WHEN DID THE MUSLIM CALENDAR BEGIN?

In Islam, sacred days, nights, and months are determined according to the lunar calendar. This calendar is based on the phases of the moon. A new month begins with the sighting of the new moon (һиләл). A lunar month lasts either 29 or 30 days.

The Muslim calendar begins from the time when our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) migrated from Mecca to Medina. The reason for this is that Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) wrote a letter to Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him), the governor of Basra. Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) replied to Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), saying: "I received your letter, but there was no date written on it."

Thus, the second caliph Umar ibn Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) consulted with other companions about when to start the Islamic calendar. After various opinions were discussed, they all agreed to begin it from the year of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) migration from Mecca to Medina. From that day, the Hijri calendar began.

Because the Muslim calendar is based on the lunar cycle and not the solar cycle, it differs from the Gregorian calendar. For this reason, it is about 10 or 11 days shorter each year. Therefore, Islamic holidays fall on different dates each year according to the Gregorian calendar.

The Muslim calendar consists of 12 months, totaling about 354 or 355 days. About this, the Qur’an says:

“Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the register of Allah from the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred.” (Surah At-Tawbah, 36)

The month of Muharram, which comes after the sacred months of Hajj, is the first month of the Hijri calendar. The new year in the Muslim calendar begins with this month. While a new day in the solar calendar starts after midnight, in the lunar calendar a new day begins after sunset. Allah says in the Qur’an:

“It is Allah who made the night for you to rest and the sun and the moon for calculation.” (Surah Al-An’am, 96)

The Hijri calendar allows for the precise determination of religious observances such as the beginning of Ramadan, fasting, and Eid al-Adha. The Muslim calendar is unified worldwide, helping the Muslim community to organize their time in a single system.

Medet KURMASHULY

“Iman” magazine, No. 12, 2024