Thursday, December 2, 2010

Awal Muharram Wish

Awal Muharam
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Celebrated by Muslims as the day symbolises two happy event in a Muslim's life. The start of Muslim year or calendar, Muharram, coincides with Prophet Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Medina on the first of Muharram in 622AD. To signify this occasion, Muslims attend to various religious activities, spiritual singing, religious meeting throughout the country.


Muharram (Arabic: محرم) is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months of the year in which fighting is prohibited. Since the Islamic calendar is lunar, Muharram moves from year to year when compared with the Gregorian calendar.

Muharram is so called because it is unlawful to fight during this month; the word is derived from the word haram, meaning "forbidden". It is held to be the most sacred of all the months, excluding Ramadan. Some Muslims fast during these days. The tenth day of Muharram is called Yaumu-l 'Ashurah, which is known by Shia Muslims as 'the day of grief'.

Some Sunni Muslims fast during this day, because Prophet Musa A.S (Moses) and his ummah got victory against Pharoah on this 10th day of moharram; according to them Prophet Muhammad (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam) asked Muslims to fast on this day, and also a day extra either before or after, so that they are not similar to Jews. Since jews use to fast for 1 day due to the same reason.

Fasting differs among the Muslim groupings; mainstream Shia Muslims stop eating and drinking during sunlight hours and do not eat until late afternoon. Sunni Muslims also fast during Muharram for the first 10 days of Muharram, just the tenth day or on both the ninth and tenth days; the exact term depending on the individual. Shia Muslims do so to replicate the sufferings of Husayn ibn Ali on the day of Ashurah. Some Shia Muslims, especially in India, go further in their attempts of replication, including self-flagellation (also see Matam).

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