Riyadh: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday announced that the first day of Muharram 1445 AH (Anno Hegirae in Latin or “in the year of the Hijra”) will be on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.
The Supreme Court issued a decision after examining reports of sighting the crescent moon.
The court said that the crescent moon, which marks the beginning of the new Islamic year-1445 AH, could not be seen in Saudi Arabia on Monday evening.
Based on this, the Supreme Court decided that Tuesday, July 18 would be the last day of the month of Dhul-Hijjah.
Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic new year or the Hijri new year.
The Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, is a lunar calendar consisting of twelve months beginning with Muharram, and ending with Zul Hijjah. Each month starts with the sighting of the moon.
The calendar has been observed for more than 1,440 years and is used to date important Islamic events including the start of Ramzan, Eid-Al-Fitr, and the beginning of the Haj pilgrimage.
When did the calendar begin?
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), Oman, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Tunisia. 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.
