What are the Muharram and Ashura 2027 dates?
Islamic days begin at sunset, so the new year begins at sunset on the evening before 1 Muharram.
| Date | Umm al-Qura | India, usually |
|---|---|---|
| Islamic New Year beginsNight before 1 Muharram | Saturday 5 June, at sunset | Sunday 6 June, at sunset |
| Islamic New Year1 Muharram 1449 | Sunday 6 June | Monday 7 June |
| 9 Muharram9 Muharram 1449 | Monday 14 June | Tuesday 15 June |
| Ashura10 Muharram 1449 | Tuesday 15 June | Wednesday 16 June |
| 11 Muharram11 Muharram 1449 | Wednesday 16 June | Thursday 17 June |
| Safar begins1 Safar 1449 | Monday 5 July | Tuesday 6 July |
All dates are expected dates. Each month begins with the sighting of the new moon, so any of them can move by a day.
Why is India often a day later?
An Islamic month begins when the thin new crescent is seen after sunset. Many communities follow Saudi Arabia's announcement or the calculated Umm al-Qura calendar. India waits for a sighting in India itself, and because the young moon is often first visible a day later there, Muharram, and so Ashura, usually begins a day later as well.
Why does the Islamic year begin with Muharram?
The Islamic calendar counts its years from the Hijrah, the Prophet's ﷺ emigration from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE, which is why its years are marked AH, "after the Hijrah". Historians report that the count was fixed during the caliphate of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, with Muharram kept as the first month of the year.
The year 1448 AH began in June 2026, and 1449 AH begins on 1 Muharram, expected on Sunday 6 June 2027.
Why is Muharram a sacred month?
Allah says that the number of months with Him is twelve, four of them sacred (Surah At-Tawbah 9:36). The Prophet ﷺ named the four as Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram and Rajab (reported by al-Bukhari).
He also called Muharram "the month of Allah", and said that the best fasting after Ramadan is fasting in Muharram (reported by Muslim). It is a good month to begin a habit of voluntary fasts, and of daily Qur'an.
What is Ashura, and how do you fast it?
Ashura is the 10th of Muharram. When the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah, he found the Jews fasting it because Allah had saved Musa and his people from Pharaoh on that day. He said that the Muslims had more right to Musa, fasted it, and told them to fast it (reported by al-Bukhari). He said he hoped from Allah that fasting Ashura would wipe away the sins of the year before it (reported by Muslim).
Towards the end of his life he said that if he lived to the next year, he would also fast the 9th (reported by Muslim). So in the Hanafi school it is recommended to fast the 9th and 10th together, or the 10th and 11th, rather than the 10th alone.
In 2027 that means Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 June by the Umm al-Qura calendar, or usually Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 June in India.
When is the Islamic New Year 2028?
The Islamic year is about 11 days shorter than the solar year, so the new year comes about 11 days earlier each time. 1 Muharram 1450 is expected on or around Thursday 25 May 2028, with Ashura around Saturday 3 June 2028.
See also Eid al-Adha 2027, which comes three weeks earlier, and Ramadan 2027 dates. You can also check today's Islamic date, or convert any date with our Hijri date converter.
Sources
- Umm al-Qura calendar of Saudi Arabia, for the expected dates (computed 22 October 2026).
- The Qur'an, Surah At-Tawbah 9:36.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 2004: the Prophet's fast of Ashura in Madinah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari, hadith 3197: the four sacred months.
- Sahih Muslim, hadith 1162a: fasting Ashura.
- Sahih Muslim, hadith 1163a: the best fasting after Ramadan.
- Sahih Muslim, hadith 1134b: fasting the 9th of Muharram.