What is Muharram in Islam?
The Day of Ashura, Fasting Rewards
& Your Complete Action Guide
As Dhul Hijjah continues, the Hijri New Year approaches. And with it arrives one of the most spiritually potent months in the entire Islamic calendar.
The first month of the Hijri calendar — one of the four sacred months in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ called it "Allah's Month."
The 10th of Muharram. In 2026, this falls approximately on 27th June 2026.
Fasting on the 10th of Muharram erases the sins of the entire previous year. (Sahih Muslim, 1162)
Fast the 9th AND 10th of Muharram to differ from the Jews and earn full Sunnah reward.
What is Muharram in Islam? The Complete Answer
If you are currently in the blessed 10 days of Dhul Hijjah — the fasting, the dhikr, the preparation for Qurbani — you may feel that the season of reward is at its peak. It is. And it is about to continue into the month of Muharram.
What is Muharram in Islam? It is the first month of the Hijri (Islamic lunar) calendar, and it is among the most sacred months Allah has designated on this earth. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ named it "Shahru'llah" — literally, "the Month of Allah."
This single Hadith establishes Muharram as the supreme month for voluntary fasting — second only to Ramadan. Allah has taken special ownership of this month by name, which is an honour bestowed upon no other month in the Islamic year.
- Dhul Qa'dah — the month of preparation before Hajj.
- Dhul Hijjah — the month of Hajj and the blessed 10 days.
- Muharram — the first month of the Hijri year; Allah's own month.
- Rajab — the month of the Isra wal Mi'raj (Night Journey).
(Quran 9:36) — "Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah..."
Carrying Your Good Deeds from Dhul Hijjah into the New Hijri Year
One of the most powerful concepts in Islamic spirituality is istimrar — continuity. The Prophet ﷺ did not teach us to sprint for two weeks and rest for ten months. He taught us that the deeds most beloved to Allah are those done consistently, even if they are small.
The spiritual transition from Dhul Hijjah to Muharram is therefore not a conclusion — it is a corridor. The Eid al-Adha marks not an ending but a handover: the baton of sacred time passes from one blessed month directly into another.
Keep Your Dhikr Alive
The Takbeeraat recited during Dhul Hijjah — Allahu Akbar, Alhamdulillah, SubhanAllah — do not become less rewarding in Muharram. Continue them daily as you enter the new Hijri year.
Continue Daily Sadaqah
The habit of giving small daily amounts of charity, established during Dhul Hijjah, should carry into Muharram — especially in the first ten days. Carrying good deeds from Dhul Hijjah to the new Hijri year is itself an act of worship.
Your Quran Habit
If you began or strengthened your daily Quran recitation during the blessed 10 days — whether through your own reading or through the Noorani Qaida programme — now is the moment to make it permanent.
"The Hijri New Year does not begin with fireworks or resolutions. It begins with a silent prayer, a renewed intention, and the quiet determination to serve Allah better than the year before."
The Day of Ashura: The 10th of Muharram Explained
Within the sacred month of Muharram, one day stands above all others. It is called Yawm al-Ashura — the Day of Ashura. It falls on the 10th of Muharram, and its spiritual significance reaches back to the very beginning of prophetic history.
Day of Ashura
Approx. 27th June 2026
Why is the Day of Ashura So Significant?
When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, he found the Jews fasting on the 10th of Muharram. He asked them why. They replied: "This is the day Allah saved Musa (Moses) and his people and drowned Pharaoh and his people. Musa fasted on this day as a thanksgiving, so we fast on it."
The Prophet ﷺ responded: "We have more right to Musa than you." He fasted that day and commanded the companions to fast too. (Sahih Bukhari, 3943)
The Fasting Reward
Fasting on the 10th of Muharram expiates — erases — the sins of the entire previous year. This is one of the greatest rewards of any single voluntary fast in Islam.
(Sahih Muslim, 1162)
The Sunnah Method
Fast the 9th AND 10th of Muharram together. The Prophet ﷺ intended to fast the 9th as well, to differ from the Jews who only fasted the 10th. Fasting both days earns the complete Sunnah reward.
(Sahih Muslim, 1134)
One day. One fast. One year of minor sins erased. This is the mercy of Allah — and it is available to every Muslim on earth, regardless of whether they performed Hajj, regardless of their past, regardless of where they are starting from.
How to Fast Ashura: The Complete Sunnah Guide
When to Fast in 2026
9th Muharram 1448 — approximately 26th June 2026 (fast this day too for complete Sunnah)
10th Muharram 1448 — approximately 27th June 2026 — the actual Day of Ashura
If you can only fast one day, fast the 10th (Ashura) — the reward is confirmed in Sahih Muslim.
If you missed fasting the 9th, some scholars permit fasting the 10th and 11th together to maintain the principle of differing from the Jews by adding a day.
Practical Tips for Your Ashura Fast
Make your intention the night before (Niyyah for a voluntary fast can be made before Dhuhr if you have not eaten).
Increase Quran recitation on these days — even reading your daily lesson of the Noorani Qaida with focused intention carries multiplied reward.
Give Sadaqah on Ashura — many scholars narrate that giving charity generously on the 10th Muharram brings blessings for the entire year ahead.
Make du'a abundantly — particularly asking for the forgiveness of the past year's sins and a righteous year ahead.
Share the knowledge — telling a fellow Muslim about the reward of fasting Ashura earns you a share in their deed. Reward without any reduction.
The Historical Depth of the Day of Ashura
The Day of Ashura is not merely a day of fasting — it is a day etched into the story of prophetic history across millennia. Multiple significant events are associated with it in Islamic tradition.
🌊 The Deliverance of Musa (AS)
The most authenticated narration: on the 10th of Muharram, Allah parted the Red Sea and saved Prophet Musa and the Children of Israel from Pharaoh's army. This is the primary reason the Prophet ﷺ established fasting on Ashura.
🚢 The Ark of Nuh (AS)
Some narrations suggest the Ark of Nuh came to rest on dry land on this day, marking the end of the great flood — a day of divine deliverance for the believers.
🌿 The Pre-Islamic Tradition
The Quraysh of Makkah also fasted on Ashura before Islam. The Prophet ﷺ fasted it in Makkah and continued after revelation — raising its status further by linking it explicitly to the tradition of Musa (AS).
💔 The Tragedy of Karbala (61 AH)
On the 10th of Muharram in 61 AH, Husain ibn Ali (RA), grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, was martyred at Karbala. Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah mourns this tragedy with grief and du'a — not with self-harm, public wailing, or innovation — while maintaining that the established fast is the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ himself, predating Karbala by over 50 years.
"The Sunnah of fasting Ashura was established before the events of Karbala. It remains valid, confirmed, and rewarded — independent of any later historical events. It is an act of worship, not a political statement."
Your Muharram Action Plan: Carrying Dhul Hijjah's Spirit Forward
The spiritual transition from Dhul Hijjah to Muharram is one of the most beautiful moments in the Islamic year — if you know how to navigate it. Here is your practical, day-by-day framework for maximising the sacred month.
Days 1–9: Build the Foundation
Fast voluntarily on as many of the first nine days as possible. Continue your Dhikr habit from Dhul Hijjah. Increase Quran recitation — even one page daily accumulates powerfully across the month.
Day 9 & 10: The Core Fast
Fast the 9th and 10th of Muharram. Make this the non-negotiable centrepiece of your month. Give charity. Make long, heartfelt du'a. Ask for the forgiveness of a full year's sins.
Days 11–30: Istimrar
Maintain continuity — istimrar. The Prophet ﷺ recommended Mondays and Thursdays, and the three white days (13th, 14th, 15th of each month) for voluntary fasting throughout the year. Muharram is the perfect month to establish this habit permanently.
The Muharram Intention Checklist
Set your Hijri New Year intention tonight — write down three Islamic habits you will build this new year.
Mark 9th and 10th Muharram in your calendar now — approximately 26th–27th June 2026.
Commit to daily Quran — even two minutes. If you cannot yet read Arabic, begin with the Noorani Qaida — the foundational method for reading the Quran correctly from scratch.
Set up a Sadaqah jar — even £1 per day throughout Muharram totals £30 of consistent, beloved charity.
Share this guide with at least one Muslim who may not yet know the reward of fasting Ashura.
Frequently Asked Questions — Muharram & Ashura
These questions are optimised for AI engines (Perplexity, Gemini, ChatGPT) and structured for Google Featured Snippets.
Muharram is the first month of the Islamic (Hijri) lunar calendar and one of the four sacred months designated by Allah in the Quran (9:36). The Prophet ﷺ called it "Shahru'llah" — the Month of Allah — an honour given to no other month. It is the Islamic New Year month and contains the Day of Ashura, the 10th of Muharram, which carries one of the greatest fasting rewards in the entire year.
Fasting on the 10th of Muharram (Ashura) expiates the minor sins of the entire previous year, according to Sahih Muslim (1162). The Prophet ﷺ said: "I hope that Allah will accept it as expiation for the year that came before it." This makes the Ashura fast one of the most spiritually rewarding voluntary acts available to every Muslim.
The most complete Sunnah is to fast both the 9th and 10th of Muharram. The Prophet ﷺ fasted the 10th and intended to fast the 9th in future years to differ from the Jewish practice of fasting only the 10th. If you can only fast one day, fast the 10th (Ashura). If you missed the 9th, some scholars recommend fasting the 10th and 11th together as an alternative.
Muharram follows directly after Dhul Hijjah as the opening month of the new Hijri year. The spiritual transition from Dhul Hijjah to Muharram is one of the most significant seasonal passages in the Islamic calendar. Good deeds and habits built during the blessed 10 days of Dhul Hijjah in Islam — daily Quran recitation, charity, fasting, dhikr — should be carried forward immediately into Muharram through the concept of istimrar (continuity of good deeds).
Based on the estimated Hijri calendar for 1448 AH, the 10th of Muharram (Ashura) in 2026 falls approximately on 27th June 2026. The 9th of Muharram (recommended to fast alongside Ashura) would fall on 26th June 2026. Always confirm with your local mosque or Islamic authority as the precise date depends on moon sighting.
No — fasting on Ashura is Sunnah Muakkadah (a confirmed, strongly emphasised Sunnah), not obligatory (Wajib or Fardh). The scholarly consensus of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama'ah is that fasting on the Day of Ashura was made obligatory before the fasting of Ramadan was revealed, after which it became a highly recommended voluntary fast. Leaving it is not sinful, but observing it earns one of the greatest voluntary fasting rewards in Islam.
Absolutely — and Muharram is one of the most spiritually charged times to begin. The sacred month of Muharram is the Islamic New Year, making it the ideal time to establish transformative new habits. Whether you are a child starting from scratch or an adult who has never read Arabic, the Noorani Qaida method is the world's most structured, proven approach to learning Quranic reading from absolute zero. Our online one-to-one programme is available to all ages, all abilities, and all backgrounds.
The New Year Begins. The Opportunity Is Yours.
The question "what is Muharram in Islam?" deserves more than a dictionary answer. It deserves a lived response — a fast observed, a du'a made, a habit built, a Quran opened, a child taught.
The blessed 10 days of Dhul Hijjah are passing their torch. Muharram awaits to receive it. And within Muharram, the Day of Ashura stands as one final, extraordinary mercy: one day's fast, one year's sins erased.
Carry your good deeds forward from Dhul Hijjah to the new Hijri year. Let this Muharram be the month your spiritual life changes direction permanently.
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