The Month of Muharram

The virtue of observing a lot of naafil fasts in the month of Muharram



Is it Sunnah to observe a lot of naafil [supererogatory] fasts in the month of Muharram? Is there anything special about this month compared with other months?.


Praise be to Allaah.

The month of Muharram is the first month of the Arabic year, and it is one of the four sacred months of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, the number of months with Allaah is twelve months (in a year), so was it ordained by Allaah on the Day when He created the heavens and the earth; of them four are Sacred (i.e. the 1st, the 7th, the 11th and the 12th months of the Islamic calendar). That is the right religion, so wrong not yourselves therein”

[al-Tawbah 9:36]

al-Bukhaari (3167) and Muslim (1679) narrated from Abu Bakrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The division of time has turned to its original form which was current the day Allaah created the heavens and earth. The year consists of twelve months of which four are sacred: three consecutive months, Dhu’l-Qa’dah, Dhu’l-Hijjah and Muharram, and Rajab of Mudar which comes between Jumada and Sha’baan.”

It was proven from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that the best fasting after Ramadaan is fasting in the month of Muharram. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best fasting after Ramadaan is the month of Allaah Muharram, and the best prayer after the obligatory prayer is prayer at night.” Narrated by Muslim, 1163.

With regard to the phrase “the month of Allaah”, mentioning the month in conjunction with Allaah is a sign of its great status. Al-Qaari said: it seems that what is meant is all of the month of Muharram.

But it was proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not fast any month in full apart from Ramadaan, so this hadeeth is to be understood as meaning that it is it is encouraged to fast a lot in the month of Muharram, not to fast the whole month.

And Allaah knows best.


Islam Q&A
Fatwa 21311

Is it true that the Day of Judgement will come on a Friday, 10th Muharram?

my question is with regards to the day of judgement. from what i have read in the sahih(accurate) hadith it is stated that the day of judgement will come on friday(10th moharram).My question is if it is friday in saudi arabia then it will be another day in USA and so on....so basically it is never friday all over the world at one time...please answer, this has been troubling me for sometime.

Praise be to Allaah.

Everyone who gives a specific time or date for the onset of the Day of Judgement is a fabricator and a liar. The onset of the Day of Resurrection is the “Hour” of which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They ask you about the Hour (Day of Resurrection): ‘When will be its appointed time?’ Say: ‘The knowledge thereof is with my Lord (Alone). None can reveal its time but He’” [al-A’raaf 7:187]

But when the Day of Resurrection comes, at the time which is known to Allaah, which will be a Friday, then the system of this universe, with its night and day, sun and moon and stars, will be changed. We do not know whether the America which exists today will exist then or not, for Allaah is Able to destroy whichever of these nations He wills before the Day of Resurrection, for Allaah is Able to do all things.


Written by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak

Fatwa 8398