Muharram: Your Guide To The Sacred Month
Understanding the importance of Muharram, the reason we fast, and the story of Musa (AS)
Muharram is more than just the first month of the Islamic year. It's one of four months that Allah SWT has made sacred: a month connected to fasting, reflection and renewed closeness to Him. And for a believer, that should change how we approach it.
The passing of a new Islamic year isn't just a date change. It's a reminder that our time is a blessing, that another year has gone, and that we have a fresh chance to do better with the one ahead.
The first of the four sacred months
Allah SWT says in the Qur'an:
"Indeed, the number of months ordained by Allah is twelve - in Allah's Record since the day He created the heavens and the earth - of which four are sacred." (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:36)
The Prophet ﷺ clarified that these four months are Dhul-Qa'dah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab. (Sahih Bukhari 3197)
So Muharram isn't just first in the calendar, it carries a specific honour that Allah SWT Himself has given it. The sacred months are traditionally understood as a time to be more careful with our actions, more honest about our shortcomings, and more intentional about doing good. A chance to shake off some of the heedlessness that builds up over time and ask: what kind of year do I actually want to have?
"The Month of Allah"
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"The most excellent fast after Ramadan is Allah's month, al-Muharram, and the most excellent prayer after what is prescribed is prayer during the night." (Sahih Muslim 1163a)
He called it "Allah's month." That alone tells you something about its status.
And the specific act the Prophet ﷺ connected to it is fasting. After Ramadan, the best voluntary fasting is in Muharram. That doesn't mean you have to fast the whole month but it does mean that fasting during this time is something worth taking seriously if you're able to.
Fasting has a way of softening you. It trains the soul, brings focus, and creates a kind of awareness that's hard to get any other way. It also, perhaps more than anything else, builds empathy for those who face hunger not by choice, but because they have no other option.
What is the Day of Ashura?
Ashura is the 10th of Muharram, and it's the most significant day of this sacred month.
Before Ramadan was made obligatory, fasting Ashura was strongly emphasised. Even after Ramadan became the primary month of fasting, Ashura remained a highly recommended voluntary fast, which tells us that the day remains one of significance.
The story of Musa (AS)
When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on the 10th of Muharram. He asked why, and they told him: it was the day Allah saved Bani Israel from Pharaoh, so Musa (AS) fasted that day in gratitude.
The Prophet ﷺ responded: "We have more claim over Moses than you." And so he fasted that day and instructed the Muslims to do the same. (Sahih al-Bukhari 2004)
That's the heart of Ashura. It's the day Allah SWT delivered Musa عليه السلام and his people from an enemy that, by any worldly measure, they had no chance against. And yet Allah SWT brought them through.
The lesson is one that never gets old: no oppressor is beyond Allah's reach. No hardship is outside His knowledge. No believer, however cornered they feel, is forgotten by Him. Relief comes from Allah, and Ashura is a day to remember that and be grateful for it.
The reward of fasting Ashura
The Prophet ﷺ was asked about fasting on this day and said:
"It expiates the sins of the preceding year." (Sahih Muslim 1162b)
One day. A single fast, done sincerely for the sake of Allah SWT, and the sins of the previous year can be wiped away. That's not a small thing, that's the mercy of Allah on full display.
It's easy to let days like this slip by without really preparing for them. But when Allah SWT puts an opportunity like this in front of us, it's worth treating it as exactly that: an opportunity.
Should you fast the 9th as well?
Yes, and here's why…
The Prophet ﷺ said: "If I live till the next year, I would definitely observe fast on the 9th." (Sahih Muslim 1134b)
He passed away before the following Muharram came, but his intention is clear. Most scholars recommend fasting both the 9th and 10th together. If you can only manage one, prioritise the 10th for the specific reward attached to it but if you can do both, that's the fuller Prophetic guidance.
A note on what to share and what not to
During Muharram, you'll often see posts and messages claiming that Adam (AS) was forgiven on Ashura, that Nuh (AS)'s ark came to rest on this day, and various other major events all fall on the same date.
Some of these are not established with clear, authentic evidence and as Muslims, we should be careful about what we attribute to the deen. It's worth sticking to what is firmly supported.
And honestly? What's firmly supported is already more than enough:
Muharram is a sacred month. It's called the Month of Allah. Fasting in it is the best voluntary fasting after Ramadan. Ashura marks the day Allah saved Musa (AS). The Prophet ﷺ fasted it and encouraged us to do the same. Fasting it expiates the sins of the previous year. And fasting the 9th alongside the 10th is the recommended practice.
That's a lot of blessings in one month. We don't need to add to it.
Begin the year with obedience
Muharram is a gift at the start of the year. It gives us a chance to fast, to reflect, to seek forgiveness for the year gone, and to set our intentions for the one ahead. The story of Musa (AS) reminds us of what Allah SWT is capable of and of what trust, patience and gratitude look like in the face of real hardship.
But it shouldn't just stay as something we read about. Muharram is an invitation to actually do something: to fast if we're able, to repent sincerely, to give in charity, and to be more conscious of Allah SWT in how we spend our days.
Start the year with an act of charity
As the Islamic year begins, Muharram reminds us to turn back to Allah SWT through worship, gratitude and sincere action.
One simple way to begin the year with good is by helping feed someone in need.
Through Charity Meals, your donation can help provide hot meals to vulnerable families, children and communities facing hunger around the world.
Start the year with a good deed.
Donate a hot meal today and help bring relief to someone in need.
