Muharram likely to start from September 1: Met Office

Last updated on: 25 August,2019 11:36 pm

The new moon could be seen for 61 minutes after sunset.

KARACHI (Dunya News) – Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Sunday predicted that holy month of Muharram will likely to occur on September 1.

According to PMD, there is a high likelihood that the new moon of Muharram will be born on 3:37on August 30.

The Met Office further said that the sun will rise at 6:53am and the age of the moon will 27 hours and 37 minutes.

The new moon could be seen for 61 minutes after sunset.

What is Islamic New Year?

The Islamic New Year begins with the sighting of the new moon at sunset. Its arrival signals the beginning of the month of Muharram – one of the four holy months of the Islamic calendar.

Muharram is the second most holy month of the Islamic year, after Ramadan, its name meaning “forbidden”, many followers of the faith choosing to fast on its ninth and tenth days.

The first month of the year also marks the anniversary of the historic Battle of Karbala on 10 October 680 AD where the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Hazrat Imam Hussein (AS), was martyred during the siege of the Iraqi city 100km south of Baghdad, an event widely commemorated by Shia Muslims.

The New Year also honours the emigration of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) from Makkah to Madina, which was known as the Hijrah and gives the first day of the year its name.