2006). Reliving Karbala: Martyrdom in South Asian Memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-537302-8. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  16. ↑ Halm, Heinz (1997). Shi'a Islam: From Religion to Revolution. Translated by Allison Brown. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers. ISBN 1-55876-134-9.
  17. ↑ Ayoub, Mahmoud (1978). Redemptive Suffering in Islam: A Study of the Devotional Aspects of Ashura in Twelver Shi'ism. Hague: Mouton Publishers. ISBN 90-279-7943-X.
  18. ↑ Vaglieri, L. Veccia (1971). ""(Al)-Ḥusayn b. 'Alï b. Abï Ṭālib"". Encyclopaedia of Islam. E. J. Brill. pp. 607–615. OCLC 495469525. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  19. ↑ Daftary, Farhad (1990). The Ismāʿı̄lı̄s: Their History and Doctrines. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-37019-6.
  20. ↑ Ayoub, Mahmoud (1978). Redemptive Suffering in Islam: A Study of the Devotional Aspects of Ashura in Twelver Shi'ism. Hague: Mouton Publishers. ISBN 90-279-7943-X.
  21. ↑ Howard, I. K. A. (1990). The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XIX: The Caliphate of Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiyah, A.D. 680–683/A.H. 60–64. SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-0040-1.
  22. ↑ Vaglieri, L. Veccia (1971). ""(Al)-Ḥusayn b. 'Alï b. Abï Ṭālib"". Encyclopaedia of Islam. E. J. Brill. pp. 607–615. OCLC 495469525. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  23. ↑ Halm, Heinz (1997). Shi'a Islam: From Religion to Revolution. Translated by Allison Brown. Princeton: Markus Wiener Publishers. ISBN 1-55876-134-9.
  24. ↑ Ayoub, Mahmoud (1978). Redemptive Suffering in Islam: A Study of the Devotional Aspects of Ashura in Twelver Shi'ism. Hague: Mouton Publishers. ISBN 90-279-7943-X.
  25. ↑ Howard, I. K. A. (1990). The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume XIX: The Caliphate of Yazīd ibn Muʿāwiyah, A.D. 680–683/A.H. 60–64. SUNY Series in Near Eastern Studies. Albany, New York: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-0040-1.
  26. ↑ "What is Ashura and how do Shia and Sunni Muslims observe it?". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  27. ↑ Vaglieri, L. Veccia (1971). ""(Al)-Ḥusayn b. 'Alï b. Abï Ṭālib"". Encyclopaedia of Islam. E. J. Brill. pp. 607–615. OCLC 495469525. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  28. ↑ Hamdar, Abir (2009). "Jihad of Words: Gender and Contemporary Karbala Narratives". The Yearbook of English Studies. 39 (1–2): 84–100. doi:10.1353/yes.2009.0016. S2CID 158479476. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
  29. ↑ Qutbuddin, Tahera (2019). "Orations of Zaynab and Umm Kulthūm in the Aftermath of Ḥusayn's Martyrdom at Karbala: Speaking Truth to Power". In Korangy, Alireza; Rouhi, Leyla (eds.). The 'Other' Martyrs: Women and the Poetics of Sexuality, Sacrifice, and Death in World Literatures. Eisenbrauns. ISBN 9783447112147.
  30. ↑ Osman, Rawand (2014). Female Personalities in the Qur'an and Sunna: Examining the Major Sources of Imami Shi'i Islam. Routledge. ISBN 9781317671510.
  31. ↑ Allama Majlisi. Bihar al-Anwar. Vol. 46. pp. 152–54.

Further reading[edit]

  • Chelkowski, Peter J. ed. (1979). Ta’ziyeh: Ritual and Drama in Iran. New York: New York University Press.
  • Cole, Juan (1988). Roots of North Indian Shiism in Iran and Iraq: Religion and State in Avadh, 1722–1859. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
  • Kartomi, Margaret (1986). "Tabut – a Shia Ritual Transplanted from India to Sumatra", in Nineteenth and Twentieth Century Indonesia: Essays in Honour of Professor J.D. Legge, edited by David P. Chandler and M.C. Ricklefs, Australia: Monash University, Centre for Southeast Asian Studies, 141–62.
  • Mason, P.H. (2016) "Fight-dancing and the Festival: Tabuik in Pariaman, Indonesia, and Iemanjá" in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil. Martial Arts Studies Journal, 2, 71–90. doi:10.18573/j.2016.10065
  • Pinault, David (1992). The Shiites: Ritual and Popular Piety in a Muslim Community. London: I.B. Tauris.

External links[edit]

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