The Favour of the Month of Muharram: A British Muslim Family's Guide (UK 2026)

The first month of the Islamic year and one of the four sacred months

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar and one of the four sacred months named in the Quran (9:36). The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah, Muharram" (Muslim 1163) — explicitly elevating it above all other voluntary fasting periods. For British Muslim families, Muharram opens the Islamic year and sets the spiritual tone for the twelve months ahead.

This guide is the British Muslim parent\'s reference: what makes Muharram sacred, the authentic Sunnah practices for the month, the major events of the 10th of Muharram (ʿAshura), and how UK Muslim families should mark the month.

Why Muharram is sacred

Surah At-Tawbah 9:36 establishes the framework of the four sacred months: "Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred." The Prophet ﷺ identified the four in his Farewell Sermon: Dhū al-Qaʿdah, Dhū al-Ḥijjah, Muharram and Rajab (Bukhari 4406).

Muharram is called shahr Allāh ("the month of Allah") in the prophetic narration above — the only month in the Islamic calendar to bear this title. This honour reflects the month\'s elevated spiritual status.

The major events of Muharram

1. The new Hijri year (1 Muharram)

The first day of the Islamic lunar year. (See our Hijri New Year guide.)

2. The Day of ʿAshura (10 Muharram)

The most spiritually significant day of the month. The Prophet ﷺ fasted it himself and instructed Muslims to fast it. (See our dedicated ʿAshura guide.)

3. The Karbala tragedy (10 Muharram, 61 AH)

The killing of al-Ḥusayn ibn ʿAlī (RA) — the Prophet ﷺ\'s grandson — at Karbala in 61 AH (680 CE). The mainstream Sunni position is to honour al-Ḥusayn (RA) and condemn the killing as a tragic injustice while maintaining the original Sunnah focus of Muharram on fasting. The Shia position involves substantial commemoration of Karbala throughout the first ten days of the month.

The Sunnah practices for Muharram

1. Voluntary fasting throughout the month

The Prophet ﷺ said: "The best fasting after Ramadan is the month of Allah, Muharram" (Muslim 1163). Increase voluntary fasting through the month — particularly Mondays and Thursdays, plus the white days (13th, 14th, 15th).

2. The two days of ʿAshura

The full Sunnah is to fast both the 9th and 10th, or both the 10th and 11th. The Prophet ﷺ said in his final year: "If I live until next year, I will fast the ninth" (Muslim 1134) — establishing the two-day intent.

3. Increase Quran recitation

The general elevated status of the sacred months means good deeds carry multiplied weight. Use Muharram for an intensive Quran period — perhaps committing to one juzʾ a day across the month.

4. Increase ṣadaqah

The sacred months are an appropriate time for stepped-up charitable giving. Many UK Muslim charities run specific Muharram appeals.

5. Avoid major sins with particular care

Surah At-Tawbah 9:36 says of the sacred months: "do not wrong yourselves during them." Wrongdoing in the sacred months carries amplified weight, just as good deeds do.

What is NOT authentically established for Muharram

• Specific "new year" prayers with specific rakʿah counts
• Specific recitations claimed to bring exceptional reward in Muharram beyond what is established for any month
• The popular WhatsApp du\'ās with weak or fabricated chains
• Fasting only the 10th of Muharram in deliberate imitation of pre-Islamic Jewish practice (the Prophet ﷺ added the 9th specifically to distinguish Muslim observance)

How British Muslim families should mark Muharram

1. Begin the month with awareness. Mark 1 Muharram on your family calendar. Reflect on the year just completed and the year ahead.
2. Fast Mondays and Thursdays. Establish or maintain the regular voluntary fasting pattern through the month.
3. Mark the two days of ʿAshura. Fast both 9th and 10th if possible; minimum the 10th.
4. Read sirah. Use the month to read or revisit the prophetic biography. The Hijrah — from which the Islamic calendar is dated — is a natural focus.
5. Acknowledge Karbala with appropriate sobriety. Without engaging in extreme ritual mourning, recognise the killing of al-Ḥusayn (RA) as a great wrong. Discuss it with your children at appropriate ages.
6. Begin a new Quran routine. Many British Muslim families use the start of the Hijri year as a moment to begin a structured Quran study programme. Book a free Eaalim trial in the early days of Muharram.
7. Increase ṣadaqah. Step up your charitable giving for the month.

Frequently asked questions

Where to go next

For more on the Islamic calendar months, see our guides on The Hijri New Year, The Day of ʿAshura, Rajab, Shaʿbān, and Ramadan, Month of the Quran. To begin a new Quran routine for the Hijri year, book a free trial lesson.