Muharram is the first month of the Islamic New Year. It is also known as Arabic New Year or Hijri New year. After Ramadan, it is the second holy month of the Islamic year. Since 622 A.D, New Year has been observed. It is believed that this when Prophet Mohammed migrated from Mecca to Yathrib (now Medina) so that he could escape religious persecution.
Due to the time difference between countries, the dates may vary. This year, the Islamic New Year is likely to begin on the evening of August 31. The dates also differ because certain Islamic organizations refer to local moon sightings to decide the new month. To decide the dates, Saudi Arabia uses astronomical calculations.
In certain Muslim majority countries, the day is observed as a public holiday. For example, te Dubai government has announced the Hijri New Year as a holiday. The migration that takes place is called Hijra in Arabic.
As per the Hijri calendar, there are 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is the calendar which is used to determine the days when Islamic holidays and rituals take place. On the other hand, exceptions of this rule in Iran and Afghanistan are there as they use Solar Hijri calendar.
Muharram 2019: Date, moon sighting and significance of the first month of Islamic calendar
