Ashura Muharram 2024: History and significance of Sunni fasting and Shia faaka on 10th Muharram

This year, Muslims across United Kingdom, Canada, USA and those in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Iraq, Qatar, Bahrain and other Arab states marked the onset of the New Islamic Year 1446 AH on Sunday July 07, 2024, which was the first day of the Holy Month of Muharram al Haram hence, Ashura in these countries is being marked on July 16, 2024. Commemoration of Prophet Moses - The Islamic New Year, also known as Al Hijri or Arabic New Year, is celebrated on the first day of Muharram as it was in this holy month that Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina however, Ashura has been celebrated even in pre-Islamic times as it was on the 10th of Muharram that Allah saved Moses and the Children of Israel from Pharaoh and his army. Later in 622 CE, when Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina in the month of Muharram, he learnt from the Jews that they fasted on Ashura day following the ways of Prophet Musa. The Islamic New Year, also known as Al Hijri or Arabic New Year, is celebrated on the first day of Muharram as it was in this holy month that Prophet Muhammad migrated from Mecca to Medina however, Ashura has been celebrated even in pre-Islamic times as it was on the 10th of Muharram that Allah saved Moses and the Children of Israel from Pharaoh and his army. However, Ashura - the 10th day of the month - is also mourned by Muslims in the remembrance of the martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, Hussain Ibn Ali, in Karbala.