Muharram: Significance, Ashura, and What to Do in the Sacred Month

Several articles on this site already mention that we’re currently in Muharram — the dhikr piece, the sabr piece, both reference it in passing. But we’ve never actually stopped to explain the month itself: why it opens the Islamic year, what makes it sacred, and what’s actually recommended to do during it, as opposed to what’s commonly assumed.

What Is Muharram?

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic (Hijri) lunar calendar. Its name comes from the Arabic root حرم (ḥaram), meaning “forbidden” or “sacred” — referring to the fact that warfare was historically prohibited during this month among the Arabs, even before Islam, and this sanctity was retained and reaffirmed within Islam.

One of the Four Sacred Months

The Quran identifies four months out of twelve as sacred:

“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.” (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:36)

These four are Dhul-Qa’dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. Muharram is often singled out by scholars as the most emphasized of the four, in part because of a specific hadith calling it “the month of Allah” — the only month given that particular title by the Prophet ﷺ.

Why Muharram Opens the Islamic Year

Interestingly, the Hijri calendar wasn’t fixed to begin with Muharram until the time of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, who established the Islamic calendar’s starting point retroactively from the Hijrah (the Prophet’s ﷺ migration from Makkah to Madinah). Muharram was chosen as the first month of that calendar year, even though the Hijrah itself took place in the month of Rabi al-Awwal — because Muharram directly followed the pilgrimage season, marking a natural transition point in the Arabian year.

The Significance of the 10th of Muharram (Ashura)

The 10th day of Muharram, known as Ashura, carries particular weight in Islamic tradition for several layered reasons:

• Fasting: The Prophet ﷺ fasted on this day and encouraged others to do so, noting it expiates the sins of the previous year. He is also reported to have intended to fast the 9th alongside it, to distinguish the practice from other communities who fasted only the 10th.
• Historical significance: Traditions describe Ashura as the day several prophets were saved from hardship, including Musa (peace be upon him) and his people being delivered from Pharaoh.
• Karbala: The 10th of Muharram, in the year 61 AH, is also the day Imam Husayn (RA), the grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, was martyred at Karbala — an event of immense significance across the Muslim world, commemorated in various ways by different communities.

What’s Actually Recommended During Muharram

• Fasting on the 9th and 10th (Ashura) — the most specifically emphasized practice, described directly in hadith.
• Increasing general good deeds — since it’s a sacred month, wrongdoing is considered more heavily weighed, and good deeds correspondingly encouraged.
• Reflection on the events of Karbala — observed through gatherings, remembrance, and reflection in various forms depending on community tradition.
• Avoiding unnecessary conflict — in keeping with the month’s sacred, historically peace-oriented character.

Common Misconceptions About Muharram

• “Muharram is an unlucky month.” This mirrors a similar myth we addressed regarding Safar — there is no authentic basis for treating any Islamic month as inherently unlucky. Muharram’s sanctity is about elevated reward and caution against wrongdoing, not superstition about misfortune.
• “Only fasting the 10th is correct.” The stronger practice, based on hadith, is to fast the 9th alongside the 10th (or the 11th alongside it), specifically to differentiate the practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is fasting in Muharram obligatory?

No. Fasting on Ashura (and the recommended accompanying day) is a strongly encouraged Sunnah practice, not an obligatory fast like Ramadan.

What’s the reward for fasting on Ashura?

Hadith describes it as expiating the sins of the preceding year — understood by scholars to refer to minor sins, similar to how other voluntary fasts are described.

Why do different Muslim communities mark Muharram so differently?

The month holds layered significance — the general sanctity described in the Quran and Sunnah, plus the specific historical weight of Karbala — and different communities and traditions emphasize and observe these dimensions in different ways.

Conclusion

Muharram carries weight on multiple levels — as one of Islam’s four sacred months, as the opening of the Hijri year, and through the specific events tied to its 10th day. Whatever specific practices a community emphasizes, the month is treated across Islamic tradition as a time for reflection, increased good deeds, and remembrance.

See our related piece on Safar month myths and facts, and browse upcoming Islamic gatherings marking this sacred month near you.