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Islamic Calendar

Leaps into its 1429^th Year

By Aleem Faizee

With sighting of the new moon on January 10 last Thursday, the Islamic Calendar, popularly known as Hijari Calendar leaped into its 1429^th year. Ummid.com explores the history as the Muslim world celebrates the occasion.

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As the crescent appeared over the horizon once again after completing full circle on January 10 last Thursday, it brought along with it, New Year for the Muslims world over. “The new moon that appeared last Thursday proclaimed the arrival of the month Moharram al-Haram. The month of glory and resurgence”, says Rehnuma Tabassum, a student into the Islamic studies, adding, “Moharram al-Haram is the first month of the Islamic Calendar which is based on lunar system. With this the Islamic Calendar, popularly known as the Hijari Calendar has leaped into its 1429^th year.”

"(The division of time has turned to its original form which was current when Allah created the Heavens and the Earths. The year is of twelve months, out of which four months are sacred: Three are in succession Dhul-Qa'da, Dhul-Hijja and Muharram, and (the fourth is) Rajab of (the tribe of) Mudar which comes between Jumadi-ath-Thaniyah and Sha ban."

-Sahih Al Bukhari

Narrated by Abu Bakra (RTU)

As the history suggests, it was the migration of Prophet Mohammad (Peace be Upon Him) from Makkah to Madinah that had resulted Islam nurturing into the new heights and spreading to the whole Arab lands, and also to the surrounding States. Till this time, Muslims in their respective Provinces were used to count the days and months - in accordance with the Arab tradition since pre-Islamic days – with sighting of the new moon and were not following any particular calendar or dating system as such.

“The Caliph, the Supreme Head of the Islamic State, was used to issue all the Guidelines and Pronouncements to the Governors of various Islamic Provinces from Madinah”, says Javeriah Sadaf, another student of the subject. “And things were actually working very fine. But confusion arose when contradictory orders started reaching far away Provinces at the same time. Since these orders were not carrying any date on them, it became very difficult for the Governors to find out which one of the orders was the latest and supposed to be followed with.”

The Prophet asked me at sunset, "Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?" I replied, "Allah and His Apostle know better." He said, "It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates itself underneath the Throne and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the Statement of Allah: "And the sun Runs its fixed course For a term (decreed). That is The Decree of (Allah) The Exalted in Might, The All-Knowing."

-Sahih Al Bukhari

Narrated by Abu Dhar (RTU)

Caliph Omar at last decided to make ways for the Islamic Calendar and - as the normal tradition was during those times - asked the people for their opinions and suggestions. Consequently various historical events, including the year when the Prophet was born, the year of the Prophethood, the time of Migration and the time when the Prophet had died, were proposed by the people.

“However unanimity surfaced for the year coinciding with the migration of the Prophet from Makkah, as it had not only provided the shelter to the Muslims but had also provided them the strength, as the commencing year of the Islamic Calendar.” Rehnuma says quoting from the history and adds, “Once this was done, then there was not much problem left for selecting Moharram al-Haram as the first month of the Islamic Calendar.”

“The reason for this was that”, Rehnuma says, “Moharram al-Haram was not only associated with many historical events, but it had always been considered as one among the four most respected and sacred months since centuries.”

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