Islamic Calendar

"They ask thee (concerning) the New Moons, Say: They are but signs to mark fixed periods of time in (the affairs of) men and for Pilgrimage" [Surah al Baqara (2): 189]

The Islamic (Hijri) year consists of twelve (purely lunar) months.

(1) MuHarram
(2) Safar
(3) Raby` al-awal
(4) Raby` al-THaany
(5) Jumaada al-awal
(6) Jumaada al-THaany
(7) Rajab
(8) SHa`baan
(9) RamaDHaan
(10) SHawwal
(11) Thw al-Qi`dah
(12) Thw al-Hijjah

The most important dates in the Islamic (Hijri) year are:

Islamic New Year: Muharram 1st
Ascention to heaven: Rajab 27th
Fist day of fasting: Ramadan 1st
Eid al Fitr: Shawwal 1st
Hajj: Thw al Hijjah 8-10th
Eid al Adha: Thw al-Hijjah 10th

Since the Islamic calendar is purely lunar, as apposed to solar (current Gregorian calendar which we all use), the Muslim (Hijri) year is shorter than the Gregorian year by about 11 days, and months in the Islamic (Hijri) year are not related to seasons, which are fundamentally related to the solar cycle.

This means that important Muslim festivals, which always fall in the same Hijri month, may occur in different seasons.

For example, the Hajj and RamDHaan 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.

BACKGROUND

The Islamic Calendar, which is based purely on lunar cycles, was first introduced in 638 C.E. by the close companion of the Prophet and the second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab (592-644 C.E.). He did it in an attempt to rationalize the various, at times conflicting, dating systems used during his time.

Umar consulted with his advisors on the starting date of the new Muslim chronology. It was finally agreed that the most appropriate reference point for the Islamic calendar was the Hijrah (the Prophets migration from Mecca to Medina)

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) is usually abbreviated A.H. in Western languages from the latinized 'Anno Hegirae'.

The first year of the calendar, MuHarram 1, 1 A.H. corresponds to July 16, 622 C.E.

SIGNIFICANCE

Nadvi writes:

"It (the advent of the 15th 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 (pbuh), nor with the Revelation (of the Quran) 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. God wanted to teach man that struggle between Truth and Evil is eternal. The Islamic year reminds Muslims every year not of the pomp and glory of Islam but of its sacrifice and prepares them to do the same.''

HISTORICAL ANGLE

Samiullah writes:

"All the events of Islamic history, especially those which took place during the life of the Holy Prophet 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.''

[Source: Abridged from article by Waleed Muhanna]