ISLAMIC CALENDAR - HISTORY
AND MOTIVATION
The Islamic Calendar, which is
based purely on lunar cycles, was first introduced in 638 CE
by the companions of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam,
and the second Khalifah, Umar ibnul Khattab (592-644 CE).
He did it in an attempt to
rationalize the various, at times conflicting, dating systems
used during his time. Umar consulted with his advisors from
the companions on the starting date of the new Muslim
calendar. It was finally agreed that the most appropriate
reference point for the Islamic calendar was the Hijrah the
incident of the immigration of the Muslims from Makkah to
Madinah. It is a central historical event of early Islam that
led to the foundation of the first Muslim city-state, a
turning point in Islamic and world history. The actual
starting date for the calendar was chosen (on the basis of
purely lunar years, counting backwards) to be the first day of
the first month (1 Muharram) of the year of the Hijrah. The
Islamic (Hijri) calendar (with dates that fall within the
Muslim Era) came to be abbreviated by some as AH in Western
languages from the latinized Anno Hegirae, "in the year of the
Hegira". Muharram 1, 1 AH therefore corresponds to July 16,
622 CE.
The Islamic year consists of
twelve (purely lunar) months. They are: Muharram; Safar;
Rabi'ul Awwal; Rabi'uth Thani; Jumada al-Awwal; Jumada
ath-Thani; Rajab; Sha'ban; Ramadhan; Shawwal; Thul Qi'dah; and
THUL HIJJAH. Some of the most important dates in the Islamic
year are: 1 Muharram (Islamic new year); 1 Ramadhan (first day
of fasting); 1 Shawwal (Eidul Fitr); 8-10 Thul Hijjah (the
Hajj to Makkah); and 10 Thul Hijjah (Eidul Adh-ha).
To Muslims, the Hijri calendar
is more than a sentimental system of time reckoning, and
dating important religious events. Many of the marital and
spousal relationship rulings of the women are directly
connected to the lunar (Islamic) months. The Hijri calendar,
therefore, has a much deeper religious and historical
significance in the Muslim life. Muhammad Ilyas in his book,
"A Modem Guide to Astronomical Calculations of Islamic
Calendar, Times & Qiblah," quoted Abul Hassan an-Nadwi who
wrote, "It (the advent of the 15th Islamic century) is indeed,
a unique occasion to ponder that the Islamic Era did not start
with the victories of Islamic wars, nor with the birth or
death of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi wasallam, nor with the
Revelation itself. It starts with Hijra, or the sacrifice for
the cause of Truth and for the preservation of the Revelation.
It was a divinely inspired selection. Allah wanted to teach
Man that the struggle between Truth and Evil is eternal. The
Islamic year reminds Muslims not of the pomp and glory of
Islam but of its sacrifice, and prepares them to do the same."
From a historical angle, Ilyas quoted Samiullah who wrote,
"All the events of Islamic history, especially those that took
place during the life of the Prophet, sallallahu alayhi
wasallam, and afterwards are quoted in the Hijra calendar era.
But our calculations in the Gregorian calendar keep us away
from those events and happenings, which are pregnant of
admonitory lessons and guiding instructions. ...And this
chronological study is possible only by adopting the Hijri
calendar to indicate the year and the lunar month in line with
our cherished traditions."
WHY USE THE ISLAMIC
CALENDAR?
Muslims are obliged to use the
Islamic calendar because all of the rulings needing time
tracking are related to it. They should use a calendar with 12
lunar months without intercalation as evident from the
following verses of the Qur'an, "They ask you about the New
Moons, say they are but signs to mark fixed periods of time in
(the affairs of) men and for Hajj." [11:189]
"The number of months in the
sight of Allah is twelve (in a year) so ordained by Him the
day He created the heavens and the earth. Of them four are
sacred; that is the straight usage so wrong not yourselves
therein, and fight the pagans.” [9:36]
"Verily the transposing (of a
prohibited month) is an addition to unbelief: the
non-believers are led to wrong thereby: for they make it
lawful one year, and forbidden another year, of months
forbidden by Allah and make such forbidden ones lawful. The
evil of their course seems pleasing to them. But Allah guides
not those who reject Faith." [9:37]
Since the Islamic calendar is
purely lunar, the Muslim year is shorter than the Gregorian
year by about 11 days. Also, the months of the Islamic year
are not related to seasons which are fundamentally determined
by the solar cycle. This means that important Muslim
festivals, which always fall in the same lunar month, will
occur in different seasons. For example, the Hajj and
Ramadhan's fasting can take place in the summer as well as the
winter. It is only over a 33 year cycle that lunar months take
a complete turn and fall during the same season.
For religious reasons, the
beginning of a lunar month is marked not by the birth of a new
moon, but by a physical (i.e. an actual human) sighting of the
crescent moon at a given locale. From the Fiqh standpoint, one
may begin the fast in Ramadhan, for example, based on a
"local" sighting. This also known as Ikhtilaful Matali'
(separate horizons) or the recognition that different part of
the world may have different (unrelated) sightings of the moon
as in the case when the two places do not share days or
nights. Or based on a "global" sighting anywhere in the world.
This is the case known as Ittihadul Matali' (single horizon)
where one sighting of the new moon is considered to be valid
for beginning the month for all parts of the world. Although
different, both of these positions are valid Fiqh positions.
Astronomically, some data are definitive and conclusive
(i.e., the birth of the new moon). However, determining the
visibility of the crescent is not as definitive or as
conclusive; rather it is dependent upon several factors,
mostly optical in nature. Therefore, all Islamic calendars are
to be updated every month to insure the exact beginning of
each month. This should not present difficulties in using the
calendar as a planning tool. Muslims have devised some methods
to calculate the approximate beginning of the months (i.e.,
predicting the sightability of the new moon at the different
parts of the world) and in turn used them to produce
calendars.
By: WALEED A. MUHANNA
Al-Jumu'ah Vol.11 Issue1
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Last modified:
July 19, 2007
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