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Artical by Mufti Taqi Usmani English |
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Artical by Mufti Taqi Usmani Urdu |
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| Muharram-ul-Haram
( محرم) is the one of those four months
which are called Hurmat walay maheenay (the months in which jidal-o-Qital
(fighting) was prohibited and they are Muharram, Rajab, Zeeqa’ad and
Zilhajj) is the beginning of Islamic calendar. Since the Islamic calendar
is lunar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the
Gregorian calendar. Muharram is so called because it was unlawful
to fight during this month; the word is derived from the word ‘haram’
meaning forbidden. It is held to be the most sacred of all the months,
excluding Ramadan. Some Muslims fast during these days. The tenth
day of Muharram is called Yaumu-l 'Ashurah, meaning, ‘the tenth day’,
and it is a day of voluntary fasting. Fasting differs among the Muslim
groupings; mainstream Shia Muslims stop eating and drinking during
sunlight hours but do not eat until the evening. Sunni Muslims also
fast during Muharram and on either the ninth or the eleventh day,
the choice of which additional day being at the discretion of the
individual. Muharram and Ashura The
word "Muharram" is often considered synonymous with Ashura.
Ashura, which literally means "tenth" in Arabic, refers
to the tenth day of Muharram.
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 (all future dates
are estimates):
On 1 Muharram, the Islamic New Year is observed by
some Muslims. |
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