1 Muharram: a marker, not a celebration

1 Muharram opens the Hijri year. The Quran and the Sunnah give the month of Muharram a special rank, but no text attaches to its first day a celebration or an act of worship of its own. This article sets out what is established, what is not, and what Deen Coach does on that day.

Muharram, one of the four sacred months

Allah says:

﴿ إِنَّ عِدَّةَ ٱلشُّهُورِ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًۭا فِى كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضَ مِنْهَآ أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌۭ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا۟ فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ ... ﴾

“Indeed, the number of months with Allāh is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allāh [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. […]” (Quran 9:36, Saheeh International translation).

The Prophet ﷺ named these four months: Dhul-Qa'da, Dhul-Hijja and Muharram, which follow one another, then Rajab (reported by al-Bukhari, no. 3197, and Muslim, no. 1679, from Abu Bakrah). Muharram is therefore both the first month of the year and one of the sacred months.

Fasting, the merit of the month

The Prophet ﷺ taught that the best fast after Ramadan is the fast of the month of Allah, Muharram (reported by Muslim, no. 1163, from Abu Hurayrah). This merit belongs to the month: you fast the days you can, without giving 1 Muharram a merit that no text gives it.

The 10th of the month, 'Ashura, has a particular merit. The Prophet ﷺ said that he hoped from Allah that fasting it would expiate the previous year (reported by Muslim, no. 1162, from Abu Qatada), and he had resolved to fast the 9th as well, Tasu'a (reported by Muslim, no. 1134, from Ibn 'Abbas). We cover it in an article on the fast of 'Ashura.

What no text establishes for 1 Muharram

We have found none of these practices attached to that day, neither in the Quran, nor in the authentic Sunnah, nor among the Companions:

• a prayer specific to 1 Muharram;
• a supplication for the end or the start of the year;
• a fast specific to that day, distinct from fasting during the month;
• a celebration, a night vigil or a sermon instituted to mark the new year.

The Prophet ﷺ warned that whatever is introduced into the religion without being part of it is rejected (reported by al-Bukhari, no. 2697, and Muslim, no. 1718, from 'A'isha). An act of worship rests on evidence; a date, on its own, is not evidence.

This takes nothing away from the Hijrah, the emigration of the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah to Madinah. The Companions dated the years from that event: they counted neither from the start of the mission of the Prophet ﷺ nor from his death, but from his arrival in Madinah (reported by al-Bukhari, no. 3934, from Sahl ibn Sa'd). Ibn 'Uthaymin points out that Muharram was only taken as the first month of the year during the caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. The Hijri calendar is a way of counting time, used to set the dates of fasting, zakat and pilgrimage; it was not given a yearly celebration.

New year greetings

Asked about greetings for the Hijri new year, Ibn 'Uthaymin answered that one does not take the initiative of offering them, because he did not know of this practice among the Salaf. If someone offers them to you, you reply with a good supplication, wishing them a year of good and blessing. Wa Allahu a'lam. For a specific situation in your family or community, consult a qualified scholar.

1 Muharram in Deen Coach

• If you turn on the “Hijri calendar events” notification, you receive a single notification on 1 Muharram, “Muharram begins”: “No specific worship is established for this day. Treat it as a calendar marker.”
• The app offers no greeting card, no supplication specific to that day and no festive notification.
• If you turn on voluntary fasting reminders or the “Hijri calendar events” notification, a reminder invites you, on the day before Tasu'a and the day before 'Ashura, to prepare for their fast.
• If the month starts a day earlier or later in your country, you can adjust the app's Hijri calendar; dates and reminders follow that setting.

Frequently asked questions

Can I fast on 1 Muharram?

Yes, like any day of this month, as part of fasting in Muharram. The day has no merit of its own that would set it apart from the other days of the month.

Should I mark the end of the year with a supplication or a review?

No supplication for the end or the start of the year is reported in the authentic texts we have consulted. Reviewing your deeds is good at any time; no text makes it an end-of-year rite, and no formula or merit specific to that date is attached to it.

What should I say to a relative who celebrates the day?

Stay gentle. If you are asked, you can explain what the Sunnah establishes for Muharram: respect for the sacred month, fasting, and the day of 'Ashura.