Month of Muharram
Muharram literally means "Forbidden". It is one of the four sacred months during which waging a war and fighting is not allowed.
Allah says in the Holy Quran:
“Surely the number of months with Allah is twelve months in Allah’s ordinance since the day when He created the heavens and the earth, of these four being sacred; that is the right reckoning; therefore be not unjust to yourselves regarding them.”[Surah 9 :At-Taubah, Verse 36]
Prophet Muhammad (saw) informed us about the four sacred months in the following narration:
“The year is of twelve months, out of which four months are sacred: Three are in succession Dhul-Qa’ da, Dhul-Hijja and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab…” [Bukhari Vol 004, Book 054, Hadith 419
Muharram – The Beginning of a new year
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic Hijri calendar. It is based on the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) from Mecca to Medina in 622 AD.
However, the use of the Hijri calendar began in AD 639 or 17 AH during the Khilafat of Syedna Umar Farooq (ra).
The governor of Yemen during this reign was Abu Musa Ash'ari. The letters which Umar (ra), used to send to him did not bear any date. He informed Umar (ra) about it who then decided to resolve this issue by setting up a small committee.
It was decided that the Islamic calendar will begin from the hijra (migration) of the Muslims from Mecca to Medina. Therefore AD 622 became the 1 AH and since the decision to migrate was made right at the end of the month of Dhul-Hajj, and the first moon to rise after this was that of Muharram, thus Muharram came to be the first month of the Islamic Hijri calendar. (Fatah Al bari 334/7 Hadith 3934)
Time is indeed the greatest blessing of Allah Subhaan’o wa Ta’ala, rolling diligently along its own pattern and set speed. It waits and stops for no one and slips through our hands quickly. Every New Year makes the one gone by, the past. Time will come and go, as Allah Subhaan’o wa Ta’ala has decreed, but what remains written in Time is how man utilized that time so that it may benefit him in the hereafter. So this new month of Muharram is reminding us to lead a purposeful life doing good, productive work and righteous deeds in order to make the passing moments as reward points secured in our favor thereby making eternal success our destiny and saving ourselves from eternal disaster.
Junaid Baghdadi has said,
“Assess each moment of life by evaluating how closer you have come to Allah Subhaan’o wa Ta’ala, how far you have distanced yourself from Shaitan, how closer you have come to Jannah and how far you have moved away from Jahannum.”
So Begin the New Year with a fresh resolution and a renewed enthusiasm. Gear up for it physically and mentally by making a resolve to:
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Strengthen your relationship with Allah Subhaan’o wa Ta’ala
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Return to your worships with renewed enthusiasm and diligence
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Improve upon serving your parents well and giving the relatives their rights
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Refocus on the moral/Islamic upbringing of your family and children
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Plan further learning and self-development
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Seek to participate in social work for the betterment of those less fortunate than yourselves in the society
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