ISLAMIC CALENDAR

PART OF SERIES: "TRACKING TIME: BEHIND THE CLOCK AND CALENDAR"

Author: Ken Klark L. Flores

Photo: Nee🦋 / Pinterest

Introduction

The Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri calendar, is a lunar calendar used to determine the proper days for Islamic holidays, events, and rituals, such as fasting and the annual pilgrimage (Hajj).

Behind the calendar

This system is a a lunar calendar used by Muslims to determine the dates of Islamic holidays and rituals. It has 12 months, 354 or 355 days per year, and a year that is about 10–11 days shorter than the Gregorian solar calendar, causing it to cycle through the seasons over approximately 33 years. The calendar's first year began in 622 CE, corresponding to the year of the Hijra, or Prophet Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina (Britannica, 2023).

Origins

The Islamic calendar starts with the Hijra in 622 CE. The second caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, formalized and established this lunar calendar in 638 CE to unify disparate dating systems across the growing Muslim community, with the first day of the Hijra, Muharram 1, 1 AH (Anno Hegirae), corresponding to July 15, 622 CE. The calendar is based on 12 lunar months, which is why its dates shift annually compared to the solar-based Gregorian calendar (Start of the Islamic Calendar | EBSCO, 2023).But, it was officially instituted in 639 CE under the second Caliph, Umar ibn al-Khattab, with its epoch dating back to the Prophet Muhammad's migration (Hijrah) to Medina in 622 CE. 

System

Years are counted from the Hijrah (migration) of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. Dates in this era are denoted as AH (Anno Hegirae, "in the year of the Hijrah"). Like the Jewish Calendar, the Islamic day begins at sunset. The sixth day, Yawm al-Jumʿah (Friday), is the day for congregational prayers and often a weekly day off in many Muslim countries. 

The 12 Islamic calendar months are: Muharram, Safar, Rabi al-Awwal, Rabi al-Thani, Jumada al-Ula, Jumada al-Thani, Rajab, Shaban, Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhu al-Qadah, and Dhu al-Hijjah (islamonline_en, 2022).

Reference

Britannica. (2023, June 29). Islamic calendar | Months, Definition, & Facts | Britannica. Www.britannica.com. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Islamic-calendar

‌Start of the Islamic Calendar | EBSCO. (2023). EBSCO Information Services, Inc. | Www.ebsco.com. https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/ethnic-and-cultural-studies/start-islamic-calendar

‌islamonline_en. (2022, April 4). The Islamic Calendar. IslamOnline. https://islamonline.net/en/the-islamic-calendar/

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