Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar, following Dhu al-Hijjah.
The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar with 12 months. Muharram is one of the four sacred months in which warfare was traditionally prohibited, alongside Rajab, Dhu al-Qadah, and Dhu al-Hijjah.
Ramadan is the ninth month, and Eid al-Fitr begins the month after it, on 1 Shawwal. Eid al-Adha occurs later in the calendar year, during Dhu al-Hijjah, the twelfth month. This sequence helps distinguish the major Islamic observances from one another.
Muharram begins the Islamic New Year, although the month is not itself an Eid festival. The tenth day, Ashura, has particular significance in both Sunni and Shia traditions, with different historical emphases.