Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court has announced that the first day of Muharram 1446 AH (Anno Hegirae in Latin or “in the year of the Hijra”) will be on Sunday, July 7.
The court said that the crescent moon of the month of Muharram was not sighted in the Kingdom on Friday evening, July 5.
Based on this, the court decided that Saturday, July 6, would be the last day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic new year or the Hijri new year.
The new Hijri year begins with the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and his companions from Makkah to Madinah in 622 AD after they were repeatedly persecuted and threatened.
The migration is considered one of the most important events in Islamic history and was chosen as the starting point for the calendar in 639 AD by Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph.
How is Muharram observed?
Most Muslim-majority nations have declared a public holiday to commemorate the occasion. These include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman. Some Sunni Muslims mark the day by voluntarily fasting.
The first ten days of Muharram hold great significance for Muslims-especially Shia Muslims- who mourn the death of Hussain Ibn Ali al-Hussain, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad who was martyred in the battle of Karbala in 680 AD.
The death of al-Hussain took place on the tenth day of Muharram, widely known as Ashura. It is commemorated by Shia Muslims in many ways, including through public expressions of mourning and a visit to the shrine of al-Hussain in Karbala, Iraq.
