The Holy month of Muharram

This is the month of grief for the Ahlul bayt and their shias culminating with the martydom of Imam Husayn (a.s) and his companions on the 10th of Muharram

1st night: There are a number of recommended prayers:
1st : 100 rakaat prayer reciting sura  al-hamd and sura at-tawhid ( qul huwallah) in each rakaat. 
2nd: A 2 rakaat prayer – in the first rakaat recite Sura al-Anam ( sura no.6 ) after al-hamd , and Sura Yaseen ( Sura no. 36 ) after Al-hamd in the 2nd rakaat. 
3rd :  A  2 rakaat prayer recite sura ikhlass 11 times after al hamd in each rakaat.

Hadith from the Prophet (saw) who said: “ Whoever  performs this prayer on this night and fasts ( the following ) morning which is the first day of the year (i.e. 1st day of muharram)  is like the one whom goodness encircles him the year , and he remains protected until the next year, and if he dies before that then he goes to heaven”

اَللّهُمَّ اَنْتَ الاِْلهُ الْقَديمُ وَهذِهِ سَنَةُ جَديدَةُ فَاَسْئَلُكَ فيهَا الْعِصْمَةَ مِنَ الشَّيْطانِ وَالْقُوَّةَ عَلى هذِهِ النَّفْسِ الاَْمّارَةِ بِالسّوءِ وَالاِْشْتِغالَ بِما يُقَرِّبُنى اِلَيْكَ يا كَريمُ يا ذَا الْجَلالِ وَالاِْكْرامِ يا عِمادَ مَنْ لا عِمادَ لَهُ يا ذَخيرَةَ مَنْ لا ذَخيرَةَ لَهُ يا حِرْزَ مَنْ لا حِرْزَ لَهُ يا غِياثَ مَنْ لا غِياثَ لَهُ يا سَنَدَ مَنْ لا سَنَدَ لَهُ يا كَنْزَ مَنْ لا كَنْزَ لَهُ يا حَسَنَ الْبَلاءِ يا عَظيمِ الرَّجاءِ يا عِزَّ الضُّعَفآءِ يا مُنْقِذَ الْغَرْقى يا مُنْجِىَ الْهَلْكى يا مُنْعِمُ يا مُجْمِلُ يا مُفْضِلُ يا مُحْسِنُ اَنْتَ الَّذى سَجَدَ لَكَ سَوادُ اللَّيْلِ وَنُورُ النَّهارِ وَضَوْءُ الْقَمَرِ وَشُعاعُ الشَّمْسِ وَدَوِىُّ الْمآءِ وَحَفيفُ الشَّجَرِ يا اَللهُ لا شَريكَ لَكَ اَللّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنا خَيْراً مِمّا يَظُنُّونَ وَاغْفِرْ لَنا ما لا يَعْمَلُونَ وَلا تُؤاخِذْنا بِما يَقُولُونَ حِسْبِىَ اللهُ لا اِلهَ اِلاّ هُوَ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَهُوَ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظيمِ آمَنّا بِهِ كلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنا وَما يَذَّكَّرُ اِلاّ اُولُوا الاَْلْبابِ رَبَّنا لا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنا بَعْدَ اِذْ هَدَيْتَنا وَهَبْ لَنا مِنْ لَدُنْكَ رَحْمَةً اِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْوَهّابُ

10th night:

<p="text-align: justify;">There are a number of aamals to be performed which can be referred to from appropriate books such as Mafatih al Jinan, However we will mention a few:

a) 100 rakaat salaat after Al-hamd recite 3 times Sura at-Tawhid in each rakaat , after which recite the following 70 times :

b) 4 rakaat salaat in the last part of the  night , recite in each rakaat after al-Hamd each of the following 10 times – Ayatul Kursi, Sura Tawhid, Sura Nas, Sura falaq.  After finishing the prayer recite Sura Tawhid 100 times

10th day:
The day Imam Husayn and his companions were martyred.

A day of great sadness and grief for the Ahlul Bayt and their shias, and it is befitting for the Shias to focus on the great tragedy and to stay away from striving to fulfill their worldly wants ,

a) It is recomendded to stay away from food and drink until late afternoon
b) To condole each other with the following statement:

May Alláh make our reward and your reward great, for our grief for Husayn, peace be on him." & may He place us and you from those who help his cause with His representative, the guided Imám from the family of Muhammad, peace be on them."

25th Day:

The month of Safar

This month is known for it's bad luck and there is nothing better than removing bad luck than giving sadqa ( alms) … and whoever wants to protect themselves from what descends in this month from the tribulations then he should recite the following dua daily 10 times :

يا شَديدَ الْقُوى وَيا شَديدَ الْمِحالِ يا عَزيزُ يا عَزيزُ يا عَزيزُ ذَلَّتْ بِعَظَمَتِكَ جَميعُ خَلْقِكَ فَاكْفِنى شَرَّ خَلْقِكَ يا مُحْسِنُ يا مُجْمِلُ يا مُنْعِمُ يا مُفْضِلُ يا لا اِلهَ اِلاّ اَنْتَ سُبْحانَكَ اِنّى كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّالِمينَ فَاسْتَجَبْناهُ لَهُ وَنَجَّيْناهُ مِنَ الْغَمِّ وَكَذلِكَ نُنْجِى الْمُؤْمِنينَ وَصَلَّى اللهُ عَلى مُحَمَّد وَآلِهِ الطَّيِّبينَ الطّاهِري.

O He who has total, absolute and everlasting power, therefore is versatile and at all times gets the better of the impossible, the Almighty, the Dearest beloved. Dwarfed are all that which have been created by Thee before Thy Majesty. Keep me safe from the evil any of the created beings may direct at me O the praiseworthy who vies in beauty and goodness; does everything in a pleasant way, gives joy, heart and confidence; treats with love and kindness. O "There is no god save Thee. Be Thou glorified. Verily I have been a wrongdoer. Then WE heard his prayer and saved him from the anguish. Thus We save believers", Send blessings on Muhammad and on his Pure and Pious descendants

1st day:
The Battle of Siffeen took place on this day, 
According to some narrations the The head of Imam al-Husayn entered Damascus on spearheads after being carried from Kufa. It is a day where the grief should be renewed.

3rd day of Safar:

It is desirable ( mustahab) to recite the following 2 rakaat  prayer on this day :
In the first rakaat recite Sura Hamd then Sura Fath ( no. 49) ,
In the second recite sura Tawhid after Sura Hamd.

After the prayer recite Salawat 100 times, and recite 100 times :  اَللّهُمَّ الْعَنْ آل اَبى سُفْيانَ  , and seek forgiveness 100 times , then ask for his wants.

7th day :
According to some scholars Imam al- Hasan al-Mujtaba (`a) was martyred on the seventh of Safar, AH 50. While according to others , Imam al -Hasan (`a) was martyred on the twenty-eighth of Safar.

On the seventh of Safar, AH 128, Imam Musa al-Kadhim (`a) was born at al-Abwa—a place between Makkah and al-Madinah.

20th day (Day of Arba'in):

According to some scholars , on the twentieth of Safar, the harem of Imam al-Husayn (`a) arrived in al-Madinah returning from Syria. On this day too, Jabir ibn Abdullah al-Ansari, the first to visit the tomb of Imam al-Husayn (`a), arrived there.

It is recommended to perform ziyarat (visitation)  of Imam Husayn (`a) on this day.
Concerning this, Imam al-Hasan al-Askari(`a) is reported to have said:
“The signs of a true believer are five:
(1) offering a fifty-one units of daily obligatory and supererogatory (nafila) prayers,
(2) visiting the tomb of Imam al-Husayn on the twentieth of Safar (i.e. Ziyarat al-Arbain),
(3) putting a ring in the right hand,
(4) covering one’s forehead with dust (i.e. prostrating oneself to Almighty Allah earnestly), and 
(5) To pronounce “Bismillahir-Rah’maanir-Rah’eem” in clear and loud voice while praying the salats. 

Imam Ja'far bin Muhammad Al Sadiq (as) had advised to recite this Ziyarat on the day of Arbae’en. Reported By Shaikh Toosi.

28th of Safar:
Day on which the Prophet (s.a.w) passed away  and according to some also the passing away of Imam Al- Hasan (a.s)

Last Day of Safar:
The Day on which Imam Ali ibn Musa Al-Ridha(a.s) was martyred by means of poisoned grapes by the abbaside caliph of the time.

The Month of Rabi ul-Awwal

1st of Rabiul Awwal:

The Prophet migrated to Makka on the 1st and it was on this night that Imam Ali slept in the bed of The Prophet ransoming his soul for The Prophet, It is recommended to fast on this day as a show of thanks to the safety of The Prophets life and that of Imam Ali,  and it also is appropriate to recite their ziyarat.

8th
Imam Hasan Al- Askari passed away on this day

9th
Eid al zahra,
Imam Mahdi became the Imam of the time

17th
The Prophet(s.a.w) and Imam Jaafer al-Sadiq were  born on this day

The following acts are recommended:

The Month of Rabi Al-Aakhir

Imam Hasan al Askari was born on the 10th of this month and it is recommended to fast on this day as a form of gratitude to Allah.