View source for Muharram

{{Short description|First month of the Islamic calendar}}
{{About|the first month of the [[Islamic calendar]]|the annual commemoration of [[Husayn ibn Ali]]|Mourning of Muharram|}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox month
| image       = Ashura 2016 mourning in Imam Hossein Square, Tehran 02.jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = Ashura procession in Iran, 2016
| native_name = {{Native name|ar|ٱلْمُحَرَّم}}
| calendar    = [[Islamic calendar]]
| num         = 1
| days        = 29–30 (depends on actual observation of the moon's crescent)
| season      = 
| gregorian   = 
| holidays    = [[Ashura]]
| prev_month  = [[Dhu al-Hijja]]
| next_month  = [[Safar]]
}}
{{IslamicMonths sidebar}}
'''Al-Muharram''' ({{langx|ar|ٱلْمُحَرَّم|translit=al-Muḥarram}}) is the first month of the [[Islamic calendar]]. It is one of the four sacred months of the year when warfare is banned. It precedes the month of [[Safar]]. The tenth of Muharram is known as [[Ashura]], an important day of commemoration in [[Islam]]. For [[Sunni Islam|Sunni Muslims]], the day marks the [[Crossing the Red Sea|parting of the Red Sea]] by [[Moses in Islam|Moses]] and the salvation of the [[Israelites]], celebrated through supererogatory [[fasting]] and other acceptable expressions of joy. By contrast, Ashura is a day of mourning for [[Shia Islam|Shia]] Muslims, who annually commemorate the death of [[Husayn ibn Ali]], grandson of the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad]] and the third [[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Shia imam]]. Husayn was killed, alongside most of his relatives and his small retinue, in the [[Battle of Karbala]] in 680 [[Common Era|CE]] against the army of the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyad caliph]] [[Yazid I|Yazid ibn Mu'awiya]] ({{Reign|680|683}}). The Shia rituals span the first ten days of Muharram, culminating on Ashura with mourning processions in Shia cities. Also in Muharram, the [[Al-Aqsa Mosque|Aqsa]] mosque in [[Jerusalem]] was initially set as the direction of prayer for early Muslims.

==Origins==
Muharram ({{Lit|sacred}}) is the first month of the [[Islamic calendar]], with (at most) thirty days. Warfare in Muharram is forbidden, and it has been so since before the advent of [[Islam]].{{sfn|Plessner|2012}} The word {{Transliteration|ar|Muharram}} is short for "Muharram Safar" ({{Lit|sacred Safar}}), which distinguishes in the ancient [[Arabs|Arab]] calendar between Safar I, which was sacred, and Safar II, which was not. Over time, however, the adjective {{Transliteration|ar|Muharram}} itself became the name of the first month of the year.{{sfn|Plessner|2012}}

== Ashura ==
{{Main|Ashura}}
{{See also|Battle of Karbala|Mourning of Muharram|Ashura in Algeria}}
The tenth of Muharram is known as [[Ashura]], an important day of commemoration in Islam. For [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Muslims]], Ashura marks the [[parting of the Red Sea]] by [[Moses in Islam|Moses]] and the salvation of the [[Israelites]].{{sfn|Newman|2024}}{{sfn|Katz|2007|p=149}} Also on this day, [[Noah]] disembarked from the [[Noah's Ark|Ark]],{{sfn|Katz|2007|p=149}} God forgave [[Adam in Islam|Adam]], and [[Joseph in Islam|Joseph]] was released from prison, among various auspicious events on Ashura in Sunni tradition.{{sfn|Reid|2011}} Ashura is celebrated in Sunni Islam through supererogatory [[fasting]], and also other pious acts and acceptable expressions of joy.{{sfn|Reid|2011}}{{sfn|Reid|2011}} In some Sunni communities, the annual Ashura festivities include carnivals, bonfires, and special dishes,{{sfn|Wensinck|Marçais|2012}}{{sfn|Katz|2007|p=113}} even though some Sunni scholars have criticized such practices.{{sfn|Reid|2011}}{{sfn|Katz|2007|pp=115{{ndash}}116}}

By contrast, for [[Shia Islam|Shia]] Muslims, Ashura is a day of mourning as they commemorate the martyrdom of [[Husayn ibn Ali]], grandson of the [[Prophets and messengers in Islam|Islamic prophet]] [[Muhammad in Islam|Muhammad]] and the third [[Imamate in Shia doctrine|Shia imam]].{{sfn|Aghaie|2013}}{{sfn|Beverley|2011|p=48}} Husayn refused on moral grounds to pledge his allegiance to the [[Umayyad Caliphate|Umayyad caliph]] [[Yazid I|Yazid ibn Mu'awiya]] ({{Reign|680|683}}) and was subsequently killed, alongside most of his male relatives and his small retinue, by the Umayyad army in the [[Battle of Karbala]] on Ashura 61 [[Islamic calendar|AH]] (680 [[Common Era|CE]]).{{sfn|Madelung|2004}}{{sfn|Momen|1985|p=|pp=28{{ndash}}31}} Among the Shia, mourning for Husayn is viewed as an act of protest against oppression, and as such a struggle for God ({{Transliteration|ar|[[jihad]]}}).{{sfn|Ayoub|1978|p=|pp=142{{ndash}}143}}{{sfn|Nakash|1993|p=165}} Mourners also hope to secure the intercession of Husayn in the afterlife.{{sfn|Blank|2001|p=84}}{{sfn|Munson|1988|p=24}} Ashura is observed annually through mourning gatherings, processions, and reenactments.{{sfn|Calmard|1987}}{{sfn|Calmard|2004}} [[File:Muharram mourning, Hussainia TZ.jpg|thumb|Muharram mourning gathering in [[Tanzania]]]]
[[File:عزاداری شیعیان در ماه محرم 07.jpg|thumb|Muharram mourning procession in [[Iran]]]]

==Timing==
{{main|Islamic calendar#Hilal}}
{{hijri_to_gregorian_calendar.svg}}
The Islamic calendar is lunar, and months begin when the first crescent (''hilal'') of a new moon is sighted. Since the lunar year (of twelve [[lunar months]]) is eleven or twelve days shorter than the [[Tropical year|solar year]].{{sfn|Seidelmann|1992|page=577}} Muharram days are different in consecutive solar years.{{sfn|Gent|n.d.}}

{|class=wikitable style="text-align:right"
|+Muharram dates between 2022&nbsp;and&nbsp;2026
|-
!scope="col"|Islamic calendar
!scope="col"|First day ([[Common Era|CE]])
!scope="col"|Last day (CE)
|-
!scope="row"|1444
|30 July 2022
|27 August 2022
|-
!scope="row"|1445
|19 July 2023
|16 August 2023
|-
!scope="row"|1446
|{{0}}7 July 2024
|{{0}}4 August 2024
|-
!scope="row"|1447
|{{0}}26 June 2025
|{{0}}25 July 2025
|-
!scope="row"|1448
|{{0}}16 June 2026
|{{0}}14 July 2026
|}

== Battle of Karbala ==

* 2 Muharram: Arrival of Husayn ibn Ali in [[Karbala]], [[Lower Mesopotamia|Iraq]], in 680. On their way to the nearby [[Kufa]], Husayn and his small caravan were intercepted by the Umayyad army and eventually forced to camp in the desert lands of Karbala, away from water and fortifications.{{sfn|Madelung|2004}}
* 7 Muharram: The Umayyad army cut off Husayn's access to the drinking water of the nearby [[Euphrates]] river.{{sfn|Qutbuddin|2019|p=106}} Under the siege, Husayn's camp suffered from thirst and hunger in the coming days.{{sfn|Veccia Vaglieri|2012}}{{sfn|Pinault|2000|p=71}}{{sfn|Hamdar|2009|pp=85{{ndash}}86}}
* 9 Muharram ([[Tasu'a]]): Negotiations between Husayn and the Umayyads failed on this day in 680. The Umayyad commander [[Umar ibn Sa'd]] ({{Died in|686}}) was set to attack after the afternoon prayer on Tasu'a but was persuaded to delay the confrontation until the following day.{{sfn|Bahramian|Bulookbashi|2015}}{{sfn|Madelung|2004}} Husayn and his men spent the night in prayer.{{sfn|Munson|1988|pp=23}}{{sfn|Sindawi|2002|p=91}}
* 10 Muharram (Ashura): The Battle of Karbala was fought on this day in 680. Husayn and most of his male relatives and his small retinue were slaughtered by the Umayyad army by the end of the day. After the battle, the women and children in Husayn's camp were taken prisoner and marched to the Umayyad capital [[Damascus]] in [[Syria]].{{sfn|Momen|1985|pp=30{{ndash}}31}}

==Other Islamic events==
* 1 Muharram: Death of Caliph [[Umar]] ({{Reign|634|644}}) by injuries from the attack of Persian slave [[Abu Lu'lu'a Firuz]].{{Sfn|Litvak|2021|p=132}} Sunnis carry rallies on 1 Muharram to commemorate Umar.{{Sfn|''Dawn''|2014}}
* 2{{Ndash}}10 Muharram: Most mourning rituals for Karbala take place during the first ten days of Muharram, culminating on the tenth with processions in major Shia cities.{{sfn|Osman|2014|p=133}}{{sfn|Momen|1985|p=240}}
* 5 Muharram: [[Baba Farid]], a [[Punjab]]i [[Sufism|Sufi]] saint, died on this day in 1266. His death is celebrated (''[[urs]]'') for six days during Muharram, in [[Pakpattan]], [[Pakistan]].{{sfn|Nizami|1955|page=1}}
* 8 Muharram: In what became known as the 1782 [[Muharram Rebellion]], on this day [[Bengali Muslims]] in [[Sylhet]] staged one of the earliest anti-British uprisings in the [[the subcontinent|Indian subcontinent]].{{sfn|Riaz|2013}}{{sfn|Islam|2016}}
*16 Muharram: On this day, the Islamic prophet Muhammad set the [[al-Aqsa Mosque|Aqsa]] mosque in [[Jerusalem]] as the {{Transliteration|ar|[[qibla]]}}, towards which early Muslims prayed.{{sfn|Plessner|2012}} This was superseded later by the ancient [[Kaaba|Ka'ba]] sanctuary in [[Mecca]] in connection with verse 2:144 of the [[Quran]], the central religious text in Islam.{{sfn|Wensinck|Jomier|2012}}
* 17 Muharram: Arrival of the "people of the elephant" in Mecca, a reference to al-Fil ({{Lit|the elephant}}), a {{Transliteration|ar|[[surah]]}} (chapter) in the Quran.{{sfn|Plessner|2012}}

== See also ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* {{Annotated link |Solar Hijri Calendar}}
* {{Annotated link |Day of Tasu'a|Tasu'a}}
* {{Annotated link |Mourning of Muharram}}
* {{Annotated link |Farvardin}}
}}

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|20em}}

== References ==
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<!-- U, V, W, X, Y, Z -->
{{refend}}

==External links==
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Muharram|year=1997 |short=x}}

{{IslamicMonths}}
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