إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ
“Actions are judged by their intentions, and each person will have only what they intended.”
A new year is a clean page. The Islamic New Year offers something better than a resolution that fades by February. It offers a fresh start with Allah. The famous Hadith above was said about the Hijra, the journey that the Islamic calendar is built on, and it carries one simple lesson: your year is shaped by what you intend. So this year, do not let the day slip by unnoticed. Begin 1448 with one sincere intention and one act of giving that keeps rewarding you long after the day ends.
In short
The Islamic New Year marks the start of Muharram, the first month of the Hijri calendar, and the memory of the Hijra, when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) migrated from Makkah to Madinah. It is a quiet day of reflection, not a celebration with parties. The best way to begin the year is with sincere repentance, good intentions, dua, fasting, and ongoing charity.
What is the Islamic New Year?
The Islamic New Year is the first day of Muharram, the opening month of the Hijri calendar. Unlike the new year many people are used to, there are no fireworks or countdowns. It is a calm and meaningful day. Muslims use it to look back on the year that has passed, thank Allah for His blessings, and set good intentions for the year ahead.
The calendar itself counts from the Hijra, the migration of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) from Makkah to Madinah. That single event was such a turning point for Islam that the early Muslims chose it as the starting point of their calendar.
Because the Islamic calendar follows the moon, each month begins with the sighting of the new crescent. This means the Islamic year is around ten to eleven days shorter than the Gregorian year, so the dates move earlier each year. The moon does not just mark time in Islam. Allah mentions it in the Quran as a sign for counting days, seasons, and acts of worship such as Hajj and Ramadan. Every new month is a gift, a chance to start again.
When is the Islamic New Year 1448?
The Islamic New Year 1448 is expected to fall around 16 to 17 June 2026, which marks 1 Muharram 1448. Because the Islamic calendar follows the moon, the final day is always confirmed by the sighting of the new moon, so it can land a day either side of the expected date.
Like every Islamic day, it begins at sunset on the evening before. The day after the new year leads you into the first ten days of Muharram, which build up to the blessed Day of Ashura on the 10th.
| Day | Expected date |
|---|---|
| Islamic New Year (1 Muharram 1448) | 16 to 17 June 2026 |
| 9th of Muharram | 24 to 25 June 2026 |
| Day of Ashura (10th Muharram) | 25 to 26 June 2026 |
| End of Muharram | 15 July 2026 |
Dates depend on the local moon sighting, so countries that sight the moon a day later, such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India, may observe these days one day after.
The meaning of the Hijra
The Hijra was not a holiday. It was a hard and brave journey. The Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions left their homes, their wealth, and the city they loved, all for the sake of Allah. They trusted Him completely and started again in a new place, where the first Muslim community could grow in safety.
That is why the Islamic New Year is really about a fresh start built on faith. The Hijra teaches you that it is never too late to turn a new page, to leave behind what holds you back, and to move towards something better with trust in Allah. Starting the year with a good deed is one beautiful way to carry that spirit forward.
Why Muharram is a sacred month
The word Muharram means sacred or forbidden, which points to the special weight this month carries. It is one of the four sacred months that Allah set apart in the Quran, and it is often called the Month of Allah. In these months, good deeds carry more reward and wrongdoing is more serious, so Muslims are encouraged to worship more and give more. The four sacred months are Muharram, Rajab, Dhul Qa’dah, and Dhul Hijjah.
“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve… of these, four are sacred.”
Why Muharram is called the Month of Allah
Muharram holds a distinction that no other month carries in the same way. The Prophet (peace be upon him) called it Shahrullah, which means the Month of Allah. Scholars explain that linking this month directly to Allah’s name is a mark of honour, just as the Kaaba is called the House of Allah. It signals that this month has a closeness to Allah that is special, and that worship done sincerely in it is especially loved by Him.
“The best fasting after the month of Ramadan is the month of Allah, Muharram.”
This is why so many Muslims try to do more good in Muharram. They fast, they make extra dua, and they give in charity, knowing the reward is greater. Fasting in this month is among the most loved voluntary acts of worship in the whole year.
The Day of Ashura within Muharram
The most important day of Muharram is Ashura, the 10th, expected around 25 to 26 June 2026. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) arrived in Madinah, he found people fasting on this day. They explained that it was the day Allah saved Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) and the Children of Israel from Pharaoh. The Prophet replied: “We have more right to Musa than you.” He fasted that day himself and called on the Muslims to fast it too.
Ashura also carries weight for another reason. It was on this day that Imam Hussain (may Allah be pleased with him), the beloved grandson of the Prophet, was martyred at Karbala. Many Muslims around the world remember him and his companions on this day with grief and prayer.
“Fasting the Day of Ashura, I hope from Allah, expiates the sins of the year before it.”
How to fast Ashura
Fasting on Ashura is not obligatory. It is a highly recommended voluntary fast, and even that single day carries the tremendous reward of having a year of sins forgiven. There are three ways to fast it:
- Fast the 9th and 10th together. This is the most recommended way. The Prophet (peace be upon him) intended to fast the 9th alongside the 10th so that the Muslim fast would differ from others who only fasted the 10th. Expected: 24 to 25 June alongside 25 to 26 June 2026.
- Fast the 10th and 11th together. This is also accepted if you were not able to fast the 9th. It still fulfils the spirit of fasting more than the single day.
- Fast only the 10th. Even this one day carries the full reward of expiating sins from the previous year. Do not miss it if you can help it.
To read the full story, the rewards, and more guidance on Ashura, see our guide to the Day of Ashura 2026.
How to start the new year with giving
The simplest way to make 1448 count is to open it with charity. A gift given in a sacred month, with a sincere heart, is one of the most loved acts of all. Even better is to set up something that keeps giving through the whole year, so your reward never stops while you get on with your life.
Here are easy ways to begin the year with giving through Al Firdous. Because of our 100% donation policy, the full amount you give reaches the people who need it.
Sadaqah Jariyah
Start an ongoing charity, like a water well, that rewards you long after the new year passes.
Clean Water
Give a family safe water to drink and begin the year by saving lives.
Sponsor an Orphan
Care for a child every month, and make giving a habit for the year ahead.
Food Packs
Feed a struggling family and bring relief in the first days of 1448.
Watch: begin the year the right way
A short reminder for the Islamic New Year.
Simple good deeds to begin 1448 with barakah
Barakah means blessing from Allah, the kind that brings increase and ease into your time, your wealth, and your work. You cannot force barakah, but you can invite it through sincerity, gratitude, and good deeds. You do not need to do everything at once. Pick a few of these and protect them through the year.
- Begin with sincere tawbah. If there is one thing to do before anything else, let it be this. Stop what is wrong, feel real regret, and make a firm intention not to return. If the wrong involved another person, try to make it right with them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than a traveller who loses his camel in a waterless desert and then suddenly finds it again. That is how much your turning back means to Him. A clean heart is the strongest start to any year.
- Build a daily habit of istighfar. Seeking forgiveness is not just for big sins. The Prophet (peace be upon him) himself sought Allah’s forgiveness more than seventy times every single day, and he was without sin. He said: “If anyone constantly seeks pardon from Allah, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress, relief from every anxiety, and provision from where he does not expect.” Set a goal of one hundred times a day. It takes only a few minutes and the doors it opens are greater than you can plan for.
- Set your intentions. Write down a few sincere goals for your faith, your family, and your giving. The year takes the shape of what you intend at the beginning of it.
- Send salawat on the Prophet every day. Allah Himself sends blessings on the Prophet (peace be upon him) along with His angels, and He commands the believers to do the same. The Prophet said: “Whoever sends one blessing upon me, Allah will send ten blessings upon him.” A simple habit is to begin and close your day with salawat. Try one hundred in the morning and one hundred in the evening and notice what it does for your heart over the year.
- Make heartfelt dua. Thank Allah for the past year, name the blessings He gave you, and ask Him to guide and bless the new one. Dua is the connection that makes every other act of worship feel alive.
- Read the Quran. Start the year with the words of Allah and let them carry you through the months ahead. Even a few verses a day, read with attention, is better than rushing through pages without heart.
- Fast in Muharram. Try to fast some days, especially the Day of Ashura on the 10th. If you can, add the 9th before it. This is one of the easiest ways to gain a year’s worth of forgiveness.
- Give charity, and make it ongoing. Begin the year with a gift, ideally one that keeps giving as Sadaqah Jariyah. A water well, a Quran donation, or a monthly sponsorship means your reward continues long after you make the decision.
- Show generosity to your family. The spirit of Ashura and the opening of the new year is a good time to reconnect with those closest to you. Small kindnesses at home, checking in on parents, and being patient with your children are acts of worship too.
- Check your Zakat. If your Zakat year is due, work it out early. Many Muslims align their Zakat anniversary with the Islamic New Year. Use our Zakat calculator to make it simple.
Two acts that are easy to carry through the whole year are charity and istighfar. Both cost very little and the reward for both is far greater than the effort.
“Charity does not decrease wealth.”
“If anyone constantly seeks pardon from Allah, Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and relief from every anxiety, and will provide for him from where he does not expect.”
“Whoever sends one blessing upon me, Allah will send ten blessings upon him.”
Watch: your giving in action
See the difference your giving makes.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Islamic New Year 1448?
The Islamic New Year 1448 is expected to fall around 16 to 17 June 2026, marking 1 Muharram 1448. The exact date is confirmed by the sighting of the moon, so it may shift by a day.
What does the Islamic New Year mark?
It marks the start of Muharram, the first month of the Hijri calendar, and remembers the Hijra, when the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) migrated from Makkah to Madinah. The whole Islamic calendar counts from that event.
How do Muslims observe the Islamic New Year?
There are no parties or fireworks. Muslims keep it as a calm day of reflection. They look back on the past year, make sincere tawbah, set good intentions, make dua, and many begin the month with fasting and charity.
Is it good to give charity on the Islamic New Year?
Yes. Muharram is a sacred month, and good deeds in it carry greater reward. Beginning the year with charity, especially ongoing Sadaqah Jariyah, is a beautiful way to start 1448.
What is the difference between the Islamic New Year and Ashura?
The Islamic New Year is the 1st of Muharram. The Day of Ashura is the 10th of Muharram, a day of fasting with great reward. Both fall in the same blessed month, about ten days apart.
When is Ashura 2026?
The Day of Ashura, the 10th of Muharram, is expected to fall around 25 to 26 June 2026. Many Muslims also fast the 9th, expected around 24 to 25 June, following the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
Is fasting on Ashura obligatory?
No. Fasting on Ashura is highly recommended but not obligatory. It is a voluntary fast that the Prophet (peace be upon him) encouraged all Muslims to observe. Even fasting just the 10th of Muharram alone carries the reward of a year’s sins being forgiven.
What are the fasting options for Ashura?
The best option is to fast the 9th and 10th of Muharram together. You can also fast the 10th and 11th. At minimum, fasting the 10th alone is accepted and still carries the full reward of expiating sins from the previous year.
Can I give my Zakat in Muharram?
Yes. Zakat is given whenever your Zakat year becomes due, and many Muslims choose Muharram because it starts the new Islamic year. It is also a great time for voluntary Sadaqah and Sadaqah Jariyah.
What does barakah mean?
Barakah means blessing from Allah. It brings increase, ease, and goodness into your time, your wealth, and your actions, often in ways you cannot see. Sincere tawbah, istighfar, worship, and charity are some of the best ways to invite it.
What is istighfar and why does it matter?
Istighfar means seeking forgiveness from Allah. The simplest form is saying “Astaghfirullah.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that whoever does istighfar consistently, Allah will give him a way out of every hardship, relief from every worry, and provision from places he did not expect. The Prophet himself did it more than seventy times a day.
When does Muharram end in 2026?
Muharram 1448 is expected to end around 15 July 2026, depending on the local moon sighting.
Start 1448 with a good deed
Begin the new year the best way there is. Your gift with Al Firdous reaches families in real need, and with our 100% donation policy, every penny gets there.
Donate now100% charitable · Scholar verified · Trusted by thousands across the UK