Al-Hijra / Muharram What is Al-Hijra / Muharram?

Al-Hijra/Muharram (Hegira) is the Islamic New Year which Muslims from worldwide partake on the first day of the month of Muharram. There is a historic significance to the day, it is remembered as the day when Prophet Mohammad made it to Medina from Mecca. The word Hijra means migration. Though many believe there is not much religious significance of the day, in many areas Muslims exchange greeting cards and gifts, however, it is not a common practice. The date marks the beginning of Islam as a community in which spiritual and earthly life have been completely integrated.

Muharram is a month of grief and sorrow as Shia Muslims as they grieve over demise of Inam Hussain.

It is not much celebrated event in the Muslim world. Going by the significance of the date some consider it a good time for new year resolution. The Muslim calendar begins its date from the Hijra, and that is the reason behind Muslim dates have suffix A.H (After Hijra)

Normally shorter than lunar year by eleven to twelve days, the Islamic lunar calendar is based on the cycles of the moon phase, Muharram is not fixed and migrates throughout the seasons.

The start dates are estimated and may differ from season to season depending on the sighting of the new moon for Muharram, however, the month starts at sunset on previous day:

• 1410 AH: 2 August 1989
• 1411 AH: 23 July 1990
• 1412 AH: 12 July 1991
• 1413 AH: 1 July 1992
• 1414 AH: 20 June 1993
• 1415 AH: 10 June 1994
• 1416 AH: 30 May 1995
• 1417 AH: 19 May 1996
• 1418 AH: 8 May 1997
• 1419 AH: 28 April 1998
• 1420 AH: 17 April 1999
• 1421 AH: 5 April 2000
• 1422 AH: 26 March 2001
• 1423 AH: 15 March 2002
• 1424 AH: 4 March 2003
• 1425 AH: 22 February 2004
• 1426 AH: 10 February 2005
• 1427 AH: 31 January 2006
• 1428 AH: 20 January 2007
• 1429 AH: 10 January 2008
• 1430 AH: 29 December 2008
• 1431 AH: 18 December 2009
• 1432 AH: 7 December 2010
• 1433 AH: 26 November 2011
• 1434 AH: 15 November 2012
• 1435 AH: 4 November 2013