Islamic New Year 2023: The Islamic New Year, also known as the Arabic New Year or the Hijri New Year, occurs on the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. The first year of this calendar began in Gregorian 622, when the Prophet Muhammad and his companions emigrated from Mecca to Medina. The Islamic calendar begins each day at sunset. The event occurs on a different day each year due to the 11 to 12 day shortened Islamic year. Muharram is known as the month of remembrance and is revered by Muslims worldwide due to the rituals and prayers that mark the occasion. The term Hijri derives from the word Hijra, which means migration. The Islamic calendar begins with the migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D.
Islamic New Year 2023: Date
The Islamic New Year, also referred to as the Arabic New Year or the Hijri New Year, begins on the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. The Islamic calendar is lunar and consists of only 354 days. This year, the Islamic New Year falls on July 18 of the Gregorian calendar.
The Background of the Islamic New Year
In Mecca and other regions, Muslims of the seventh century CE were subjected to religious persecution. Therefore, the migration of Muhammad and his followers to the city that would become known as Medina, known as the Hijra, where Muhammad would establish a constitution outlining the rights and responsibilities of Muslims. This event is of immense significance to the Muslim faith, which is why it is commemorated on Islamic New Year.
Not only the first day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar year, is significant for Muslims around the globe to observe. The entire month has religious importance. For instance, the 10th day of Muharram, Ashura, commemorates Noah’s departure from the ark and Moses’ crossing of the Red Sea. Muharram is second only to Ramadan in terms of significance as a solemn occasion.
It is also the death anniversary of Muhammad’s grandson Hussein for Shia Muslims. They observe the occasion with funeral services. Shias, especially in Afghanistan, Bahrain, India, Lebanon, and Pakistan, participate in remembrance parades known as “matam,” where men assemble in the street to perform ritual chest-beating. For Sunnis, Muharram is a time to herald in the new year through prayer and introspection.
The lunar calendar is 11 or 12 days shorter than the Western solar calendar, so as the Islamic New Year falls back each year, a type of “cycle” is created. This is so members of the faith can experience the same spectrum of temperatures and weather conditions as the historical figures described in their sacred texts.
Muharram is a significant religious and cultural event, so it can be instructive to ask Muslim acquaintances about the significance of Muharram. To commemorate the Islamic New Year, Muslims could also share their own experiences, thoughts, and emotions.
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Islamic New Year 2023: Significances
Muslims make up more than 24 percent of the global population.
This means that approximately one-fourth of the world’s population is likely to be celebrating the Muslim New Year in some manner today; therefore, understanding your peers and keeping a few facts in mind can go a long way.
Muhammad and his adherents frequently encountered harsh criticism, discrimination, and even abuse in Mecca due to their belief in a single God (Allah) rather than a pantheon of gods. However, they persisted, similar to the devout in the Christian Bible. In other words, universal are the desire for freedom and the willingness to fight or flee for it.
No one can go wrong by speaking with reverence or maintaining a solemn attitude on this day. Respect and courtesy are never undesirable traits to cultivate, so those who observe this act should be appreciative.
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Islamic New Year 2023: Activities
The leader’s assassination was a heinous event in Muslim history, as it occurred during a month in which violence is particularly frowned upon. Join the community at your mosque, or take a moment of reflection to weep over the injustice.
Again, the mosque is a good place to gather with other believers, but whether alone or with close family, today is a time to reflect on what it all means and to make plans for the coming year.
Even if your interest is solely academic, the day of the Islamic New Year can serve as a starting point for cataloguing all the cultural differences that serve to highlight the similarities. Days of fasting, reverence for your prophet, a weekly sabbath day, or even agnosticism or atheism among friends and acquaintances who venerate — whoever you are, there are people like you in every nation and religion.
