﴿إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِندَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ ۚ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنفُسَكُمْ﴾
Qur’an 9:36
"Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred. That is the correct religion, so do not wrong yourselves during them." The Prophet ﷺ named the four sacred months: Dhul Qa‘dah, Dhul Hijjah and Muharram, which come one after another, and Rajab (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3197; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1679). So the year opens inside a sacred season. The years themselves are counted from the Hijra, the Prophet's ﷺ migration from Makkah to Madinah — a choice the Companions made in the time of ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb. Each new year quietly recalls a journey made for the sake of Allah. ## Is there a special prayer or celebration for the Hijri New Year? No specific prayer, du‘a or celebration for the start of the year is established in the Sunnah. You may receive forwarded messages promising special rewards for a certain du‘a on the last night of the year, or claiming that the "book of deeds closes" on a particular date. If a message has no reliable source, there is no need to act on it or pass it on. What about saying "Happy New Year" to one another? Scholars differ: many see a simple greeting or du‘a as a permissible custom, while others prefer to avoid it. If it matters to you, ask a trusted local scholar — and either way, there's no need to argue about it with family or friends. ## How do I renew my intention for the new year? You don't need a new ritual to make a fresh start. You need an honest look back and a sincere intention forward. The Prophet ﷺ said:«إِنَّمَا الأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ»
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 1; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1907
"Actions are only by intentions." And Allah says:﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَّا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ﴾
Qur’an 59:18
"O you who have believed, fear Allah. And let every soul look to what it has put forth for tomorrow." Here is a simple reflection you can do in twenty minutes, on any evening in early Muharram: 1. **Give thanks.** Write down three good things Allah allowed you to do or receive this past year. 2. **Look back gently.** Which habit slipped? What weighed on you? Write it as a fact, not a verdict. 3. **Choose one deed to keep.** Something small you can do every day — two pages, the morning adhkar, a call to a parent. 4. **Choose one thing to leave.** A habit that pulls you away from what you want to be. 5. **Mend one tie.** A relative or friend you've drifted from. Send the message. 6. **Turn it into a du‘a.** Ask Allah, in your own words, to help you with what you wrote. For a weekly version of this, see our guide to [muhasaba, a gentle weekly self-review](/blog/muhasaba-weekly-self-review). And to make the "one deed" stick, read [how to build a daily wird that lasts](/blog/daily-wird-that-lasts). ## Fasting in Muharram and the day of Ashura The Prophet ﷺ said:«أَفْضَلُ الصِّيَامِ بَعْدَ رَمَضَانَ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ الْمُحَرَّمُ»
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1163
"The best fasting after Ramadan is in Allah's month, Muharram." The best-known fast of the month is **Ashura**, the 10th. When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, he found the Jews fasting this day, the day Allah saved Mūsā and his people from Pharaoh. He fasted it and told the Muslims to fast it (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 2004; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1130). About its virtue, he said:«وَصِيَامُ يَوْمِ عَاشُورَاءَ، أَحْتَسِبُ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ السَّنَةَ الَّتِي قَبْلَهُ»
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1162
"And fasting the day of Ashura — I hope from Allah that it expiates the year before it." Towards the end of his life, he also intended to fast the 9th:«لَئِنْ بَقِيتُ إِلَى قَابِلٍ لَأَصُومَنَّ التَّاسِعَ»
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1134
"If I remain until next year, I will certainly fast the ninth." So many people fast the 9th and the 10th together. Some scholars also mention fasting the 10th and 11th. If you can only fast one day, the 10th itself is the day of Ashura. For questions about your own situation, ask a trusted local scholar. ## Starting the year with your circle A new year is easier to begin together: - **Fast the 9th and 10th together**, and break the fast together if you can. - **Share your one deed** with a friend, not to be checked on, but to be prayed for. - **Make du‘a for each other** by name in the first days of the year. Allah says, "And cooperate in righteousness and piety" (Qur’an 5:2). Read more in [why good companionship keeps your faith steady](/blog/good-companionship-in-islam). ## Key takeaways - 1 Muharram 1449 is expected around 6 June 2027, and Ashura around 15 June (Umm al-Qura; follow your local sighting). - Muharram is one of the four sacred months and the best month for voluntary fasting after Ramadan. - The Sunnah sets no special new-year prayer or celebration; avoid unsourced claims. - Fast Ashura on the 10th, ideally with the 9th. - Renew your intention with an honest look back and one small deed you can keep. ## How can Suhba help? Suhba shows today's Hijri date on the Today screen, and you can adjust it to match the moon sighting where you live. You can add a fast on a single date — like the 9th and 10th of Muharram — or a monthly activity on Hijri dates, each with a reminder. Your Journey keeps a private history of what you planned and did, so looking back starts from facts rather than guilt — and it never scores your faith. Joining a circle is free. [Get Suhba for free](/).