Muharram

It is a manifestation of the mercy of Allah towards His worshippers that He has made the sun and the moon follow exactly computed courses. By observing the sun, people can know the different seasons and by looking at the moon, people will be able to deduce the beginning and end of each month. In the Muslim calendar the year is only 354 days long, 11 days shorter than the Western calendar system. This is because of its lunar system, where every year consists of exactly 12 moon cycles. Allah has divided the year into twelve months as He said:

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّہُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثۡنَا عَشَرَ شَہۡرً۬ا فِى ڪِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوۡمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth (9:36)

In the Islamic view the day starts at sunset, the month begins once the crescent is sighted and the year starts from the month of Muharram, a month in which the emigration of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam is considered to have taken place. This is the method followed by the Muslims of the past. They recorded dates according to this method in their books when handling issues, such as the time of settling debts and other similar matters.  

First Month

Muharram is the month with which the lunar Hijrah Calendar begins.

The Islamic calendar was first introduced during the era of the Amir Ul-Mu’mineen, (leader of the believers) ‘Umar ibn Ul-Kha’tab, Radhiyallahu Anhu, in the sixteenth or seventeenth year after the Hijrah, the migration of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam to Madeenah.

‘Umar, Radhiyallahu Anhu, sought the people’s advice on when the Hijrah calendar should start. Some held the view that it should start from the birth of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam, whilst others thought that it should begin from the very first day that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam began his mission. Another group believed that the calendar should start from the emigration and the last group opined that the calendar should begin from the death of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam.

‘Umar, Radhiyallahu Anhu, agreed with those who wished to start the Islamic Calendar with the Hijrah of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam due to the fact that this marked the point in history when Allah differentiated between truth and falsehood by giving the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam real power and authority which was manifested in the form of the first Islamic State.

The companions were also consulted on which month should be marked as the beginning of the Hijra calendar; ‘Umar ibn Al-Kha’tab and ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affaan, Radhiyallahu Anhuma, chose Muharram due to it being a sacred month and because it follows the month of Dhu’l-Hijjah, which is when the Muslims perform Hajj, or the pilgrimage, which was the last pillar of Islam that Allah enjoined upon the Muslims. Muharram also follows the month in which the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam pledged loyalty to the Ansar (His Madinah supporters) to emigrate to Madinah and this pledge of loyalty was one of the introductory acts of emigration. Due to all these reasons, Muharram was deemed the most suitable month to begin the Islamic Calendar.

What the Hijrah really means?

Literally, Hijrah means to migrate or to sever relations or to leave one’s family and technically Hijra is the migration of Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam and his followers from Mecca to the city of Madeena in AD 622

Reason

In the first three years of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam’s mission, forty people embraced Islam. He then began to preach Islam in public. The leaders of the Quraish did not accept the new religion. Some of them tried to bribe Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam with money and power, including an offer of giving beautiful girl and to make him a king. But our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam refused to abandon Allah’s message. When this did not work, they tried to convince his uncle, Abu Talib, to allow them to kill Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam. Therefore, his uncle tried to dissuade him from preaching. But The Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam said ” O uncle, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand to stop me from preaching Islam, I would never stop. I will keep on preaching until Allah makes Islam prevail or I die. ”

The tribe of Quraish began to persecute Muslims by beating and torturing them. The first person to die by this was a Muslim woman called Umm ‘Ammar. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam was publicly humiliated. They threw dirt on him while he was walking on a street and while he was praying in the Ka’aba. Despite all these hardships, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam was told by Allah Ta’ala to be patient and preach the message of the Qur’an. When the punishment became unbearable for Muslims, the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam advised them to go to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) where the Christian ruler extended protection to them, the memory of which has been cherished by Muslims ever since.

Thus the first small Hijra occurred in 615 when a band of Muslims went to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) to escape persecution in Mecca. Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam himself did not join this emigration.

The Quraish made life miserable for Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam. They made a ban on contact with the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam’s family. The ban lasted for three years. After the ban was lifted, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam lost his wife, Khadeejah Radiallahu Anha and his uncle, Abu Talib.

Since his uncle, Abu Talib and Khadeejah Radiallahu Anha died, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam went to ‘Taif, a city south of Makkah, to preach there. But the people of ‘Taif laughed at him. Their children threw stones at him. Jibreel ‘Alaihi Salam visited Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam and suggested that the angels were ready to destroy the town. But The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam refused to it and instead, he prayed for the future generations of Taif to get the grace of embracing Islam.

After the incident at Taif, He went through the experience of the events of Isra'a and Mi’araaj. When the Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam mentioned the events of Isra’a and Mi’araaj to the people of Makkah, they laughed at him. However, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam described the Masjid ul-Aqsa to them and told them that a caravan will be arriving soon. The non-believers were later astonished when this turned out to be true.

Meanwhile the persecution of Quraish worsened. At last, therefore, Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam sent seventy of his followers off to the northern town of Yathrib/Madina.

Meantime, Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam's moral prestige and statesmanship impressed Madina's wrangling tribes and Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam met a group of people from the Yathrib or Madina, who realized that Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam might help them to solve their domestic political problems. They embraced Islam and returned to Madina to preach the new religion. In 622, a larger group of Madinese pledged their support and agreed to grant him protection.

So the leaders of Quraish were getting angry at the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam. They decided to kill him. The leaders chose a young man from each clan of Quraish. These men were responsible for attacking Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam.

Narrow escape

Later, in the early fall of 622 AD, Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam learned of the plot to murder him, because Jibreel ‘Alaihi Salam informed him about the plan and instructed him to leave immediately. The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam advised Ali Radiallahu ‘Anhu to sleep in his bed. He then met with Abu Bakr Siddeeq Radiallahu ‘Anhu, his closest friend, and both of them arrived at hiding of a cave in Mount Thawr.

The next morning in Mecca the plotters arrived at and raided the house of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam. After finding out that his cousin, ‘Ali had taken his place in bed and he had left, they set out for the mountains in search of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam.   

Abu Karz, a man known for his skills in tracking footprints, along with the plotters followed the tracks of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam to the cave in which Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam and Abu Bakr Radiallahu ‘Anhu had taken refuge from their pursuers. A spider spun its web across the cave's mouth. When they saw that the web was unbroken they thought that it was impossible for Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam to hide in the cave. So, they departed.

The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam spent three nights in the cave. When he was sure that the Quraish had ended their search, he travelled to Madinah (320 km north of Makkah) where they were joyously welcomed by a throng of Madinans as well as the Muslims who had gone ahead of him to Madeena.

This journey is known as “Hijra”. The Islamic calendar begins with this event. Upon the arrival of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam, the people of Madinah greeted him with great respect and treated him with hospitality.

Yathrib was soon renamed Madinat un-Nabi (the City of the Prophet). The following is the short sketch of his voyage

• Day 1: Thursday 26 Safar , 9 September 622
  • Left home in Makkah. Stayed three days in the Cave of Thawr near Makkah.
• Day 5: Monday 1 Rabi' ul-Awwal, 13 September 622
  • Left the environs of Makkah. Traveled to the region of Yathrib.
• Day 12: Monday 8 Rabi' ul-Awwal, 20 September 622
  • Arrived at Quba' near Madina.
• Day 16: Friday 12 Rabi' ul-Awwal, 24 September 622
  • Moved from Quba' to Madina.

Main events after the Hijra

1.   1. Muslim Kingdom at Madinah

Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam was well acquainted with the situation in Madina. Earlier, before the Hijrah, the city had sent envoys to Mecca asking Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam to mediate a dispute between two powerful tribes. What the envoys saw and heard had impressed them and they invited Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam to settle in Madina.

Madina at the time of Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam's arrival was inhabited by eight large clans of Arabs and three major clans of Jews. For years there had been feuding between the clans, culminating in a great battle in 618, in which many were slaughtered. These disputes were settled by Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam and gradually he easily attained the sovereignty of Madinah.

The Muslims were known as Muhajirun and Ansars. The men who accompanied Muhammad Sallallahu alaihi wasallam on the Hijrah were called the Muhajirun - "those that made the Hijrah" or the "Emigrants" - while those in Madina who became Muslims were called the Ansar or "Helpers" and they were able to organize and establish the first real Muslim "community," with social, political, and economic independence. Life in Madinah allowed the Muslim community to mature and strengthen, and the people developed a society based on Islamic principles.

2.   Battles

After the migration to Madinah, the enemies of Islam increased their attack on Muslims. The Battles of Badr, Uhud, the Trench and the Allies took place and were fought near Madinah. Many men gave their life for Islam. This resulted in many widowed women and lots of orphaned children. Therefore, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam married several widows like Saudah, Zainab bint Khuzaimah, Umm Habeebah and Umm Salamah Radiallahu ‘Anhunna. Thereafter, having spoiled the bid of enemies, Madina was entirely in the hands of the Muslims.

3.  Treaty of Hudaibiyah

A year after the Battle of the Allies, The Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam and fifteen hundred Muslims left for Makkah to perform Hajj. On their journey, they were stopped from entering Hudaibiyah by the enemy of Makkah. In this city, some negotiations took place that allowed them to come next year. This treaty attracted many people from Arabia. Many people came from different parts of Arabia and accepted Islam.

4.  Fa'th Makka

Two years later, the Quraish violated the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. So, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam marched to Makkah with an army of 10,000 Muslims. Before entering the city, he told the citizens of Makkah that anyone who remained in his home or in the home of Abu Sufyan or in the Ka’bah would be safe. The army entered Makkah without bloodshed and went directly to the Ka’bah. He thanked Allah, the Almighty for allowing the entry to Makkah. Thus, the Ka'abah was cleaned of idols. Next, he forgave the leaders of Quraish and the people of Makkah. The people of Makkah then accepted Islam, including the enemies of Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam. For example, Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam won the allegiance of 'Amr ibn al-'As, the future conqueror of Egypt, and Khalid ibn al-Walid, called in the future as "Sword of Allah," who embraced Islam. Their conversion was particularly noteworthy because they had been among the prophet’s most bitter opponents only a short time before. Within a year, almost the whole of Arabia accepted Islam.

5.  His Hajj and Death

In 632 AD, during the tenth year after Hijra, Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam performed his first and last pilgrimage. 120,000 men and women performed pilgrimage with him. He received the last revelation during this pilgrimage. He delivered an enormous speech in which he said:

لا هجرة بعد الفتح

No Hijra (can be performed from Makkah) after the great victory.

Two months later, the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallam fell sick and after several days left his earthly existence on Monday, 12th Rabi Awwal in Madinah. He was 63 years old.

Muharram: the Sacred Month

Allah has chosen certain ones of His creation. He has chosen Messengers among the angels and Messengers among mankind. He chose the remembrance of Him (Dikr) among words, the mosques among the earth, Ramadhan and the sacred months among the months, Friday among the days and Laylat al-Qadr among the nights. So venerate that which Allah has told us to venerate. People of understanding and wisdom venerate the things that Allah has told us to venerate.
As mentioned, Muharram is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited. Allah says:

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّہُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثۡنَا عَشَرَ شَہۡرً۬ا فِى ڪِتَـٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوۡمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٲتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِنۡہَآ أَرۡبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ۬‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلۡقَيِّمُ‌ۚ فَلَا تَظۡلِمُواْ فِيہِنَّ أَنفُسَڪُمۡ‌ۚ

“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion [i.e. way], so do not wrong yourselves during them...” (9: 36).

The other three sacred months are Dhul-Qa'adah, Dhul-Hijjah and Rajab as Abu Bakr Radhiyallahu Anhu reported that the Holy Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam said:

“The year is twelve months of which four are sacred, the three consecutive months of Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jamaada and Sha’aban.”(Bukhari)

The purity of these four months was recognized right from the days of Ibrahim Alaihi Salam. The Pagans of Makkah also observed the purity of these four months and despite their regular tribal battles, they held it illegitimate to fight in these months. In the Sharia of our Noble Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, the purity of these months continued to be upheld

The particular mention of these four months does not mean that any other month has no holiness, because the month of Ramadan is admittedly the most blessed month in the year. But these four months were particularly termed as sacred months for the simple reason that their purity was by the restriction of wars and was accepted even by the pagans of Makkah.

Muharram has certain other characteristics special to it, which are specified below.

Fasting During the Month

Fasting in the month of Muharram is highly desired, especially on the tenth and ninth days of it. The Messenger of Allah has been reported as saying when asked which prayer is better after obligatory prayer: "Prayer in the middle of the night." He was asked again which fast is better after Ramadhan. He said: "In the month that is called Al-Muharram."

'The best fasts after the fasts of Ramadhan are those of the month of Muharram’ (Ahmed, Muslim, and Abu Dawud)

Although the fasts of the month of Muharram are not compulsory, one who fasts in these days out of his own determination is entitled to a great reward by Allah Almighty. The Hadith quoted above means that the fasts of the month of Muharram are most rewardable ones among the voluntary fasts.

The Hadith does not mean that the award promised for fasts of Muharram can be achieved only by fasting for the whole month. On the contrary, each fast during this month has merit. Therefore, one should avail of this opportunity as much as he can. The great voluntary fasts of this month are the following

1.      The Day of 'Ashura'a'

Although Muharram is a sacred month as a whole, the 10th day of Muharram (Ashura’a) is the most sacred among all its days. The Holy Companion Ibn 'Abbas, Radi-Allahu anhu narrated:

The Holy Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, when migrated to Madinah, found that the Jews of Madinah used to fast on the 10th day of Muharram. They said that it was the day on which the Holy Prophet Musa (Moses), Alaihi Salam, and his followers crossed the Red Sea miraculously and the Phir’aun (Pharaoh) was drowned in its waters. On hearing this from the Jews, the Holy Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, said, "We are more closely related to Musa Alaihi Ssalam than you" and directed the Muslims to fast on the day of 'Ashura’a'. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood)

And he again says:

عن ابي قتادة رضي الله عنه ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سئل عن صيام صوم عاشوراء فقال يكفر السنة الماضية

“It expiates the sins of the preceding year.” [Muslim]

One should be more generous to his family by providing more food to them on this day as compared to other days as Jabir Bin Abdullah reported:

The Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever spends generously on himself and his family on the day of `Ashura, Allah will provide for him generously the rest of his year." (Al-Bayhaqi, Ibn Hibban)

2.   The Day of 'Tasu’aa’a'

The day of Tasu’aa’a is the 9^th day of Muharram. The reason of this additional fast as mentioned by the Holy Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, is that the Jews used to fast on the day of 'Ashura’a alone, and the Holy Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, wanted to distinguish the Muslim way of fasting from that of Jews. Therefore, he advised the Muslims to add another fast to that of 'Ashura’a' as Ibn ‘Abbas reported:

“The Messenger of Allah fasted on the day of Ashura’a and ordered the people to fast on it. The people said, “O Messenger of Allah, it is a day that the Jews and Christians honour.” The Prophet, said:

لئن بقيت الى قابل لاصومن التاسع

“When the following year comes - Allah willing - I shall fast on the ninth.”The death of the Prophet came before the following year.” [Muslim, Abu Dawood]

Owed to the cited reason, if a person cannot fast on the 9^th day, it is more advisable to him that the fast of 'Ashura’a' can be followed by the fast of 11^th day. It means that one should fast two days: the 9th and 10th of Muharram or the 10th and 11th.

Events occurred in the month of Muharram

The month of Muharram is also connected with many events in Islamic history. Some of them are the following

1.    Allah is supposed to have created the heavens and the earth on this blessed month.

2.    On this month Allah gave His infinite blessings and bounties to many of His Prophets and delivered them from the clutches of their enemies. 

3.    Allah created Hazrat Adam Alaihi Salam in this month and deserted him from the Heaven.

4.    Hazrat Noah Alaihi Salam's Ark landed successfully on Mount Judi during this time, centuries ago.

5.    Allah saved Hazrat Ibrahim Alaihi Salam from the fire of enemies.

6.    Allah rescued Hazrat Musa Alaihi Salam from the Phir’aun.

7.    The death of Husain Radhiyallahu Anhu the grandson of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam occurred on the 10^th day of this month.

The tragedy at Karbala

In the month of Muharram many centuries ago, (approximately after 61 Hijra /October 20th 680 A.D.), an event took place in Iraq at a place known as Karbala on the bank of the river Euphrates. 

A large army, which had been mobilized by the forces of the second Umayyad caliph Yazeed I, besieged a group of persons numbering less than a hundred and put them under pressure to pay loyalty to the Caliph and submit to his authority. The Caliph was a man much taken with earthly pleasures that deviated from the Islamic way of life. During the siege, they were deprived of food and water and many of them were put to death. This dispute was result of a disagreement among Muslims on the question of succession after the demise of Hazrat Ali Radhiyallahu Anhu, the fourth caliph. The small group resisted and a severe battle took place in which most of them were killed. The leader of the small band of men was none other than Imam Husain, Radhiyallahu Anhu, the grandson of the Holy Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam. The forces of Yazeed killed 72 individuals who fought, including Husain Radhiyallahu Anhu, his family and supporters on Friday 10th Muharram, 61Hijri. The women and children left living were enslaved and transported to Yazeed’s court in Damascus.

Zainab , sister of Husain Radhiyallahu Anhuma and Zain-ul-Abideen Radhiyallahu Anhu informed the people that Ibn Ziyad and Yazeed I had martyred Imam Husain Radhiyallahu Anhu and seventy-two of his companions including his six month old son Ali As’gar, and that their women and children were taken as prisoners to Damascus.

When this information reached Yazeed, he decided to release the captive women and children from the prison in Damascus, out of fear of public revolt against his rule.

Howling and Mourning

A wrong practice related to this month is to hold the howling and mourning ceremonies in the memory of martyrdom of Husain Radi-Allahu anhu. The event of Karbala is one of the most tragic events of our history, but the Holy Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, has forbidden us from holding the mourning ceremonies on the death of any person. The people of Jahiliyyah (ignorance) time used to mourn over their dead through loud lamentations, by tearing their clothes and by beating their cheeks and chests. The Holy Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam, stopped the Muslims from doing all these and directed them to observe patience by saying "انا للله وانا اليه راجعون". A number of authentic Ahadeeth are available on the subject. To quote only one of them:

عن ابن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ليس منا من ضرب الخدود وشق الجيوب ودعا بدعوى الجاهلية

"He is not from our group who slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes and cries in the manner of the people of Jahiliyyah." (Bukhari and Muslim)

All the authentic jurists are unanimous on the point that the mourning of this type is impermissible. Even Husain, Radi-Allahu anhu, shortly before his death, had advised his sister Zainab, Radi-Allahu Anha, not to mourn over his death in this manner. He said, "My dear sister! I swear upon you that, in case I die, you shall not tear your clothes, nor scratch your face, nor curse anyone for me, nor pray for your death." (Al-Kamil, ibn Katheer)

References:

·       Bukhari

·       Muslim

·       Abu Dawood

·       Tafseer of Ibn Katheer

·       Al-Kamil

·       Al-Bayhaqi

·       Ibn Hibban