麻豆约拍

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Yousra Samir Imran

Good morning.

Tonight, is the start of the new Islamic Year. The Islamic calendar, or Hijri calendar, is a lunar calendar of 12 months; the beginning of each month is determined by the sighting of the new crescent moon.

The Hijri calendar is important because it marks the date that the Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, made his gruelling journey from Mecca to Medinah, in Saudi Arabia, with a group of some of the first Muslims, fleeing persecution by the Meccans. The Medinans welcomed them with open arms and promised them somewhere safe to practise Islam.

Muharram was one of the most sacred months in the Islamic calendar. The Arabic word Muharram in itself means forbidden; this comes from the month of Muharram having been one of four months mentioned in the Qur鈥檃n in which war is forbidden. Muharram also means sacred. Similar to Ramadan, it鈥檚 a month in which I like to reset my spiritual goals and intentions.

While Muslims don鈥檛 typically celebrate the 1st of Muharram with parties, we do remember the extreme hardship and struggle that Prophet Muhammed, peace be upon him, and the first Muslims went through in order to save the religion. This feels just as relevant today when I read or watch the news and witness the persecution and displacement of millions of people around the world because of their faith. It makes me feel incredibly lucky to live in a country where I am free and safe to practise mine.

So today, I would like to take a moment to pray for all of those who have had to flee where they live in order to practise their faith safely, and I am grateful for the fact that I am able to practice mine.

Ameen.