Muharram: The First Islamic Month
Muharram is the first month of the Hijri year and one of the four sacred months. Read about its meaning, the Day of Ashura and its dates this year.
- Position
- Month 1 of 12
- Meaning of the name
- Forbidden, sacred
- Sacred month
- Yes
- Length
- 29 days in 1448 AH
Muharram opens the Islamic year. Its name means "forbidden", because it is one of the four sacred months in which fighting was prohibited. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) called it "the month of Allah" and said that the best fast after Ramadan is the fast of Muharram.
The best-known day of the month is the tenth, Ashura. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in Madinah he found the Jews fasting on that day in thanks for the rescue of Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and his people from Pharaoh. He fasted it and told the Muslims to do the same, and he recommended adding the ninth day as well.
Ashura is also the day on which Husayn ibn Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of the Prophet, was killed at Karbala in 61 AH. The event is remembered with grief across the Muslim world.
Begins on
| Year | Starts | Ends | Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1448 AH | 29 | ||
| 1449 AH | 29 |
Gregorian dates are based on the Umm al-Qura calendar and may differ by a day where months are fixed by local moon sighting.
Notable days
- 1Islamic New Year, the first day of the Hijri year.
- 9Tasu'a, a recommended fast alongside Ashura.
- 10Ashura: a recommended fast and the anniversary of Karbala.
Have a date in this month you need in the Gregorian calendar?
Open the converterMore tools and guides
- Hijri to GregorianEnter a Hijri date and get the matching Gregorian date and weekday straight away.
- Gregorian to HijriEnter a Gregorian date to see the matching Islamic date, month name and weekday.
- Hijri CalendarEvery month of the current and coming Islamic year with its Gregorian dates.
- Islamic EventsThe main occasions of the Islamic year and when they fall in the Gregorian calendar.
