Welcome to our first edition for Jom Belajar this academic year, where we share knowledge and facts about our beautiful host country, Malaysia!
Today we explore the public holiday, Awal Muharram, otherwise known as the Islamic New Year that was celebrated earlier this week! Awal Muharram marks the beginning of a new lunar year and is the day on which the year count is incremented and followed according to the moon’s phases. All religious obligations, such as prayers, fasting (during Ramadan), pilgrimage, and significant events, such as celebrating holy nights and festivals, are calculated according to the Islamic calendar.
Before the lockdown, to mark Awal Muharram, it was commonplace for Muslims in Malaysia to attend various religious activities such as recitations of Koranic verses, special prayers, and sermons at public halls and mosques. Additionally, a ‘Tokoh Ma’al Hijrah‘ is bestowed to a Muslim personality to honor their contribution to Islam. Last year in 2020, this was awarded to Malaysia’s Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah, a very familiar face in the news nowadays.
