The Tradition of Drinking White Milk on 1 Muharram: Meaning, Prayer, and Virtues

As the Islamic New Year 1448 Hijri begins, Muslims around the world observe various noble traditions to welcome it. One tradition rich in symbolic and spiritual meaning is drinking white milk on the night of 1 Muharram. This custom is known as part of the practices of the pious (Min Da’bis Sholihin) to begin the year with purity. The tradition is closely associated with a prominent Meccan scholar, Abuya Sayyid Muhammad bin Alawy Al Maliki. He consistently practised drinking milk on the night of 1 Muharram and distributed it to his students as an expression of joy in welcoming the Islamic New Year. The recommended time for this practice is on the night of 1 Muharram before the arrival of Subuh (dawn) time. In essence, drinking white milk at the start of the year is a form of tafa’ulan. In Islamic tradition, tafa’ulan means doing something with the hope of obtaining good fortune or blessings similar to the symbol of the object. By drinking pure white milk, a prayer and hope are embedded that throughout the coming year, one will be granted goodness. The supplication recited is: ‘Allahumma barik lana fihi wa zidna minhu’, meaning ‘O Allah, grant us blessings in this milk and increase us in it.’ Interestingly, the specific wording of the prayer ‘wa zidna minhu’ (increase us from it) was taught by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) exclusively for milk, not for other drinks including honey. This indicates the special status of milk as a perfect nutrition for human beings.