By Today, Sunday 1st September, marks the first day of Islamic New Year – Al-Hijra.
This is also known as the Hijri New Year. Not as widely known among non-Muslims as Eid al-Adhua or Eid al-Fitr, it is still a significant day for Muslims across the world.
The first day of the New Year also marks the start of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar. This year is 1441 in the Islamic calendar. As the Islamic calendar is a lunar one, precise dates vary across the world and fall about 11 days earlier each year.
This day commemorates the Hijra or migration of the Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. This led to the establishment of the Muslim community there.
The month of Muharram is generally deemed to be the second most holy month of the year (with Ramadan being the most important). Many Muslims in the UK spend its first day praying and reflecting on their lives. However, as far as celebrations beyond the mosque are concerned, the first day of Muharram is low key, and so it usually goes largely unnoticed by the general public in the UK.
Photo by Masjid Pogung Dalangan on Unsplash
