What is Muharram?
Muharram is the month in which Prophet Muhammad’s grandson Hazrat Hussain was martyred. There is a belief among Muslims that he was martyred for the defense of Islam. Muharram, one of the holy months of the Muslim community, has started from 1st September. Muharram marks the beginning of the new year of the Islamic calendar. It is also called Hijri and the Hijri year begins from Muharram itself. 4 months are considered holy in Islam. One of them is Muharram. Apart from this, 3 months of Julkadah, Zulhijjah and Rajab are also holy in the Muslim community.
It is believed that Prophet Muhammad himself had declared these 4 months holy. It is not that apart from these 4 months, the rest of the months are not holy. Rather, the most holy month for Muslims is Ramadan. But these 4 months are considered more sacred by the Muslim community.
How is the date of Muharram determined?
The date of Muharram varies every year due to the different dates of the Islamic and Gregorian calendars. The reason for this is that in the Islamic calendar, the dates are decided on the basis of the moon. In the year 2019, Muharram has started from 1st September.
Why is fasting in Muharram and what is its significance
It is not that fasting is kept only in the month of Ramadan. Rather, there is a tradition of fasting in Muharram too. However, fasting in Muharram is not mandatory for every Muslim. It is believed that those who fast in this month get a lot of reward (virtue).
Why celebrate Muharram why tazia
In those days, Yazid, the son of Mu’abiya, the founder of the Umayya dynasty, had declared himself the Caliph of the Islamic world after the death of his father. He was a cruel ruler. He invited Hazrat Husain, the grandson of Hazrat Muhammad, to accept his caliphate which was rejected by Hussain. On the other hand some people were against Yazid, they sent message to Hussain that they are against Yazid and Hussain should lead them.
What is the difference of Muharram between Siya and Sunni Muslim
Muharram is not a festival of happiness but of mourning. Because on the tenth day of the month of Muharram, Husain Ali, the grandson of Hazrat Muhammad, was martyred in the field of Karbala along with 72 of his companions. The festival of gum is celebrated in different ways by two sections of the Muslim community, Shia and Sunni. People of the Shia community consider Muhammad’s son-in-law and cousin Hazrat Ali and his grandson Hussain Ali as the Caliph and close to them. People of Shia community observe mourning from the first Muharram till the 10th Muharram i.e. the day of Ashura. During this time people of Shia community stay away from colorful clothes and makeup. They remember the martyrdom of Hussain by shedding their blood on the day of Muharram.
People of Sunni community do not shed their blood. They celebrate the martyrdom of Hussain by taking out the crown. They fight with each other in the symbolic battle of the Battle of Karbala with swords and sticks. There is no prohibition among the people of this community to wear colorful clothes.
