Islamic New Year 2023: Date, History, Facts, How to Observe

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.

The background of 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.

Happy Islamic New Year Wishes, Messages, Greetings to share

Islamic New Year 2023: Date, History, Significance, Activities

HOW TO CELEBRATE THE ISLAMIC NEW YEAR

For Shias, mourn the departure of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.

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.

Consider peace and new beginnings, Sunnis.

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.

Everyone should remember that all persons are alike.

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.

5 AMAZING STORIES ABOUT MUHAMMAD

Prophet Muhammad observed his rural companion Zaher bin Haram selling goods at a market one day. Muhammad crept up on him and embraced him, and when bin Haram realised who it was, he told Muhammad not to let go because he desired the blessings of his contact. Muhammad asked jokingly, “Who among my followers will buy this slave?” Bin Haram responded with a jest, “You wouldn’t get much.” Now solemn, Muhammad stated, “To Allah, you are beyond measure.”

A villager once beseeched the Prophet Muhammad for one of his camels when he needed a robust mount. The Muslim prophet declared, “You may have one child, but it must be a calf.” The distraught man inquired what he could possibly do with the camel calf. Muhammad exhorted, “Every camel is the calf of a camel, just as every Muslim is worthy once he matures.”

A senior citizen requested a blessing from the Prophet Muhammad so she could enter the gates of paradise. He stated, “No old lady shall enter heaven.” Upset, she inquired as to his meaning. He advised, “Read the Quran.” Before entering the Kingdom, all those who are worthy will be made youthful again.

Prophet Muhammad once stated, “Anyone who asserts that only Allah is deserving of worship will enter heaven.” His friend Hazrat Abo Zar exclaimed in astonishment, “What? Even those who engage in sexual offences and theft?” Muhammad responded, “Even them.” The following day, Muhammad reiterated that those who testify that only Allah deserves worship will enter paradise. Abo Zar demanded once more, “Even rapists and thieves?” Muhammad repeated, “Even them.” On the third day, in response to Abo Zar’s question, Muhammad said, “Yes, even they can enter heaven, whether Abo Zar likes it or not.”

Hazrat Anas was a man who attentively listened to all of the Islamic prophet’s teachings, rehearsing them in his mind, discussing them with his family, and meditating on them. One day, Hazrat Anas was both honoured and astonished when the Prophet Muhammad addressed him with the phrase, “O one with two ears!”

ISLAMIC NEW YEAR DATES