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Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar.
It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is
prohibited. Since the Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, Muharram
moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar.
Muharram is so called because it is unlawful to fight during this month,
the word is derived from the word haraam, 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, 'the day of grief'.
Many Muslims fast during this day, because Musa (Moses) and his people
obtained a victory over the Egyptian Pharaoh on the 10th day of Muharram
according to them Islamic prophet Muhammad asked
Muslims to fast on this day, and also a day extra either before or
after, so that they are not similar to Jews (since, according to him,
Jews used to fast for one day due to the same reason).
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Muslim reported from Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him), that the
Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said , ?The best of fasts
after the month of Ramadan are in the Month of Allah, which you call
Muharram. And the best of prayer after the obligatory prayer is the
night prayer.? [Muslim, 1163].
This refers to general voluntary fasts according to Imam Ibn Rajab
(Allah have mercy on him): These are best in the month of
Muharram, just as the best general voluntary prayer is night prayer.
The virtue and honor of this month can be attested to by the fact that
the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) called it, ?the Month
of Allah.? (Shahr Allah) Such ascription is only made by Allah to the
most special of His creation, such as the ascription of the Prophets
Muhammad, Ibrahim, Ishaq, Ya`qub, and others to his slavehood (Allah?s
peace and blessings be on them all), and His ascription of the
House (Ka`ba) and the camel to himself.
Given that Allah ascribed fasting, between all spiritual works, to
Himself [saying, ?It is Mine,?] it was suitable that this month,
which is also ascribed to Allah, be selected for this particular form of
worship.
The Day of `Ashura?: The Tenth of Muharram
It is mentioned in Bukhari and Muslim from Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased
with him and his father) that he was asked about fasting the Day of `Ashura?
[10th of Muharram]. He said, ?I did not see the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace be upon him) fast a day while more avid to seek its
virtue than this day,? meaning the Day of `Ashura?.? [Bukhari (2006),
and Muslim (1132)].
The Day of `Ashura? has great virtue, and tremendous sanctity (hurma).
The virtue of fasting it was known among the Prophets (peace be
upon them all). Both Prophet Nuh and Prophet Musa (peace be upon them
both) fasted it.
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The Prophet (Allah bless him & give him peace) used to fast this day
even in Mecca, though he had not yet ordered others to do so, as
mentioned in both Bukhari and Muslim. [Bukhari (2002), Muslim (1125)]
When he migrated to Medina, and found the People of the Book fasting
this day and venerating it, he ordered the Muslims to fast it, and
encouraged it so much that even the children would fast it.
At the end of his life, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be
upon him) made the determination not to fast this day alone, but
with another day [f: either before or after it], in order to be
different from the People of the Book.
Some of the Virtues of the Day of `Ashura?
It is a day in which Allah forgave an entire people. Tirmidhi relates
that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to a man, ?If
you want to fast a month after Ramadan, then fast Muharram, for it has a
day in which Allah forgave an entire people, and He turns to others in
repentance in.? [Tirmidhi (841)]
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