Can Marriage Take Place in Muharram?

Question

Some people say that getting married in Muharram brings bad luck or is haram. Is there any truth to this?

Bottom Line

Marriage in Muharram is permissible and blessed. Islam does not recognize unlucky months.

Quick Answer

There is no Qur’an or Hadith that forbids marriage in Muharram. On the contrary, Muharram is one of Allah’s sacred months, praised by the Prophet ﷺ for its virtues. History shows that even ‘Ali (RA) married Fatimah (RA) in this month. What matters is trust in Allah, not superstition.

Key Points

• Marriage in Muharram is halal; no evidence suggests otherwise.
• The principle: all things are permitted unless proven haram.
• The Prophet ﷺ said Muharram is a month of blessing, not misfortune
• ‘Ali (RA) and Fatimah (RA) married in Muharram, clear proof of its permissibility.
• Linking misfortune to a time or place without evidence is superstition, a weakness of tawakkul (trust in Allah).

Detailed Answer

In Islam, time itself carries no curse or bad luck. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Do not curse time, for Allah is time.”
Sahih Muslim 2246

Meaning: Blaming months or seasons for misfortune is baseless, since all time is created and managed by Allah.

Muharram is actually a month of honor. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“The best of fasting after Ramadan is Allah’s month of Muharram.”Sahih Muslim 1163.

If it is a month singled out for worship and reward, how can it be labeled unlucky?

Some communities avoid marriage in Muharram due to historical tragedies such as the martyrdom of al-Husayn (RA). While his death is a great sorrow in Islamic history, it does not turn the month into a time of prohibition. If every date of tragedy blocked us from joy, life itself would be paralyzed. Islam does not burden us with such innovations.

In fact, scholars narrate that ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) married Fatimah (RA) during Muharram of 3 AH (Al-Bidayah wa’n-Nihayah, 3/419). This precedent shows that the Companions saw no issue with weddings in this sacred month.

Superstitions about unlucky times reveal not a defect in the month, but a lapse in our own reliance on Allah. Imam al-Ghazali reminds us that faith means seeing beyond omens, knowing that blessing and harm come only from the Creator, never from the calendar.

What This Means for You

If you’re planning to marry in Muharram, do so with confidence. Your nikah is valid, your joy is halal, and your blessings are tied to Allah’s decree, not to the turning of the lunar calendar.

And Allah knows best.

References

Primary Sources

Qur’an

1. At-Tawbah 9:37: Condemns altering sacred months.

Hadith

2. Sahih Muslim 1163: “The best of fasting after Ramadan is in Allah’s month of Muharram.”
3. Sahih Muslim 2246: “Do not curse time, for Allah is time.”

Secondary Sources

4. Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidayah wa’n-Nihayah, 3/419 on the marriage of ‘Ali and Fatimah in Muharram.
5. Dr. ‘Ali al-Wardi, Lamahat Ijtima‘iyyah min Tarikh al-Islam, 1/59 — on Safavid innovations in Muharram mourning.